Posted by Dinah on August 11, 2008, at 15:59:30
In reply to Re: This Whole Forum is Nuts!, posted by Tabitha on August 11, 2008, at 13:41:51
Well, there's you... :)
Seriously, when I was questioning the value of therapy, I'd see your posts, and Noa's posts, and the posts of other thoroughly therapized people, and I'd be so impressed. There was a wisdom and acceptance that I wanted to gain myself.
I think in a lot of cases, as people stop obsessing, they also stop posting. They do move on, and maybe the board even helps them move on. They just don't post anymore. Think about the regular posters from a few years back. Some are no longer in therapy, having graduated more or less. Others have reached a peace in their therapy.
In some ways, I think this board is relatively sensible and realistic about the relationship. No one is encouraged to think that therapy can be more than it is. Everyone is encouraged to speak candidly and openly to their therapist. My therapy has been helped immensely as I was able to bring in "hypotheticals" from the board that touched on my own issues.
But there may also be the normalization of what is probably the more intense feelings towards therapy and therapists. This may put off those who have a different view of therapy. The topic has come up before, and I would hope that if people who have that point of view post their own experiences, that the board is big enough to allow all sorts of conversations to be going on at once.
But maybe that's idealistic of me. Certainly I understand the feeling that one is a minority on Babble and that one's views may not be appreciated. That's why I don't post much on Politics.
I think it's just a question of gaining critical mass. If enough people posted about their CBT therapy and CBT efforts and less intense therapy relationships, more would post and eventually they'd feel as comfortable as those who have a more relation-based therapy. Hopefully those who preferred each type of therapy would be respectful of the choices of those who choose other types.
I don't see why it can't be so.
I suppose there's also the fact that people have these feelings with or without this board. A lot of them find this place by googling being in love with therapist or hating therapy or something like that. Hopefully the board is like "In Session" in that it helps people make sense of already existing feelings.
All a bit off topic perhaps...
I guess there's also some question about what obsession means. I obsess about everything, I think. You should have seen me shopping for school supplies. But my therapy has for the most part settled into a comfortable relationship, except those times my therapist is in turmoil. I don't anticipate it ending. My therapist is an important leg on my support stool. Because of therapy, I'm able to function as well as I can. It's like Risperdal, but with fewer side effects. I guess that could be seen as pathological by some, to be so dependent. But on a day to day basis, it's more helpful than not.
poster:Dinah
thread:845453
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080810/msgs/845547.html