Dear Lucas:

Reads to me that you have this core belief that you are guilty. Attached to this core belief is the next: that you don’t deserve to be happy. When you feel temporarily happy or content, the guilt is triggered and you suffer.

I hope that in therapy you unearth the first core belief I mentioned, that you are guilty, challenge that core belief. Once challenged and resolved (will probably take a long, long time and lots of work), then the second core belief will be resolved: you will not longer believe that you deserve to be punished, that you deserve to suffer.

And then, when you feel content, you will feel the beginning of that guilty feeling, you will pause for a moment, and say to yourself: But I am not guilty… It is okay for me to feel okay, what a relief!

anita