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Been in therapy quite a bit for most of the last 8 years. I just canceled my future appointments because I'm actually doing OK at the moment, but I've seen the toll the last few months have taken on my therapist (since the election) despite her best efforts to hide it. I feel terrible for these wonderful people that help shoulder the burdens of others. They are the shock troops bearing the brunt of defense in the current culture war.
Completely vulnerable moment
As a person long overdue to get some mental help. I've been really motivated to get myself better since early last year. Had some events happen where I was like, yeah I need to handle my shit.
I'll say the process so far is my biggest hurdle. Took ages to get a referral, once I got the referral took ages to get seen. When I finally was seen it was the wrong fit. Now I'm waiting until next week to start again and push for different referrals, all so my insurance covers some of it (maybe).
Meanwhile I'm doing the best I can, but certainly think about just throwing in the towel and drowning myself in drugs again. Which worked a long time until it really really didn't work. But the thought of finally getting my foot in the door to spend months and thousands trying to even find a root cause just feels utterly pointless. Also now raw dogging life without anything to dull it but some doctor prescribed sleeping pills is challenging to say the least.
Still the worst part is explaining the laundry list of my past trauma to strangers just to get them up to speed. Hopefully to help pinpoint where I need to focus my efforts on getting better. Last fellow just had to say "well you made it this far and seem to be doing better than most of my patients". Essentially call me back when you have a full blown meltdown, because I only deal with extremes. That shit was deflating, sorry for being proactive and trying to get help before I get committed somewhere?
I've spent a really long time keeping my issues in check, I've become very good at what to say or not say that is bouncing around my skull. Now that I can't do it anymore it seems to throw a lot of people for a loop.
Anyhow feels like some sort of shitty race to see if my mind breaks first or I get help before that happens. Than when I do get to the right step 1 there will be this slow trial and error I need to go through. Which I completely understand is necessary, but it's not giving me much hope.
That person on fire is probably like that because the healthcare system just kept dosing it with gasoline before they stepped foot in the office.
I'm sorry you are going through that. If you're unaware psychologytoday.com is a great resource. They let you search based on insurance, specialties, in person/virtual, any preferences one might have, and the professionals also might include info about them maybe even a video. I hope you get the help you have been fighting for soon.
Good therapy should hand you the bottle and tell you not to dump it on all at once but to start dripping it on and check in for refills with the refill being a bit larger each time.
Therapy takes a while.
It isn't an instant win. But you will see their bottle that is specifically catered to you will become bigger.
Sometimes it's a never-win, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go if you need it and are able to afford it.
There's no therapist on the planet that can help me 'fix' myself completely, far too many decades of trauma and paying attention to what's going on around me, but they do help me maintain and cope. Worth it.
Looks like you need a psychologist to put out the fire then go to the therapist to tame any random flare ups.
I went for years of therapy and they would take the dropper and miss me completely. I don't know what the fuck I did but this angel dropped out of heaven claiming to be part of my benefits and started checking in on me every week to help orginize my healthcare needs. She got me in therapy, then got me to a psychologist. The psychologist was able to treat me within a few sessions and everything got easier.
I honestly could never get the therapist part to work, I don't really need someone to give me advise. I need someone to make me feel sane and stand me back up. I haven't found that yet.
As for the angel, she found a new job, passed me off, and the new guy wasn't as concerned with me.
I don't know, really it was the work of that random benefits person that saved me. It's so overwhelming to have suicidal idealation and constant anxiety/panic attacks and then have to deal with a broken healthcare system. What ever that fuckkng service was I cannot praise it enough.
That is so awesome. I love that you called her an angel because that's what these people are. She might not even know how much of a difference she made for you, she was just doing the right thing because it was the right thing.
Had to look it up, name of the program was On Trak Health. Can't vouch for this ai stuff they are advertising now but like I said first care coach saved me and second one was meh. The second one was probably fine but I had been spoiled.
The second one was probably fine but I had been spoiled.
Not spoiled. The second one was meh because the first one was doing their job well, which is exactly what you deserved as a client of any health service.
To be fair, she really was exceptional, and had found her true calling.
I should add “as a therapist in the US.” I have a lot of gay and trans clients, and it’s… bleak.
My sister is trans and getting all of her forms of ID because she's 18 (and needs a job), and we lost it in a move across the country. I have to be there along with two other people to prove she's a person. She just wants to exist like anyone else, and people are shitting on her because she's a girl. I want to strangle the world.
I know I should go to therapy but then I feel bad burdening a therapist with things like, "I'm so angry that the only thing that helps me sleep is imagining the entire current administration getting hit by a very localized meteor," because like, this shit is too big and we all have our coping mechanisms, right? At least mine isn't substance abuse or self harm.
Oh, I encourage my clients to imagine stuff like that if it helps. Totally valid way to cope.
Oh well then I'm doing great! In a manner of speaking.
Are you telling me that, after a breakup, when I imagined my ex and the guy she went back to having horrible things happen to them as a way to fall asleep... I wasn't being a sociopath?
Told my therapist that I often imagine running my ex over with my car, and he said that as long as I'm not planning on doing that irl that it's perfectly normal and understandable.
