What Do You Do After A Rough Session? Help Please!

[Notsowild]

Thanks everyone. Yes I concur it probably was too much to process in one session. It was me though it just kept coming out. There was so much I needed to tell him. But wow did it hit me badly afterwards. Besides my super shaky body the suicidal thoughts came flooding back. Maybe I'll text him tomorrow for some advice on this. Again thanks.

 

[ghotiff]

The way my T applies the breaks for me is to throughout the session says slow two sentences reminding me that I never need to say anything I don't want to and that it's important that I take this at the pace that's right for me. I like this because it never makes me feel that she doesn't want to hear it, just that telling might not be the right thing for me today. Also it being two sentences it pauses ( but doesn't interrupt) my train of thought.

Maybe if that would help you, you could suggest it to your T.

 

[GWhizz]

I like that @ghotiff. It also says to me that my T is not pushing in a nosey kind of way to get details etc.

She always reminds me to only tell her what I NEED to tell her. The details etc aren't important and you'll get there when you're ready.

 

[shimmerz]

You were right! Too much.

It is good you can identify this. Your body let you know and you are learning a different language. The language of what is too much to process and what is just enough. Keep up the good work and keeping listening to what your body is telling you. Hugs

 

[DharmaGirl]

I always have to take a nap after therapy. Always. I find I process in my sleep, and that it helps me incorporate what I've learned.

 

[KP the nut]

My therapist never allowed me to drive home for at least 20 minutes after our sessions. I would spend the time listening to music or sitting in the garden.

I would also be exhausted so would have a nap when I got home, curled up with the dogs.

He also let me email or phone him if things became too much.

 

[DharmaGirl]

Mine lets me email or phone him too. He's a good guy.

 

[passerine]

I can't really add anything that hasn't already been said, but I did want to chime in and say that I agree with those who say that your therapist needs to put the breakers on. In dealing with trauma, things need to move slow. I've been with my therapist for two years (I've seen other therapists in the past, but am only now really focusing on my PTSD), and we're only now starting to VERY slowly delve into my history. We have had to spend A LOT of time just focusing on safety, first. And even when I do share some details, my therapist always paces things and stops me to help me get grounded and pay attention to how I am feeling before I get overwhelmed during the session. Then, before leaving, my therapist always ends with a soothing exercise of some sort and asks me what I plan to do to take care of me, and if I have trouble coming up with things, we brainstorm.

DURING the session I usually will bring my dog (you could bring anything that you find soothing), and after we go for a walk and I really focus on my surroundings and my feet on the ground. When I'm home, in my safe space, I just practice self-care, which for me includes creative things, like drawing or playing music. If I need to, I also reach back out to my therapist via telephone. We have a "safety plan" in place, he and I.

You should never feel pushed to talk about things in therapy. Ever!

 

[joeylittle]

Just with everyone weighing in on the "slow down" side (which I agree with), I want to add that it's more likely to find where that "too much, too fast" point is not by wondering about it, but by stumbling into it. I think that's what happened to you, @Notsowild. it's definitely what happened to me, and how I learned we needed to slow up. It was very hard getting overwhelmed like that. But it had some real positives, in the longer term. We learned a threshold for me. And I've found, for some reason, now when we go up to that threshold, I'm more able to recover quickly.

Just know that it's not anything wrong that you or your therapist did, in my opinion.

 

[ghotiff]

"I want to add that it's more likely to find where that "too much, too fast" point is not by wondering about it, but by stumbling into it"

I like that description @joeylittle . I think the goal is as you say to "stumble into it" rather than bulldoze past it (which is what my first T had me do).