Psycho-Babble Psychology Thread 795880

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What is WITH my therapist these days????

Posted by seldomseen on November 19, 2007, at 6:50:39

I know I'm in the process of terminating, but man he has been a little too dismissive lately. I'm about to quit.

Okay - if there is anyone that doesn't know - On halloween, I took a nasty spill off a horse and got a concussion and two subarachnoid bleeds. Nasty nasty things those bleeds and a concussion is no tip toe through the tulips either. I still have headaches, dizziness and short-term memory problems. I discovered a new symptom at a conference in DC last week - significant hearing loss in my left ear. So much so that I had to turn my head in order to hear people at a restaurant.

Anyhoodle, I saw my T hoping for some sage advice about how to handle all the things running through my damaged brain. 5 minutes prior to the end of the session he popped out with. "I'm not a big believer in the PTSD diagnosis, but I think you have it" He then added "Stay busy and I'll see you in two weeks".

Can you get PTSD from a PTSD diagnosis?

Overall, I think he is right (I'm a mess), but (as has been happening a lot lately) I expected more out of him.

Maybe a call to the effect of "how are those frightening things in your peripheral vision" or "any flashbacks of note as of late".

But nothing, just the treatment plan of "stay busy"

Maybe this is what termination is like - but I expected it to be more gradual and not "well, okay then - off you go, suck it up (an oldie but a goodie from the past) and stay busy."

I won't even mention the grief he gives me over my klonopin, even though I take it as prescribed.

If this is it, I could save myself and my insurance company a lot of money by just quitting.

Seldom.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days????

Posted by star008 on November 19, 2007, at 8:47:46

In reply to What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by seldomseen on November 19, 2007, at 6:50:39

Sounds like it is time to find a new T..This one is getting on your nerves. Telling u 5 minutes before leaving that you have PTSD wasn't the wisest thing he could have done..You didn't even have the time to respond and discuss it. Is he giving you quick answers like he is not really hearing you?? Is he seriously underestimating what you are going through? Not connecting with what you are saying? They have a habit of doing that.yeah, okay see you in two weeks.. thanks alot, that does me a whole of good. I'll just stay busy while you go about your life and I'll pay you in another two weeks not to hear me.. Sorry, those are my thoughts about saome of the things I have gone through..don't give up..Finding a new one is not fun at all but it sounds like you need someone to help you sort through things.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days????

Posted by rskontos on November 19, 2007, at 9:54:53

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by star008 on November 19, 2007, at 8:47:46

/Seldom, I've been wondering how you were. Now I would wonder if you need to terminate with a new dx. I mean would not that me you have more to discuss not less? But then I am not an expert. I am sorry he seems a little insensitive on this issue. Time to point it out to him I am thinking.

Hope you are ok though. How is the head? Did you go to a neuro?

rk

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen

Posted by Dinah on November 19, 2007, at 9:58:09

In reply to What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by seldomseen on November 19, 2007, at 6:50:39

I think you're right. He probably thinks he's helping you by preparing you to fly, while you probably feel like he's pecking you out of the nest.

I suppose making you want to get away *could* be seen as encouraging you to fly...

Is he open to feedback? My therapist is incredibly open to feedback, if he examines himself and sees that there is truth in it. If I told him my perspective of what was happening, and acknowledged the positive intent on his part, but explained how I thought it wasn't right for the moment, he'd likely consider that and decide if I had a point. If not, he'd talk to me about why. If so, he'd probably ask me what I would see as the ideal termination phase.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen

Posted by Muffled on November 19, 2007, at 12:22:57

In reply to What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by seldomseen on November 19, 2007, at 6:50:39

Maybe you not ready for termination?
You have to?
I thot I was ready to terminate, but not so.
Hope it goes OK for you.
Hope your head etc gets better soon.
M

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen

Posted by DAisym on November 19, 2007, at 15:12:47

In reply to What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by seldomseen on November 19, 2007, at 6:50:39

Termination can be a rough time - especially if new things crop up. As always in therapy, it is really important to talk with your therapist about how you are feeling. Sometimes they assume strength and coping where you don't feel you have any...and we long for comfort and they don't want to undo the work that has been done towards separation.

