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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Shortelise on January 7, 2005, at 18:36:29
Just wonndering if I am alone in getting piercing head pain sometimes when I am talking with my shrink about difficult things.
The head pain rarely last more than the time I'm there.
ShortE
Posted by 10derheart on January 7, 2005, at 19:33:57
In reply to headaches during session, posted by Shortelise on January 7, 2005, at 18:36:29
Hmmm, sorry you get the pain, but an interesting question. Hasn't happened to me yet, that I remember(and I'll bet I would).
I do sometimes feel a wave of nausea, a tight chest, dizziness or a weird pain in my stomach. I have come to recognize any of those as only happening when T. is treading close to something I don't want to look at, or didn't even know was there, and is too scary. It started with former T. and has happened once with new T.
Funny, too, it's so ingrained that when old T. wrote me an email a few weeks ago containing a phrase about feeling "needy and unwanted" (tender and dangerous ground) I felt ill sitting at my computer. (I did tease him for his ability to *make me sick* even long distance ;))
But I think quite a few Babblers have had these types of reactions, but not headaches.
ShortE, does the therapy-headache feel like a *real* headache, if you get my meaning? Not that it's imaginary at all, but can you distinguish it from others (if you have them) like tension, hunger, caffeine withdrawal, etc? Just curious as there's a difference with my stomach and nausea stuff.
I won't be surprised if I get a headache one day.
Yet another way therapy sometimes has to hurt, I suppose. <sigh>
Posted by Dinah on January 7, 2005, at 19:59:16
In reply to headaches during session, posted by Shortelise on January 7, 2005, at 18:36:29
I get them very frequently after sessions, often followed by forgetting sleep. It blows the rest of my day, but it helps clear up therapy hangover. It also seems to help me switch from emotional me to rational me. Doesn't do much good of course, since the day is pretty much blown. I'm relatively certain mine are migraines.
During sessions I feel dizzy at times. And depersonalized or derealized at times.
Posted by daisym on January 8, 2005, at 1:33:29
In reply to Re: headaches during session » Shortelise, posted by Dinah on January 7, 2005, at 19:59:16
Yup...sometimes I'm rubbing my head and my therapist will point it out. I get them when there are too many arguments going off inside and I can't keep up.
The mom stuff makes my chest hurt.
The dad stuff gives me a stomach ache (and makes my leg muscles tight and/or hurt) and I get physically squirmy.
My therapist thinks I'm a walking advertisement for somatic memories.
No wonder I'm tactically defensive.
Posted by Shortelise on January 8, 2005, at 13:22:30
In reply to Re: headaches during session, posted by 10derheart on January 7, 2005, at 19:33:57
Hi Tender,
I do get migraines, the kind that need special meds - triptans - that don't always work so I have to take percocet. The latter is, thank heaven, very rare.
So the headaches I get I recognize: they feel just like the migraines I get, but the therapy ones don't tend to last.
It must be from tension when I try to talk about things that are difficult to get out of my mouth.It could be the same mechanism as your nausea. I think I'd rather have a headache than be nauseated. Though, of course, projectile vomiting could come in very handy. (What a weird thing for me to write!)
I get dizzy too, but not often.
Thanks.
ShortE
Posted by Shortelise on January 8, 2005, at 13:31:24
In reply to Re: headaches during session » Shortelise, posted by Dinah on January 7, 2005, at 19:59:16
Dinah,
I don't know if I could stand therapy if it gave me a migraine every time!! Maybe I'd make incredibly rapid progress just to avoid the pain. I am being humorous of course, forgive me.
It makes perfect sense to me that your body would send you a symptom that would make you sleep if that's what you need. It's like, not only is sleep a kind of anesthesia, but we also dream, and that is, to my mind, psychic digestion of a sort. So it serves the purpose of letting you escape and giving your mind time to dream through some things.
Therapy days are easier now, but it used to be that I couldn't do ANYTHING else on that day. I'd have to "get ready" before my session, and then I'd have to ... what? Digest? Regurgitate? Ruminate? These are all digestive words, but whatever the term, I'd have to sit with myself after, and was good company to no one.
I get dizzy too. Not fall down dizzy, but kind of buzzy-dizzy.
Thanks
ShortE
Posted by Shortelise on January 8, 2005, at 13:35:36
In reply to Re: headaches during session » Dinah, posted by daisym on January 8, 2005, at 1:33:29
DaisyM,
I wonder if it's because I am trying not to cry? Holding it in?
Do you do that?
Do your headaches stay or do they go away quickly?
I feel all sorts of body stuff too. For a long time I used to get this sort of prickling sensation in my upper back. I got it when I felt I was leaving myself open to my T, when I felt I was vulnerable. I rarely get it now.
What does it mean to be tactically defensive?
Thanks
ShortE
Posted by Fallen4MyT on January 9, 2005, at 0:28:25
In reply to headaches during session, posted by Shortelise on January 7, 2005, at 18:36:29
ShortE I didn't get headaches but did get like lightheaded and sometimes has like anxiety attacks...sorry on the headaches I hope you tell your T maybe there is a way to lessen them like in how and the way you tell and all.
Posted by Shortelise on January 9, 2005, at 1:39:41
In reply to Re: headaches during session » Shortelise, posted by Fallen4MyT on January 9, 2005, at 0:28:25
Posted by Dinah on January 9, 2005, at 4:14:46
In reply to Re: headaches during session » Dinah, posted by Shortelise on January 8, 2005, at 13:31:24
Fortunately (I suppose) it only happens when I dig really deep or get really upset. And as you say, the sleep is actually a blessing except for blowing a whole day's work.
Posted by Crazy_Charlie on January 9, 2005, at 14:25:37
In reply to headaches during session, posted by Shortelise on January 7, 2005, at 18:36:29
> Just wonndering if I am alone in getting piercing head pain sometimes when I am talking with my shrink about difficult things.
>
> The head pain rarely last more than the time I'm there.
>
> ShortE
Telling about things that are difficult for you, is not something easy. Everyone who has been doing that for someone like a psychologist, will know that (even if they don't really have any mental problem, that might be difficult). Sometimes you might tell about things you have never told anyone before (and it's usually a reason for that: shame, guilt, etc). In adition, many people feel that a therapist will analyze most of what they are saying, and get a bit extra sensitive because of that.In short: telling your life story can create extreme stress, and experiencing extreme stress will drain you completely of energy. Headaches during the session can be a sign of intense stress, or your body trying to stop you from going into something that is very stressful. Nausea, extrem tiredness or headaches afterwards is simply an after reaction of stress.
CC
Posted by gardenergirl on January 9, 2005, at 14:42:05
In reply to Re: headaches during session, posted by Crazy_Charlie on January 9, 2005, at 14:25:37
I don't get a headache in session. Sometimes if I am trying not to sob, my stomach gets really tight. I DO get the post-crying headache at times, though. I hate that one. Someone posted a really great remedy for that once. It's either a hot washcloth on the back of the neck and a cool one on the forehead or vice versa. Actually, I think it's the latter.
And drained, fatigued, needing to just sit and stare into space or sleep...oh yeah. I think that's one way of digesting everything, as someone said.
gg
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