Methods To Get Over The Waiting Room.

[thedude]

During the commute to my session my brain begins to recall several memories and because people drive aggressively in the city I start to produce cortisol and heart rate goes up . I'm ready to walk the steps to my seat with a purpose. Hands at my sides , looking at every reflection in windows, conscious of everyone around me.

In the waiting room I have a notecard binder that I use to try to dump my thoughts into for the session.
When that does n't work for slowing my thoughts I sketched the waiting room trying to use a much concentration as possible on visual awareness of my surroundings. I feel enough security with the veterans there to close my eyes and do a little breathing meditation to try to slow down too. We are trained to greet each other but that's about it...no conversation.

I am scary looking so people don't want to make eye contact with me , but as a technique if you look beyond people it is easier not to look at their eyes and not have them observe you as a point of focus.

I like to sit in places with my back to the wall facing a door so I can have awareness of who is in the room.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I think it is something I'll mention to my therapist tomorrow, so at least she's aware of it. And maybe we can come up with something.

I think if I was given a minute after getting into the therapy room, to get my bearings, I would be more with it.

Maybe now I have a file with notes and stuff in, I might read that in the waiting room. That way at least my mind would be on ptsd, rather than fogged up.

Thankyou all for the replies. Its been really helpful.

 

[maddog]

Good luck with the discussion Meadowsweet, it really is a valid concern and a potentially useful conversation to have. If it is remotely possible, I really am a big fan of the quiet time alone in the therapy room beforehand - I know for me it makes the greatest difference. Perhaps you could send her to make you a coffee or something!!!

Maddog

 

[Meadowsweet]

Just to let you know how it went. I mentioned it to my therapist, and she is going to use a visualisation to start and finish the session.

So I visualise taking the trauma we're going to focus on out of my imaginary box at the start of the session to let my mind know that we've started. Then at the end of the session, I put it back in its box to let my mind know that I need to focus on other things.

 

[Garblefraz]

So I feel like my 'issues' are slightly exposed.

I wonder if a good thing to keep in mind is that other people can't read your mind and your issues are probably way less exposed than you think? Difficult to remember in the moment though I understand.

I experience this sort of thing in the waiting room too. I like ericaboo's tactic of waiting in the car or waiting outside, and yes I always have a notebook with me to "bury my nose in" and doodle in while waiting. I also have an mp3 player but get bored of the songs easily.

Some gel earplugs are another suggestion.

 

[Meadowsweet]

I don't feel safe when I can't hear, so ear plugs and headphones are out.

Last week I waited in the car for a few minutes, but I was just clock watching. So I went in and read a magazine, or turned the pages as if I was reading it:). But it meant I didn't notice people coming and going and I didn't zone out so much.

So I was more ready and more responsive in the therapy room.

 

[Hashi]

Meadowsweet, I'm glad you've come up with an approach. It sounds like a good one.

I was thinking about this thread because I'm now seeing a T in a different place and I have to walk up a gazillion stairs with her from the waiting room to the therapy room. There's no lift and it's on the fourth floor (which outside the UK would be the fifth floor) and it's an old building so each floor is really high. It really distracts me just as we're about to begin. At work I have a similar situation but only to the third floor. So I can't help thinking how much difference one extra floor makes, and that it's the final two flights of stairs that make me out of puff when I get there, since I'm not used to quite that many.

The other thing is that my T locks the door when we go in. It doesn't actually cause me anxiety, because she leaves the key in the door so I could open it if I wanted to. I just find it weird though. No-one has ever tried to come into the room - does she expect them to? Wouldn't it be worse to have an unknown person rattling the door spookily than just have someone put their head round? Why doesn't she just hang a sign on the doorknob?

So now I start my T session out of breath, thinking about stairs and wondering why she locks the door. I think I'm going to have to talk to her about it...