My ego sees him as angry, manic, and addicted. Overcome by anxieties, he sighs and vents his stresses. I’m here to listen and understand, letting him fizz out to the passing of his emotions. Eight years of therapy has taught me to listen. People may be able to discover what they are feeling and how it reoccurs in their themes of life. That’s how people work, so I listen to him. Each time it feels harsh, like I’m not helping. How can he feel so disappointed in himself? And every time, he tells himself that he needs to be better. He’s not enough; he is a failure in his core and the only way to overcome or heal this feeling is a bandaid which says, “But it will be okay, I will be okay.” I wrack my brain trying to help him feel good in the moment, to feel like he has control over his emotions. Understanding and thinking out your misconceptions of yourself leads to greater realization, right? At some point he tells me that he is afraid of losing control. Well, most of us are. Losing control is terrifying, but can lead to some of the best moments, I think. But for him, it leads to bad experiences. Is there a way to deal with this fear? Am I equipped to guide him? I mean, my experiences are different from his, so how can I help if I don’t understand? The prompt of this is how a misunderstanding can lead to bad consequences. I guess, I’m afraid I may be misunderstanding the best way to deal with this. I want to help him deal with his fear, but maybe fears are there to run from. Maybe the unfolding of experiencing what he’s afraid of will destroy him. My wishes would be that it gives him the experience to regain control and know how to let go without it being a disaster. My philosophy is that letting go brings freedom, but how do I even take it upon myself to let go of that concept, and listen deeper to know what he’s dealing with? Maybe it’s not even as simple as a fear of losing control, who knows? I guess this has spun out a bit. Basically, can I understand him while still supporting him? I can’t let my ideas get in the way of his development. And I don’t want a misunderstanding of my own do lead to more problems.