Confused With Therapy

[Michaelchan]

Hi all,

I have recently started therapy up too 6 sessions so far and I'm confused with how it's going, the therapist keeps referring to me being traumatised but says there is nothing wrong with me, it feels like I'm being tested to get a reaction.

At my last session she was going through the DSM, first reading through anxiety disorders, then schizoid personality disorder.

When I brought up PTSD her comments were "no that only happens when your life is at risk" and and with schizoid "no only hermits who live in total isolation have that"

It still feels like I'm being tested, I think I'm going mad, when we go into my childhood or anything that deals with emotions it's like I become another person, I start shaking and acting all weird.

I can't seem to get a clear answer as too what's wrong with me, now I have to come up with an answer why I want to gain from therapy,I honestly have no idea other then I want too feel normal, my symptoms are numbness, feeling like different people but not different names etc, more like different people for extreme emotions when I feel them, I don't feel connected with my body , and feel no connection with other people.

I thought therapy would be; here are the symptoms, here is the diagnosis, this is the cure. Done.

It's just more confusing.

 

[obee12]

Hi all,

I have recently started therapy up too 6 sessions so far and I'm confused with how it's going, the therapist keeps referring to me being traumatised but says there is nothing wrong with me, it feels like I'm being tested to get a reaction.

At my last session she was going through the DSM, first reading through anxiety disorders, then schizoid personality disorder.

When I brought up PTSD her comments were "no that only happens when your life is at risk" and and with schizoid "no only hermits who live in total isolation have that"

It still feels like I'm being tested, I think I'm going mad, when we go into my childhood or anything that deals with emotions it's like I become another person, I start shaking and acting all weird.

I can't seem to get a clear answer as too what's wrong with me, now I have to come up with an answer why I want to gain from therapy,I honestly have no idea other then I want too feel normal, my symptoms are numbness, feeling like different people but not different names etc, more like different people for extreme emotions when I feel them, I don't feel connected with my body , and feel no connection with other people.

I thought therapy would be; here are the symptoms, here is the diagnosis, this is the cure. Done.

It's just more confusing.

 

[franciemarnie]

This T doesn't sound like they necessarily know what they are doing. Find a T who specializes in trauma and see what they think.

If you feel like you are being tested, well, I am not sure what you mean. If you think your T is testing you, that would be nuts on their part. Totally nuts and a waste of your time. You are seeing a T to heal, not for some bizarre agenda they might have. Keep looking.

 

[obee12]

Hi,
I've been through similiar times in the therapist's office. By what you've said so far, I really don't think your therapist understands ptsd well enough to do any more than confuse you, by not believing you. Do you feel disbelieved? My hat comes off for counsellors, but you might want to find one that doesn't need so much help from a book.

 

[ghotiff]

the therapist keeps referring to me being traumatised but says there is nothing wrong with me, it feels like I'm being tested to get a reaction

I don't know if this is the case. But my first T (now ex-T) used to tell me how all my feelings are normal etc....my current T states the same thing but quite differently (a subtle but, for me, important difference), she tells me that in light of my childhood and everything that has happened to me my reactions to current events make sense and are normal as a result of my childhood. The first T (I think) was trying to say the same thing, but for me it came out all wrong and I felt invalidated. Some of my reactions to things do not feel 'normal' and to be told they are doesn't help me (it just makes me feel like I'm not being understood). But my new T helps me to understand that they make sense if you take into account my childhood, and this somehow does help me.

I wrote a thread about how I worry my T doesn't believe me....I think this might tie into your feeling of being tested. If you haven't seen the thread it might help you....it really helped me reading how many others had related fears/concerns.

I thought therapy would be; here are the symptoms, here is the diagnosis, this is the cure. Done

In another post you mentioned that you only get 10 sessions a year. I personally would not be able to make any progress in only 10 sessions. In someone elses post, they commented that it takes as long to undo the trauma as it took to inflict it. While this is obviously simplistic, it makes sense to me....if I was abused for years, then it will take years to undo the damage. I apologise if that feels like a long time, but it helped me to let go of the unhelpful and unrealistic expectation that I had when I started therapy.

 

[Justmehere]

I would highly recommend having a consult with another therapist to get another opinion. I agree with others, I'm not sure this therapist knows what they are doing. I don't think they are testing you, and if they are, well, that's not therapeutic...

I would also suggest telling your therapist you feel like the way she is doing things and the things she says makes you feel like you are being tested and very confused about what is going on. Hopefully she can clarify things better, and if not, I would suggest finding a new therapist all together.

 

[Hashi]

What sort of training and experience does this therapist have? I agree with others that you need to find someone who specialises in trauma, and who is more knowledgeable.

When I first started therapy I had no idea about the different types of approach or how important it is to have a suitably qualified therapist with a lot of experience. I found that out the hard way, and it sounds like unfortunately that might be the case for you too. All we can do is learn from it then take the experience to help us find someone more appropriate. When you do find an appropriate therapist, there's a great difference.