I guess I don't usually think the best answer, when there is a standing relationship, is to just cut it off suddenly. It seems to me that this would undo so much of the work that has been done over the course of the therapy.

Perhaps termination needs to be put on hold for the time being, and you need to go more frequently for a little while. But above all else, talk to him. It is important feedback.

Take care. I hope you feel better soon.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen

Posted by RealMe on November 19, 2007, at 22:46:17

In reply to What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by seldomseen on November 19, 2007, at 6:50:39

Gosh; are you seeing a neurologist for all the symptoms you have? I would guess you could develop PTSD from the fall, but it sounds like you also are suffering from neurological symptoms. The two are not mutually exclusive.

RealMe

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » star008

Posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:21:41

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by star008 on November 19, 2007, at 8:47:46

I'm really not used to the way he is behaving towards me. If i do decide to quit, i'm not sure if i will find a new t.

I've been in therapy for 7 years - it's helped a lot, but I think I am just about finished.

Thanks for your post.

Seldom.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » rskontos

Posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:24:07

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days????, posted by rskontos on November 19, 2007, at 9:54:53

You might be right, but I don't want to be dismissed either. I've decided to see how I feel when I go back - bring it up to him if it's still bugging me and see how he responds.

If he is still aloof and dismissive, then I will advance the termination (drop back to even less visits per month).

Seldom.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » Dinah

Posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:26:50

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen, posted by Dinah on November 19, 2007, at 9:58:09

I don't know, but I think there is time to help me to fly, then there is a time to just help me. I will admit, that I am doing better since I posted.

I'll talk to him about it and see if this is what termination is like.

Seldom

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » Muffled

Posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:29:28

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen, posted by Muffled on November 19, 2007, at 12:22:57

Thanks muffled. I'm doing alright. For some concussions it can take a month for symptoms to resolve.

I'll talk to my T.

Take care girl. I always love reading your posts.

Seldom.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » DAisym

Posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:34:01

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen, posted by DAisym on November 19, 2007, at 15:12:47

You're absolutely right Daisy. It feels as though he/we are undermining the relationship we have developed over the years by this distance he seems to be creating.

Maybe he is upset at seeing me leave and is shutting down.

Maybe he thinks I am doing better than I am.

Maybe I'm not doing as badly as I think.

Maybe he's proud at my progress and is bugged that I seemed to have relapsed a bit - but I was almost killed for heaven's sake.

Maybe he is upset that I was almost killed and can't show it.

I need to talk to him.

Seldom.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » RealMe

Posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:46:57

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen, posted by RealMe on November 19, 2007, at 22:46:17

Yeah, I am under several doctors care. Evidentally the sequelae I have are part and parcel of a brain injury.

Fraqnkly, looking at my CT - I'm surprised I don't have more. When I first woke up after being thrown, I couldn't move or talk. I also couldn't read the consent for treatment. At least THOSE have resolved.

All the major neurological systems are operational though and each exam is not remarkable for any deficits, so I'm schlepping along.

I really was out of my head in the ER though - kept taking off my cervical collar and walking around endlessly. I couldn't find words, so I had a hard time even communicating that my head was REALLY hurting. I kept getting lost. I got very upset, frustrated and scared because I knew something was very very wrong.

I think they gave me a shot of morphine just to get me to sit still and quit freaking out(it worked).

Even though my T is a bit dismissive now, he is a psychiatrist and I trust his diagnosis ( I think).

Seldom.

