Can you push yourself too hard in therapy?

[Moniq]

Update: I went to my appointment and it did not go well. It was mostly silent. I tried to express how I was feeling but it did not come out clearly and what I could express I am not sure if the therapist understood. Not certain how move forward or will things work themselves out?
I guess I am still very confused, any ideas.

 

[hopefully optimistic]

Honestly, I think that’s totally normal. At least that’s how it is for me for the couple of appointments after I’ve told a lot of info. Usually I’m extremely guarded, or just can’t form a coherent sentence.
And amazing job for going back-I really know how hard that is to do.

 

[shimmerz]

I was feeling but it did not come out clearly and what I could express I am not sure if the therapist understood.

One of the things that I have noticed in my own therapy is that part of the problem is that there ARE no words to describe what I am feeling or the past events that I am trying to work through. If your therapist knows what they are doing, they will help you figure that out.

It sounds to me like you may be taking this inability to describe or put clear verbage onto whatever you are working on is a trauma thing. Not a thing to be ashamed of. Please just be patient with yourself. It may not feel like you are being productive but you are. Words are so very hard for much of this stuff.

 

[Moniq]

One of the things that I have noticed in my own therapy is that part of the problem is that there ARE no words to describe what I am feeling or the past events that I am trying to work through.

Thank you for saying this, I tried to explain to the therapist that I do not have the words or explain what I feel. But have been told that I do know what I am feeling and need to express it. This has been stressful because I have been getting frustrated trying to figure this out and kept coming back with the same: a feeling I have no words for. I thought maybe I lack the capacity to know what is going on. I will try to be patient with myself (It is not one of my strong points). Thank you.

 

[Freida]

I have lost track of how many times I say "and blah blah blah" to my T. It means I don't have words. I have no idea what to think or say. So we try to work around it because sometimes approaching things from different angles can help.

And yea, silence is pretty normal. You will talk when you are ready :hug:

 

[piratelady]

Sometimes after a big disclosure I have a hard time communicating. I used to beat myself up a bit, feeling like I wasted the appointment. But I’ve noticed, for me something about going in there the first time after the disclosure makes me unable to really access my feelings, or put words to them because I’m so anxious about the fact that someone else knows. The next appointment usually goes better. My nerves seem to calm down.

That being said, I also struggle often to put words to what I’m feeling. I just got through that very problem trying to explain to my therapist what it about being a victim that creates so many feelings that I can’t name other than to say it’s overwhelming. We just kept approaching it from different angles like Freida said and eventually we figured it out.

I don’t know if that’s helpful at all.

 

[Abstract]

It sounds like what you are experiencing is very normal. In context. I think pushing yourself too fast is when it doesnt come down again after the horrible symptom spikes or there is danger for you or others.

to the therapist,

is the t a trauma t?

t have been told that I do know what I am feeling and need to express it

I ask as had a therapist really mess with my head. They didn't under trauma or dissociation and kept pushing things like this, Didn't believe various things I started realising I was dealing with.

I will try to be patient with myself

Please do! You deserve it. And you deserve your therapist to be patient with you too and help support you through it. This session should be about speaking it through and stanbalising.

I go totally mute for long periods of time or do word spaghetti. And thats even without discussing trauma at times. Being in there with the therapist is enough at times.