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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 12:08:37
So.
There, I said it.
I'm supposed to be filling out forms to get umm, psychodynamic therapy (or something) from this professor. I have to fill out the forms so the lovely Scando welfare state can pay nearly all the bills.
But I haven't gotten around to it yet. I keep putting it off and putting it off. I don't know why - I have a lovely prof I'm going to see (and yes, she's a prof at the local uni!) but I really frightened of therapy. Why?
I have no idea. I guess I feel really vulnerable and also, lets not beat around the bush -- does it really help?????? Really? Do they help with real life everyday challenges? I mean, yeah all this fancy talk stuff blah blah, but does it help you get through each day? I wouldn't mind CBT I can see how that might help. But this is all fancy stuff, what does it do? Resolve inner conflict my subconsious might be having? I can tell you straight where it all went wrong. Sigh.
Oh well. All I can do is give it a go. But twice a week??? Isn't that a touch much? Still, its better than nothing or whatever.
EEEeeeek.
HAVE TO DO FORMS TODAY!!!!!
Although they aren't in my primary language (ie english) so I should give myself some credit.
Posted by Honore on June 3, 2007, at 13:23:12
In reply to I am absolutely petrified of therapy, posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 12:08:37
Hey, Meri. I can't say it helps-- it might help-- and it's worth trying-- I think I can definitely say that much.
It's a iffy proposition-- the right match, being ready to work on certain things, ie talk about and reexperience in some ways with the T-- and then talk about it some more-- but it's interesting-- and you might learn some new things about yourself.
You could think of it as an adventure-- like a long trip somewhere you take in a few hours a week-- you might get to a place that you like-- but you can't be sure, cause you haven't been there before. And you might like the trip-- or it might seem tedious, and time-consuming.
Give it a chance-- twice a week really is better than once a week. I think you;'ll see why after you've done it for a while.
Give yourself a break on the forms-- and see what you think of the T. Do you get any choices-- of Ts?
Honore
Posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 14:14:35
In reply to Re: I am absolutely petrified of therapy, posted by Honore on June 3, 2007, at 13:23:12
Hello!
Thankyou for your kind post! Yes, well I guess part of it is that I don't want to get my hopes up by thinking that it'll work wonders and I'll get magically better - of course this isn't going to happen!
Anyway well. No I don't really get a choice of Ts - I just had to go with whoever could take me on and who was willing to use English (I don't live in an English speaking country at the moment and my knowledge of the native language isn't so hot). So. But I actually quite liked her, she was everything I had hoped for - older, experienced and sort of a touch 'alternative'. She spend some years in California I'm not sure doing what, but some sort of research I think.
Plus she's a professor at the local uni here and has published stuff and things, so its good to know that at least I'm not getting some young novice, if you know what I mean.
hmmmm. Yep twice weekly. Eeek. Anyway it might not work out - I have to fill in these forms. I'm supposed to apply to get funding - but I'm sorta certain I'll get it. Hopefully!
Meri
Posted by annierose on June 3, 2007, at 14:29:15
In reply to Re: I am absolutely petrified of therapy » Honore, posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 14:14:35
I agree w/Honoree. It is definitely worth a try. And you won't know if it helps unless you do give it a go. Twice a week therapy I found helps you talk more freely about some harder stuff. Instead of playing "catch up" each week, there is more of a continous flow.
Paperwork, paperwork. Sometimes we have to fill out those forms --- but at least your therapy won't cost you an arm and a leg --- it's a good trade-off.
Posted by Nathan_Arizona on June 3, 2007, at 14:32:03
In reply to I am absolutely petrified of therapy, posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 12:08:37
It can help, and having a good therapist can help, but looking back on my time in therapy, it's largely up to you.
I think if you go in expecting this to be an easy fix, then I wouldn't even bother.
The biggest thing that therapy helped me to do was to understand how my past was directly influencing my present behavior. I also was able to develop a stable relationship with my therapist that helped to heal a lot of wounds.
It takes a lot of patience, a certain amount of courage, and you might even get worse before you get better.
I'm not perfect, but things are much much much better for me now than before therapy.
Posted by Phillipa on June 4, 2007, at 11:52:58
In reply to Re: I am absolutely petrified of therapy » Honore, posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 14:14:35
That's how I feel about meds too another T and it doesn't work our or the med doesn't and I crash. Good luck you may find a good match. Love Phillipa
Posted by Racer on June 5, 2007, at 15:56:07
In reply to I am absolutely petrified of therapy, posted by Meri-Tuuli on June 3, 2007, at 12:08:37
Hey, Meri,
I am a big fan of therapy, especially psychodynamic therapy, and will tell you that it's helped me enormously. It's actually helped better than chocolate and ice cream combined! It's also helped more than anything else: more than any drug, more than any behavioral intervention, etc.
One thing I think of when I think of reasons to go into therapy, is that most of us like to talk about ourselves, and in therapy that's what you do! Just think, a full 50 minute hour of talking about my favorite subject! (OK, that's being flip again, but it's also true. It feels nice to talk about myself, without the fear of being judged as selfish, narcissistic, whatever.)
The real reason that psychodynamic works so well for me, I think, is that I have to examine some beliefs so deeply held that I've never considered questioning them. Just as I know the earth is spherical, I know that I'm selfish and not good enough. Uh... Actually, it's not so much that I'm selfish, as that the people around me telling me that were so narcissistic that they only considered me according to whether or not I was meeting their needs. Examining that sort of belief is the first step towards learning a new set of more adaptive beliefs, and learning healthier attitudes about myself, which in turn helps improve my life in general. (Life kinda emulates a Hoover if you always think the worst of yourself, you know? Or, let me put that another way -- take my word for it, that makes life less than pleasurable...)
I do agree that a good fit is the most important part of therapy, that what you put in is directly linked to what you get out of it, and that twice a week is a great plan for keeping the flow. In fact, whenever I get to a sticky spot in therapy, I'll go twice a week for a while, because otherwise it's too easy for me to avoid the hard stuff in favor of the day to day.
And yes, psychodynamic therapy can indeed help you with day to day life. For example, I have certain patterns of behavior, and by becoming aware of them, of their influence in my life, of where they've come from, I can start working on both the issues themselves AND the behavior that results from them. (And alas, my communication skills are totally absent today. I know what I mean, but can't figure out how to express it...)
Anyway, good luck with your therapy. I think you'll be glad of it, and anyway -- it's not a permanent decision: if it's not for you, you can always quit, take a break, look for a CBT therapist out there, etc.
Good luck! And keep us updated, eh?
This is the end of the thread.
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