Video or in person

[FauxLiz]

My state is going into month three of quarantine and I have been doing telehealth with my therapist since this began but I am struggling lately and some of my maladaptive coping mechanism have been resurfacing. I don't feel as though I can talk as freely with teletherapy and my therapist has offered to meet face to face and therapy is considered an essential medical service so I could legitimately go without violating the quarantine order I just don't know if I should. What are others here doing about therapy? and if you had the chance would you do the face to face session?

 

[osiris]

I would go like a shot. I am more concerned about my mental health than my physical one at the moment, and would obviously take precautions to stay as safe as possible.
I haven’t seen T since March and won’t be able to until June at the earliest because of restrictions.

It’s a case for you weighing up the risks vs the benefits.
Hope you manage to get some face to face time if you need it.

 

[whiteraven]

My state is going into month three of quarantine and I have been doing telehealth with my therapist since this began but I am struggling lately and some of my maladaptive coping mechanism have been resurfacing.

I can sooo relate! What types of "maladaptive coping mechanisms" are you talking about?

I don't feel as though I can talk as freely with teletherapy and my therapist has offered to meet face to face and therapy is considered an essential medical service so I could legitimately go without violating the quarantine order I just don't know if I should. What are others here doing about therapy? and if you had the chance would you do the face to face session?

I'm having this same issue. We are not permitted to travel between states and my therapist is in another. We've been doing tele"therapy" for almost two months and I hate it. Like you said, I don't feel as free to talk either. As a matter of fact, it's gotten to the point where it just irritates me, so I don't think we're getting anywhere.

Me? If I were offered face-to-face I'd probably do it. I guess you have to weigh the risks of possibly contracting (or giving) the virus with suffering more than you already do. I hear so many people say that the risk isn't worth it, but I think it depends on how you're managing. I personally think going in would really help with my suicidal thinking, which has been increased lately.

It's a hard decision. I hope you find some useful advice here!

 

[Ireusa]

I've thought about it. Been doing telehealth since mid March. Not going too well.
Therapist has confirmed that telehealth will go on for at least a couple more months. If I was to go back to in person we would have to wear masks, also be 6feet or further apart and she also mention that if any of her clients or herself got compromised or infected then it would be at least 2 weeks of quarantine, so she didn't think the constant change/inconsistency would serve me well.

I also thought about it and even though in person is what works for me and I'm struggling, I don't think I would be able to cope with the possibility of bringing covid19 to my kids at home. Every situation is different though.

So here I am still struggling. I wish you the best. Telehealth is not too good for me but it might be what's best.

 

[FauxLiz]

can sooo relate! What types of "maladaptive coping mechanisms" are you talking about?

The types of mechanisms are the ones that play into the isolation and loneliness of quarantine while re-affirming my negative beliefs and self esteem such as cyber hook-ups with strangers, no pictures or video just random sexting which is flattering to an extent but at the same time as degrading and humiliating as my history of sexual abuse because I am permitting strangers to essentially use me for their own gratification to fill a whole I know can't be filled in this manner.

 

[Friday]

What are others here doing about therapy?

It’s on hold.

The sheer number of steps I have to take to avoid my ex having a record of every call (including a recording of all conversations, voice or video) is something I’m used to... but the evolving legislation around burner phones makes it too damn expensive. I used to be able to buy a phone for $5 and spend $2 to use it for 24 hours. Now the cheapest phone around is $25 (usually sold out, jumping the price to $50-$125), and the cheapest “minutes” are for $30. That means, if I get stupid lucky? I only have to spend $55 per call I make. Nope. Just don’t have the money for that. Much less if I DIDN’T get lucky, and am looking at having to spend up to $175 per call I make.

and if you had the chance would you do the face to face session?

Nope. I already lost a couple years of my life... including my home & my job... due to catching a nasty flu a few years back which trashed my lungs. So, even assuming I’d survive Cov19 which is iffy, it would be looking at putting my life on hold for up to another couple of years? Not worth it for an hour of hand holding.

