Therapy/counselling

[Niicole Lynne]

Iv been seeing my therapist fairly regularly since my anxiety flared up. My last session went only half hour because I had been doing really well and there wasn't much to discuss. I kinda felt like he should have made stuff to say but at the same time if things are good they are good.

I have continued doing well but the last time this happened I quit seeing my counsellor as I thought I didn't need it and it came back.

I don't know if I should continue making appointments even if they r just half sessions to check in and whatever... Or if I should wait till I feel like I need a session....

Anyone else had this similar experience or just advice???
Appreciated :)

[needtogetwell]

Hey Nicole,

I would continue with your councillor, even for shorter times. Even if you don't think you need it, the fact is if you stop it may be difficult to get back in when you really do need it.

At least now you are still on the therapists front burner and they know your background. I would hate to see you have to start over.

That's my opinion, maybe continue until you move back to your home town where you have a bigger support network. Are you still thinking of moving back?

Anyway, if you don't have to rock the boat then why do it? You have come a huge distance from where you were a couple of months ago.

Good luck
Pam

[jessed03]

A big problem with therapy when having chronic anxiety, is sometimes it only tackles the anxiety.

The anxiety is often such a big deal in people's lives, that when they get that under control, they begin to cruise through a bit of a honeymoon period, giving them a false sense of security... then in time... a lot of the stuff that wasn't dealt with, that got them into that mess, can come back.

A person has to do their lot of their own healing, no matter how good their doctor, or therapist is.

Doesn't happen to everybody of course. Just a certain few.

If you take a look at your life now, and try and sum it up, and perhaps predict problems that may arise in the future, then I think you'll be ok. If you check in with yourself, and try and figure out where your self esteem is at, where your motivation levels are at, where the basic things in your life such as money, health and relationships are at, then you'll know things to try and work on when getting out of therapy, in order to keep yourself from regressing.

Just knowing you in the way I do, I don't really detect too much about your life that doesn't work for you. You seem pretty happy in your Facebook posts ;)

Another big thing to do is just keep your CBT exercises close at hand. Keep all of your training fresh.

You will at points begin to slip back into old ways. It can take a long time for brain pathways and thinking patterns to change permanently. They may, and usually do, start to challenge the new way of doing things, and try and revert back to type. It's important to keep an eye on your mind every now and again, as awareness of it begins to diminish after therapy, and it becomes a bit like an untended garden where everything is allowed to just overgrow, even the bad stuff.

Keeping a list of the Cognitive Distortions at hand is so so valuable. I like to think of them as basic training. They're a great guide. It's quite a long process writing down your thoughts, putting them into categories, compiling evidence etc... Most people don't want to do that when living at their normal pace of life again. You don't have to with the CDs.

Just keep them around, and look at them every now and again. If you have a few bad days, look at them again. You'll almost certainly see that you're performing at least one, and probably 2 or 3.

That can be enough to prevent bad habits forming.

You should have enough awareness now to begin to notice you're doing the wrong things mentally, and automatically adjust to a more effective way of doing things.

That can prevent you going backwards. If you leave the mind unchecked, before you know it you may well be performing several, and performing them pretty regularly too.

Daily meditation, even just 10 minutes, if you don't already, will help. That will keep your mind at a slower, and more workable pace. It will keep it clearer and cleaner.

Keeping your therapist close by is helpful. Here in the UK they try and do follow up sessions a few months after discharge, just to see how you're getting on.

You've improved Nic. You're more educated now. You're practiced. You learn so much being on these boards, and around the people here and elsewhere.

I see no reason why you can't kick on when the time is right for you :)