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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
I have my 1st appointment with my T after a 3 month absence. There's been a lot of things going through my head since I made the appointment and I was afraid I would get there and forget what I wanted to talk about as I've done before. I actually wrote out an outline. That's SO not like me, and I guess that's why I'm feeling so anal. Anyone else ever do this?
Posted by smokeymadison on April 30, 2004, at 23:00:07
In reply to Feeling Anal..., posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
i have definately had the head rush, the queasy stomach, the anxiety, if that is what you are talking about. and that was just after a three week absence for me. take a few deep breaths before you go in. it may feel like a first session since it has been so long. you may not feel like jumping into really personal stuff at first. you sort of have to get used to the therapist again. good luck!
Posted by shadows721 on May 1, 2004, at 0:53:18
In reply to Feeling Anal..., posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
I don't see anything wrong with that. Maybe you just wanted to make sure you didn't want to miss anything. I do that, so that I feel I get the most out of my therapy visits.
Posted by All Done on May 1, 2004, at 1:13:34
In reply to Feeling Anal..., posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
> I have my 1st appointment with my T after a 3 month absence. There's been a lot of things going through my head since I made the appointment and I was afraid I would get there and forget what I wanted to talk about as I've done before. I actually wrote out an outline. That's SO not like me, and I guess that's why I'm feeling so anal. Anyone else ever do this?
thewriteone,
I've made outlines, lists, and written what seem to be a novels prior to some of my sessions. Sometimes I refer to my "notes". Sometimes I completely forget I have them.
I think it's great that you wrote some of your thoughts down. Just see how you feel when you start the session and go from there. If you felt comfortable with your T in the past, I'm sure things with flow exactly the way they're meant to flow.
Take care,
All Done
Posted by lonelygirl on May 1, 2004, at 14:51:03
In reply to Feeling Anal..., posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
I haven't actually made an outline, but I usually stress all week about what I'm going to talk about in the very limited time I have, and usually try to think of a way to lead the conversation to what I want to talk about... I wouldn't call it "anal" to make an outline; just organized :) It's probably a good thing, because it will help you talk about the things that are most important for you to discuss (I know it is frustrating to me when I leave a session without having talked about stuff I should have).
Posted by Racer on May 2, 2004, at 12:32:17
In reply to Feeling Anal..., posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
I've taken reams of paper in with me! Let's see, there are the lists of things I'm afraid of, so that we can try to process through some of them. There are the speaking outlines -- often several pages, single spaced. The essays. The random notes.
Yes, I've written things down before sessions. I don't know if it's helped or not, but it gives me something to focus on while I'm otherwise wilting from anxiety. Whether it provides any long term benefit in therapy, I can't say. It does give me an immediate benefit, though, by giving me something to do to focus my energy and shift it away from the anxiety.
So, I guess we can start the Anal Retentive Babblers Board next, eh?
Posted by karen_kay on May 2, 2004, at 13:31:01
In reply to Feeling Anal..., posted by thewriteone on April 30, 2004, at 22:29:22
lol. i used to tease miss honey all the time because she would prepare a therapy agenda for mr. bean, her therapist. so, you think you are anal for creating an outline?
when i had individual therapy, i would bring my journal. before therapy, i too would outline points and subpoints and reasonings for those reasonings and on and on.... and i did this before every session. and because i didn't want to get backed into a corner and not have a response for anything he had to say. in fact, several times it would head, "if he answers yes, go here..." "if he answers no, go here..."
so, i hope that answers your question. or at least makes you feel less anal by pointing out how very anal i am :) (again, i just imagined the worst and wanted to be prepared with a response, even though most of the time i would end up answering "i don't know" when II. A. b. 2 specifically said to answer "because your mother didn't give you cookies at mcdonalds.....)
Posted by thewriteone on May 3, 2004, at 16:54:14
In reply to Re: Feeling Anal..., posted by smokeymadison on April 30, 2004, at 23:00:07
Thanks, guys. I feel much better about my outline now. :-) BTW, my session went well though we didn't get into half the stuff I wanted to. I guess I'll have to take my outline back next week. Maybe I'll even add to it by then!
This is the end of the thread.
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