Do You Discuss This Forum With Your Therapist?

[Friday]

I'll be giving my new one the advert page here, soon enough. Only met with him 3 times so far.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I did once but IMMEDIATELY regretted it as I had just lost the ONE space that was mine, all mine. Thank GOD she was a space cadet and forgot that I told her about the forum. (Yeah, we're talking a real dingbat LMAO)

I won't ever tell another therapist again. Honestly, it wouldn't be all that hard for a therapist to come on here and narrow it down by country, then figure out who you are based on a trauma diary (where we spill our guts about our trauma), or if they read enough of our latest posts, I'm pretty damn sure they could figure out who is their client.

For example, @KwanYingirl, you told the forum your exact birthdate and how old you would be. Do you really think that if your therapist came on here and read that, he wouldn't put two and two together?

All it takes is one nosy therapist. And yes, while it IS anonymous in that we're not posting our personal details, we are posting details which are discussed elsewhere in life. I'm not so stupid as to think that if someone in my life came across the forum and knew I was here that they wouldn't be able to figure out who I am eventually....

 

[KwanYingirl]

All good stuff here and thank you for affirming me. I believe that it has helped tremendously. I lack self awareness, but have been dissociating less and don't feel alone. @Solara I've been called out for using my name also in a post. I guess when I'm writing stream of consciousness, I don't edit. I'm sorry if I hurt you by that. It's never my intention to hurt or alienate anyone.

 

[Sandstone]

I have no problem with anyone telling their therapist about the forum, or the T reading here. As others have said - this is public anyway.

Yet I can't imagine EVER telling my therapist( if I get a new one sorted) about it. It would go against all my instincts to compartmentalise. I do use my diary tto kep track of things I might want to discuss with a future T. I'm aware how easily I forget things


( I really can't imagine any T taking the time to track down an individual on here. Even if they thought someone was posting things that they were unwilling to talk about, what would be gained by finding it? That would just create confrontation and fear)

 

[Lucycat]

I have told my T about the forum. He agrees it is helpful to me but also advices caution - posts can be triggering, invalidating and just plain wrong. But he does see that communicating with others is enlightening when you have spent your entire life feeling alone and different.

My T does not look at the forum, but I would have no qualms if he did. If he chose to become a member I would expect honesty and, like anyone else, to say that he is a therapist rather than a supporter or sufferer.

I have told T so much embarrassing stuff face to face and in emails that nothing I have ever posted on here would surprise him.

 

[Footie freak]

I have not thought about telling my therapist about our forum, but now that this has been mentioned I think I will do - as previously mentioned it's a good idea so that she knows what I am feeling and thinking as I am not very good at telling her. I also think it's a good idea to show other post/replies. I would be happy for a member to show my posts or replies.

 

[Lucycat]

it's a good idea so that she knows what I am feeling and thinking as I am not very good at telling her

I think there is a distinct difference between telling your T about the forum and your participation on it, and expecting them to read your posts as a part of your therapy. I am not sure that is such a good idea. My T simply would not have the time to trawl through it all and discover what it was that I could not get round to saying in a session.

 

[Kintsugi]

I told my T about the forum. She was skeptical, as skeptical as I would be were it recommended to me by a sufferer I know IRL. But I told her to explore and told her what my username was and invited her to read around. She returned to our next session filled with support about it. She knew as a kid I always wanted a support group of people like me, and none of her other patients would agree to meet as a group. This place is a major boon for me and one that she could immediately recognize as such once she had a proper look at it.

 

[KwanYingirl]

I have gained more awareness and less self harm, however, I am petrified to enter the trauma diaries. But, that's a whole other thread. Progress, not perfection, right??

 

[desiderata310]

It doesn't offends me to think about your therapist reading this site.

I think it would really bother me if my therapist read this site. I already have a hard time telling my therapist things. Much of what I do is writing about stuff and most of what I write is sent to him so that we can (hopefully) move forward. *sigh* that said, there are still things that I write here (and kept privately) that I am just NOT ready to share with him.

I don't know that I will EVER tell him about this site. I am on a listserv that I rarely post to and rarely read because it becomes overwhelming quickly. He knows about that because a few weeks ago it became the focus of a problem between us: ie, people on the listserv were saying that my therapist was a terrible person and I should leave and I was so freaked out and triggered because of something that had happened in therapy that I didn't know what to do.

He would probably be very supportive of me being on here if he knew that this has been very supportive between sessions and helped me sort out therapy ... crap. I just can't bring myself to tell him about it. I would probably stop posting altogether if he started reading.

 

[Footie freak]

Desiderata310
I understand your thinking and reason, but you don't have to tell your therapist anything about the site - as you say it's personal to us but you could mention that you have internet contact with fellow sufferers and - most importantly if this site helps you in any way between sessions which can only be a good thing. X

 

[TonyG]

I told my psychologist about the site and what I get out of it.