Dear Zita:

I found your thread fascinating and delightful, so intelligent and honest. I was curious and went back to past thread- read a lot through your thread, going backward all the way to your first thread, March 30, 2014.

In all your writings that I have read, you wrote nothing about your childhood except on 3/30/14, and that was in parenthesis only: “… ( I have had a tough life growing up, so yes I did have my issues).”

Nothing else. You also wrote someplace that your parents are of retirement age (while you are now about 27) and depend on your financial help; that is you are financially supporting your parents. I don’t know if you still live with them.

And now to this thread and my understanding of some of it in the context of your past writings:

You asked: ” How do you deal with your desire to be recognized and appreciated ? What are some ways that I can resort to healthier coping mechanism and give myself the attention rather than seeking them externally?”

The key word for me is ATTENTION. Part of you is seeking attention because as is, what needs attended to is in parenthesis, that is hidden from your awareness, inadequately being in your awareness, that is. Until you attend to it, and for as long as you resist it, it will persist.

If I am correct, what is it in parenthesis, that is: “… ( I have had a tough life growing up, so yes I did have my issues)”- that needs attended to and is it connected to you presently financially supporting your parents, maybe living with them?

anita