I've always wanted to traumatize a therapist by explaining how we live on a planet that is being systematically dismantled piece by piece.
I’ve always wanted to traumatize a therapist by explaining how we live on a planet that is being systematically dismantled piece by piece.
Most therapists have a good understanding about systemic problems. If they are social workers that is basically all of what social work school is about. So you can't say anything they haven't heard.
Therapists aren't made of psychic porcelain, they actually go to therapy to process the stuff they deal with.
But it fills my heart with joy to imagine it. Never gonna actually try to, I know they could handle it.
Oh, this most certainly adds a lot of context, I'm sorry...
Yeah, it feels really awful right now. And I want to stick my head in the sand with the news but I know I can't, or things will just get worse.
OMG yes, I soooo wish I could, but my brain needs input! Not knowing does not compute. I originally had the plan to block all the news/political communities as soon as I knew the election outcome, but not knowing what is coming feels worse than the emotional weight of knowing good people are being hurt as a distraction by some shit heads so that they can rob us for all we have (as a country).
Maybe everyone being anxious and depressed is healthy in a dying world.
I tried doing therapy for a while, just to realize everything that stresses me out are totally valid stressors and the solution isn't to go to therapy but to change our economic system.
I don't know about healthy, but yeah it's a totally reasonable reaction to what's going on around us to feel despair, if you have any shred of empathy in your body. Therapy does keep me mostly sane from month to month but at this point I'm putting it on hold. I truly believe we're going to be at war (real war, not culture war) with each other in the US within 5-10 years, so might have to start shifting the therapy money to physical fitness expenses, gear, and ammo. And I intend to start training like-minded people how to 'protect themselves' from the aggressors.
Maybe everyone being anxious and depressed is healthy in a dying world.
Nope, humans are normally very emotionally resilient, so all spikes in mood end within 3-4 months at worst. So persistent depressed mood is to be worked on
Anxiety is not the same as being stressed out about some stuff in life. Anxiety is catastrophizing very little problems (like thinking "they hate me" when someone replied 2 minutes late) until you are worn out and the day is ruined
I don't know man. Humans have lived through some pretty harrowing stuff in the past, but I'm pretty sure this is the first period in history where humans know they're teetering on the edge - hell, multiple edges - and not in a metaphysical way, but in a very real, tangible fashion that is essentially visible from day to day and getting worse all the time.
Realizing all of this while also struggling for your own survival seems like more than whatever our minds are meant to be able to cope with. I'm of the opinion that 'depression' in its myriad forms is a totally valid reaction to a dying, hostile world in which the future seems uncertain at best and positively dystopian at worst.
civilizations have known they were dying before, this time we have enough of a warning that longer term effects are starting to show in those that can't find ways to cope (ignore the downfall) with it.
When was the last time in human history we accurately knew the timeline for the extinction of our species?
Nope, humans are normally very emotionally resilient, so all spikes in mood end within 3-4 months at worst.
I'm picturing someone giving this speech at Auschwitz.
It can actually get bad enough that constant despair is the completely normal reaction to your circumstances. And in case you haven't noticed we're building concentration camps RIGHT NOW. They just aren't installing ovens. Yet.
Sounds like cope.
Have you considered that you might say edgy things because you use the dopamine it gives you as your own coping mechanism?
If you've been burnt to a crisp, even that tiny splash of water can feel like finding an oasis in the desert.
Thank you for your service.
That’s great to know! And thank you.
This, except all the fires are going on outside the windows of the therapist’s office, to the horizon, as far as the eye can see.
It just hit me, I think it may be more appropriate to think about (actually helpful) therapy as placing those drops of water into a bucket, and there are times when that accumulated water doubles itself (breakthroughs, realisations, etc.) More like an investment of sorts.
At least, that's how it felt as I went through it. It never had a regular progression, it was always about leaps and bounds, then falling on my ass again for a couple of weeks, then snapping out of it when something I'd discussed 6 sessions ago finally clicked into place.
This is definitely true in “regular” times. Meaning when my country is not on political fire. Lately most conversations with marginalized clients revolve around “what do I to stay safe?” and “how the hell can I leave the country?” It’s very sad.
I have heard that schools in my area have begun the process of making "code red" plans if ICE or someone shows up to schools looking for students/parents. It is being done by small groups and no details shared outside of the people they are contacting to share the plan with. It's all scary as hell and I HATE that it's even a thing. =(
Edit also thank you for helping those adrift right now!
Heck, my favourite therapist (a very, very empathetic and honest person) retired from psychotherapy before hitting 30 during the Pandemic because they couldn't take the influx of destabilised people. I can't even imagine how much more horrible and immediate the situation in the States is right now...
Sincerely wish you and your clients as much peace and safety as humanly possible in these conditions!
Thank you, I appreciate that!
As a fellow therapist, same
"Also, that'll be $200"
...now I feel bad for the therapist I'm going to talk with next week. (I'd laugh, but I'd also cry.)
That's alchemical fire though and adding water only feeds it.
Congrats! You're running the casino!