John Ballen

that you can't talk yourself out of them. A demon to me is something that If you begin to have those thoughts and you feel them creeping in and you tell yourself, stop thinking about it. I don't want to deal with that. I don't want to think about that.

that you can't talk yourself out of them. A demon to me is something that If you begin to have those thoughts and you feel them creeping in and you tell yourself, stop thinking about it. I don't want to deal with that. I don't want to think about that.

If you have those thoughts in your life that even just the slightest beginning of a thought about that thing starts to creep into your head and your reaction to it is not now. I don't want to do this. I can't do this right now. It's all happening in your head. If that's something that you deal with, That's a demon. It's something that is like the uncontrollable thought that comes into your head.

If you have those thoughts in your life that even just the slightest beginning of a thought about that thing starts to creep into your head and your reaction to it is not now. I don't want to do this. I can't do this right now. It's all happening in your head. If that's something that you deal with, That's a demon. It's something that is like the uncontrollable thought that comes into your head.

It usually happens at the same time of the day or same thing that triggers it. And if your reaction to it is, oh, my God, I can't think about this thing, like that is a demon in your life. And you are not going to be able, at least in my opinion, long term, to simply convince yourself that that's not a demon. It is a demon. It doesn't matter if it's rational or not.

It usually happens at the same time of the day or same thing that triggers it. And if your reaction to it is, oh, my God, I can't think about this thing, like that is a demon in your life. And you are not going to be able, at least in my opinion, long term, to simply convince yourself that that's not a demon. It is a demon. It doesn't matter if it's rational or not.

For me, I have several that sort of creep into my life, but the only way I have found to sort of cope with them is to sort of not embrace them because that's not what you do, is to talk about them with someone who it's cathartic to talk about it with a therapist, but it's even more cathartic to almost hear yourself talking about it.

For me, I have several that sort of creep into my life, but the only way I have found to sort of cope with them is to sort of not embrace them because that's not what you do, is to talk about them with someone who it's cathartic to talk about it with a therapist, but it's even more cathartic to almost hear yourself talking about it.

Like you actually, for me specifically, like I have things that I've said in therapy that I can't believe I'm saying out loud that are so like personal and intimate and so tied to like deep insecurities and pains in my life. But it's only in that environment with like a third party who's neutral in a private setting. that these things just come to the surface and I'm saying these things.

Like you actually, for me specifically, like I have things that I've said in therapy that I can't believe I'm saying out loud that are so like personal and intimate and so tied to like deep insecurities and pains in my life. But it's only in that environment with like a third party who's neutral in a private setting. that these things just come to the surface and I'm saying these things.

And the beautiful thing about having a great therapist is their whole gig is they're listening and interpreting and providing perspective. They're not trying to like tell you, oh, that's not a thing. It's like, well, have you thought about it this way?

And the beautiful thing about having a great therapist is their whole gig is they're listening and interpreting and providing perspective. They're not trying to like tell you, oh, that's not a thing. It's like, well, have you thought about it this way?

So, you know, it's funny. My dad and I recently have sort of had a resurgence. He and I sort of had, I guess you could call it a falling out. I was very close with my dad growing up. My parents split when I was 13. And even though I was living with my mom and sisters, my dad was a very active part of my life. It isn't like I didn't see him again. But we had a good relationship, me and my dad.

So, you know, it's funny. My dad and I recently have sort of had a resurgence. He and I sort of had, I guess you could call it a falling out. I was very close with my dad growing up. My parents split when I was 13. And even though I was living with my mom and sisters, my dad was a very active part of my life. It isn't like I didn't see him again. But we had a good relationship, me and my dad.

And then when I left for the Navy, it came after I had found a way to graduate college. And I was talking about law school a little bit. And I think my dad, he was like, that's great. My son, he turned it around. He's got this career in mind that seems like a really strong idea.

And then when I left for the Navy, it came after I had found a way to graduate college. And I was talking about law school a little bit. And I think my dad, he was like, that's great. My son, he turned it around. He's got this career in mind that seems like a really strong idea.

and i sort of sprung it on him and my mom and my sis my sisters that i'm like actually no when i graduate college i'm going to enlist in the navy and try to be a navy seal i hadn't really talked about it with them at all i mean i'm exaggerating but it was a very quick turnaround and i i didn't want to talk to them about it because i knew they'd say one why will you make it through and two why are you doing this

and i sort of sprung it on him and my mom and my sis my sisters that i'm like actually no when i graduate college i'm going to enlist in the navy and try to be a navy seal i hadn't really talked about it with them at all i mean i'm exaggerating but it was a very quick turnaround and i i didn't want to talk to them about it because i knew they'd say one why will you make it through and two why are you doing this

And so when I began talking about it, like right at the end of my college career, like literally I'm getting ready to enlist, my dad, I think he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea that I really was going to do this. For reasons that make sense to me now that didn't at the time, like it's his son. If you're successful, that's not good. You're going to be a Navy SEAL, like going to war.

And so when I began talking about it, like right at the end of my college career, like literally I'm getting ready to enlist, my dad, I think he couldn't quite wrap his mind around the idea that I really was going to do this. For reasons that make sense to me now that didn't at the time, like it's his son. If you're successful, that's not good. You're going to be a Navy SEAL, like going to war.