Posted by Penny on January 22, 2004, at 19:45:32
In reply to Admitting Thoughts - Caution, could trigger, posted by DaisyM on January 22, 2004, at 19:28:16
Oooohhhh yeah - I have had THAT talk with my T. And with my pdoc. Hence my hospital stay last summer. I've had the whole talk about how I would do it, how if I really wanted to die I wouldn't call anyone, b/c what would be the point? How obviously I didn't want to die because I was having that conversation (which would be my impression of your conversation as well...). How there would be so many loose ends to tie up before I could do it, though I guess it wouldn't ultimately matter to me, would it?
My T's response - I have her home phone number, her cell phone number, her office number, her email address. I have my pdoc's pager number, home phone, office phone and email as well. My T and I talked about when I would need to go to the hospital - signals to me that it wouldn't take much to push me over the edge. I don't promise to call, because I don't want to lie. But I have managed, for the most part, to be honest with both my T and my pdoc, because in reality, I don't want to die when I feel like that - I just don't want to continue that miserable existence. And there is definitely a difference.
I would expect that if you called your T and said, "I'm having thoughts of hurting myself," or something of that nature, he would probably try to gauge how close you are. (Do you have the means? Are you by yourself? Do you have a 'plan' - not just how, but when you are planning to do it?) And if he felt you were truly a danger to yourself, he would probably want you to go to the hospital. And if he thought you were okay after talking with him, he would probably want to see you sooner rather than later, if possible. Or call and check in with you periodically (my T did that). Or have you call and check in with him, leave him messages, things like that (my former T did that).
I'm very glad, Daisy, that you were able to be honest with him. That's an important conversation to have, and it is amazing how calm we can talk about such things when we have been so close recently. I do the same thing. Very matter-of-fact, as though I'm talking about someone else.
Are you okay tonight?
P
poster:Penny
thread:304358
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040116/msgs/304363.html