 

[whiteraven]

The types of mechanisms are the ones that play into the isolation and loneliness of quarantine while re-affirming my negative beliefs and self esteem such as cyber hook-ups with strangers, no pictures or video just random sexting which is flattering to an extent but at the same time as degrading and humiliating as my history of sexual abuse because I am permitting strangers to essentially use me for their own gratification to fill a whole I know can't be filled in this manner.

If it were me and I were dealing with that, I'd definitely do face-to-face.

The sheer number of steps I have to take to avoid my ex having a record of every call (including a recording of all conversations, voice or video) is something I’m used to... but the evolving legislation around burner phones makes it too damn expensive. I used to be able to buy a phone for $5 and spend $2 to use it for 24 hours. Now the cheapest phone around is $25 (usually sold out, jumping the price to $50-$125), and the cheapest “minutes” are for $30. That means, if I get stupid lucky? I only have to spend $55 per call I make. Nope. Just don’t have the money for that. Much less if I DIDN’T get lucky, and am looking at having to spend up to $175 per call I make.

Wow...this is crazy. I'm sorry you have so much to deal with!

 

[FauxLiz]

@Friday I am sorry you have to deal with so much crap I completely understand why you have things on hold and wish that I could do more to help.

@whiteraven I think I am leaning toward face to face, I can go, not make any stops on the way, do the appointment and come straight home without any stops so it limits my interaction with other people. The thing is I can't/won't talk about what I am doing via telehealth, I don't feel like it is really private, I don't trust that I can't be overheard (my son is living with my during quarantine) and where I live there is not anywhere in town that I can get a cell signal more than a single bar which means I am either at home connected to the internet network risking being overheard or doing face to face. My place is about 900 sq ft so there really isn't anywhere he can go or I can go that would be private enough.

 

[whiteraven]

The thing is I can't/won't talk about what I am doing via telehealth

Yep. I get that!

 

[hithere]

I did a video session two months agao and didn't really like it. I was already very dissociated and scattered and couldn't feel connected or very communicative. 30 days later I chose an in person session which was much better. However, after my in person session yesterday I wish I had not gone in peson. I may have COVID19 and didn't know it, and if i made my therapist ill I will have a hard time dealing with it. My biggest fear is being a carrier of this stupid virus and causing someone severe illness and possible death.

 

[Movingforward10]

I've been doing mine by video since mid March. I'm desperate for face to face, but that isn't possible and something is better than nothing.

What your T says about chopping and changing sounds sensible (from face to face and back again). Does she suggest anything to make the teletherapy any better for you?

I've been wondering how face to face with masks on would work? I think that would be another difficult transition.

 

[Harmonics]

My state is going into month three of quarantine and I have been doing telehealth with my therapist since this began but I am struggling lately and some of my maladaptive coping mechanism have been resurfacing. I don't feel as though I can talk as freely with teletherapy and my therapist has offered to meet face to face and therapy is considered an essential medical service so I could legitimately go without violating the quarantine order I just don't know if I should. What are others here doing about therapy? and if you had the chance would you do the face to face session?

I've been doing video therapy with my T for a couple months now, and it won't be changing anytime soon where I am. While we are not mandated to do video therapy due to mental health being an essential service, neither me nor my T are willing to take the risk of doing face-to-face therapy.

That said, because I am doing a lot of trauma work, I have had to set up my therapy space at home so I have the resources that would normally be there in the office. That means I have sensory balls, stuffed animals, tissues, hot tea, and thinking putty all within reach during my session. My T knows what I have here, so if I need help with grounding, he knows what tools I have to work with.

Another thing my T has suggested is using the time that I would normally commute to his office to prepare for the appointment. I hadn't realized before what that commute did for me in allowing me some space between leaving work and arriving at therapy to be in the headspace for therapy. Also, especially after difficult sessions, he suggests that I take a walk outside before "returning" to work (working from home now). I had never realized how much processing I did during my commute after therapy either.

My T has said that if I felt like I really needed more "in-person" sessions, I could drive to his parking lot and we could talk via cell phone in our separate cars, just positioning them to where we could see each other. So far, I have not had any interest in doing that. I like the privacy of the therapy space I have created in my own home, and it seems to be working.

I do miss the in-person therapy. And I will be glad when I am once again able to safely do that, but for the time being, video is my best option to continue with my twice weekly appointments.