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen

Posted by RealMe on November 21, 2007, at 0:06:59

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » RealMe, posted by seldomseen on November 20, 2007, at 7:46:57

I remember when my therapist/psychiatrist recommended me for ECT, and after I complained of short term memory loss and confusion and disorientation, etc. I had an MRI, neurological exam and 48 hour EEG. Nothing definitive was found. The problem is that your symptoms don't necessarily show up on medical tests. My psychiatrist and ECT doc both concluded my problems were psychological when nothing much was noted. Bull crap. I am a psychologst, and my husband is a neuropsychologist. Did you have neuropsychological testing done afer wards or since?? I just did an evaluation on someone who has the sequalae of a brain injury and has horrilbe short term memory loss (working memory).

I had neuropsychological testing done before and after the ECT, and gee wizz; I have persisting short term memory loss. I cannot read something new and remember what I read by the next day. I was reading a book by Garrison Keilor, and thankfully you don't have to remember one chapter to the next as I would read a chapter per night before going to bed. I could not remember what I had read the day before. I also journal every day now as I would forget my days within a couple of days. I am thankful I am done with school and have not forgotten how to do my job. So, I guess I am suggesting getting a good neuropsychological evaluation done. And even then as my husband says, some things are so subtle that they are not picked up on testing but nevertheless exist. So, the major problem for me is learning or reading something new, storing into memory and then being able to access it later. It just doesn't happen even though I stoped the ECT early the last of March of this year. Take care.

RealMe

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » RealMe

Posted by seldomseen on November 21, 2007, at 10:24:31

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen, posted by RealMe on November 21, 2007, at 0:06:59

Have your symptoms gotten any better since the ECT? Are you noticing a gradual improvement or has their been no change?

For me, I have been noticing improvement almost daily with my short-term memory problems. For my aphasia I have been doing the Controlled Word Association Test (where I pick the letter) almost daily and I've seen myself improve. When I first started I noticed that it would take me a long time to think of the words, but they would come eventually. Now, I'm almost back to what I would call "my old self" - cognitively at least.

Not being able to read the consent to treat form was one of the scariest things that has ever happened to me I think. I could see the words on the page, but I couldn't make any sense of them at all. I knew that I used to be able to read. I kept seeing the word clergy and I asked the nurse if what I was reading was a living will.

Are you in any kind of rehabilitative therapy to help you cope with the memory loss?

Seldom

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen

Posted by RealMe on November 21, 2007, at 21:59:57

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » RealMe, posted by seldomseen on November 21, 2007, at 10:24:31

No I am not in any sort of rehab, but I have been told by some people I should do it. The confusion, disorientation, and perceptual problems are mostly gone. Although there are times when I forget momentarily how to do tasks I took for granted. The short term memory--I guess I try to journal daily, but as far as what to do to improve it, it helps if I get prompts. So, I suppose it is not gone; it is just inaccessible. Like today, my T would not ordinarily give me a reminder of the last session when I say I don't remember, but he knows that this is not resistance but real due to the ECT. So, he will give me a prompt, like "You were talking about how you felt connnected to your grandmother but not your mother and yos talked about the dog and cat, etc. Then it comes back to me. And, I can take it from there. I am glad you are doing rehab stuff. My problems don't affect my work, and my husband thinks it is funny as sometimes I don't remember things at all, and so I might watch a TV show for the second time and not remember I saw it before. That is sort of funny, but not really. It is painful to not remember. I had trouble with wordfinding difficulties before too, but that is pretty much back to normal. My spelling used to be excellent, and now it is freaky to not remember how to spell a simple word sometimes, to know something does not look right, but to not know what would be right.

RealMe

 

Re: What is WITH my therapist these days????

Posted by Phillipa on November 23, 2007, at 12:15:07

In reply to Re: What is WITH my therapist these days???? » seldomseen, posted by RealMe on November 21, 2007, at 21:59:57

Yikes same thing happens to me I forget what I'm in the middle of saying and also when appointments even are. Maybe I have alzheimers or it's huge stress. Don't know. Phillipa


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