Is My Therapist Right?

[roaminggnome]

My therapist believes that I can be rehabilitated whereas my psychiatrist doesn't. I've known my therapist since February of 2014 and my psychiatrist for 13 years. This is the first therapist who has really gotten through to me. I'm afraid to move forward so my therapist is having me break everything down into small steps. I have a lot to lose if I try to move forward and fail again. How do I determine who is right-my therapist or psychiatrist? I have Bipolar NOS (not otherwise specified) and PTSD. Any thoughts on the matter will be appreciated.

 

[digger]

How are you, and they, defining rehabilitated?

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

You have to move forward on some level. You also keep saying you are 'afraid' to move forward, maybe your new therapist is right and breaking it down is the best way but what is the end goal your therapist has in mind? What is their meaning of rehabilitation?

 

[Justmehere]

The therapist could be right in the sense that your symptoms can improve. She brings a fresh set of eyes and different skill set than the doctor. The doctor's response may be more out of his sense he has tried all he knows, but that doesn't mean it's hopeless by any means.

The best way to find out who is right? Give it a go, keep working hard with the therapist and doc, and see how it turns out over time.

At the very least, you will know you did all you could. And it will likely help you be better off than if you had not tried at all.

 

[Suzetig]

I think it depends on what you mean by rehabilitated. Your psychiatrist will come from a place of medical knowledge, this means they'll look at a medical model of rehabilitation which looks at disease, treatment and recovery. Your therapist is likely to follow a more social/humanistic model whereby recovery is more defined by you being able to function in society, eg being able to adapt and develop coping strategies to manage symptoms as opposed to not needing them because you have no symptoms.

As such both people could be entirely right, you may never be free from bipolar or PTSD (medical model) but you may well be able to live a more fulfilling life (social model). Not sure if that makes sense or is helpful?

 

[Hashi]

I have a lot to lose if I try to move forward and fail again.

You have a lot to lose if you resign yourself to a life sentence of conditions/symptoms when you could recover. Personally, I think you would lose more than the other way round. You didn't mention that possibility. Could you say your thoughts about it?

 

[roaminggnome]

Thank you all for your responses. Let me clarify what is meant by rehabilitation: a job, a relationship, more of a life. My therapist believes that I could work if I find the right job and break everything into manageable steps. She looks at me and sees potential for my future. As Suzetig said that my doctor is looking at it from a medical model. My doctor has done everything medically possible to see to my improvement. There is nothing left that can be medically done. I will always have Bipolar and PTSD. This is a new way for me to look at things. My therapist is looking at it from a social perspective. And she is the first in a long line of therapists to do so.

@Hashi- I would lose my fear of the future, my fear of people, my fear of terrorism, my fear of working, my fear of being in a relationship, and my fear surrounding my mental illnesses. Wow! That is really powerful. I never thought of it that way before. All good things to lose.

The end goal is for me to return to work at a job I can do for the first time since 9/11/2001 destroyed my career.

I've always been one to let adversity prompt me to act. I just want so much more out of life then I'm getting right now. I too can see a future for myself. I just was never with the right therapist before. And never at the right point I'm at now. A point at which fear cannot hold me back. I think I'm going to side with my therapist on this one while realizing that my doctor has done everything possible to help me.

 

[TeaLeaf]

I would side with the therapist as well, it sounds so hopeless to hear your psychiatrist has said you can't be rehabilitated enough to have a job and a relationship. As others have mentioned, he has done all the interventions that he knows how to do and now you are working with a therapist with a fresh set of eyes.

There was a movie out a few years ago about a guy that had multiple severe mental illnesses and the documentary showed what was possible with the right resources. I never watched the movie but from what I understand, it shows him doing pretty well, dating etc despite all of this.

 

[DharmaGirl]

My therapist and doc have decided that I will recover from PTSD and my back and go back to work. Social Security found me mentally disabled, and my long term disability company found me completely and permanently physically disabled. I gave up on worrying about going back to work, now I just work on my issues and if I get well enough to work, I do.