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For those of you who had positive therapy experiences how you stopped? Did you go back to who you were before?

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Invisible Fire

MyPTSD Pro
I have been considering ending/taking a break from therapy for a while. After discussing this a few months ago with my therapist, we worked together for me to set new goals. Which was helpful and I was relieved but in the back of my mind I was still thinking of taking a break. I am still learning, growing and healing in therapy. I feel I have more things to work on but it is more wanting to not work on things. My symptoms in general are better. We talked again yesterday about me taking a break and my fears of not having weekly sessions. He is very supportive in my decision and at this time we have decided to try biweekly visits. I have never had a relationship where I felt safe and understood. It is hard to walk away from that. Also, I am afraid of feeling like I did before I started therapy. Going back to flashbacks, ringing in my ears and deep depression. Just curious for those of you who had positive therapy experiences how you stopped. And if you went back to who you were before starting. or any thoughts in general.
 
That sounds like one of the times I took a break. You know it is time because you are feeling stable and have for awhile. I get that. It is a door that is always open.

Have done it several times.
 
You know it is time because you are feeling stable and have for awhile
yes.

Cutting down to bi weekly appointments might make you feel better.
yeah. we are then going to either stop or maybe even go to every 3 weeks. I think knowing I have an appointment coming up is helpful. I think also when I stop I'm going to call it a break. And plan on going back. Instead of saying goodbye like its the end. I'm going to ask if I can still use the online portal we use for texting or if that will stop if I'm not a current client. I like knowing it is available.
 
I texted him on new years eve saying that I hope I get to see him again this year. He just said that he'll contact me when it's safe to see each other again with regards to the corona virus. I miss him.
yeah its been a long time. i hope you can see him soon

therapeutic relationships are different than others. hard to explain. but, i think that type of connection helps with healing and feeling safe in other relationships.
 
If this is the only relationship you feel safe, connected and secure, then maybe just putting it out there why end it? IMHO, and what most ultimate goal of therapy for those who could end it (not every body can end therapy depending on their conditions), is that one could function without the therapist and whatever function the therapist was offering is internalized so deep that one can use the memory, the experience to move forward.
Also most therapists would be hard pressed not to support a client who build another loving and safe relationship (whatever form that might be) outside of therapy to end therapy.
It seems to me your therapist is supportive and you are feeling healthy and ready to move...I think taking baby steps to wean out is great idea and will give you a great indication what is the major function the therapist is providing and maybe you will (if not already subconsciously) realize what that is and go from there.
It is extremely courageous to leave a relationship so satisfying.
 
If this is the only relationship you feel safe, connected and secure, then maybe just putting it out there why end it? IMHO, and what most ultimate goal of therapy for those who could end it (not every body can end therapy depending on their conditions), is that one could function without the therapist and whatever function the therapist was offering is internalized so deep that one can use the memory, the experience to move forward.
Also most therapists would be hard pressed not to support a client who build another loving and safe relationship (whatever form that might be) outside of therapy to end therapy.
It seems to me your therapist is supportive and you are feeling healthy and ready to move...I think taking baby steps to wean out is great idea and will give you a great indication what is the major function the therapist is providing and maybe you will (if not already subconsciously) realize what that is and go from there.
It is extremely courageous to leave a relationship so satisfying.
Thank you this is very insightful. I am finding my relationships outside of therapy to be different now that I have been on this healing journey. Some relationships were formed for wrong reasons. Or they did fit at the time but now they do not. I am seeing things differently now that I am seeing I deserve to be treated different/better. I guess I need to know how I handle my boundaries and other things independently without my therapist. And that is a good point that this will help me see that function that is being provided so I can work on that.
 
We talked again yesterday about me taking a break and my fears of not having weekly sessions.
I think it's great that you actually discussed it. I kinda just quit (2 weeks ago) and, although I know I can go back, it feels really final.
I have never had a relationship where I felt safe and understood. It is hard to walk away from that.
Oh yeah. Very hard!

I did quit therapy once before (well, multiple times, actually, but once where I said to myself, "I need to take a break." It was the BEST thing I could have done. I quit for different reasons (it was seriously destabilizing me), but what I noticed was that, on my own, I was forced to make it. And *not* thinking about therapy really helped me move on.

I eventually went back, but it was a few years.
 
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