What should I expect from therapy?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 146
What should I expect from therapy?
Good afternoon all, hope you're having a nice week. As I mentioned, I struggle with health anxiety to the point where it's overtaking certain aspects of my life. Every little pain and bump is the end for me and I end up ruminating until I get a diagnostic test that proves otherwise and then onto to the next body part/organ. Alcohol was my only way to "forget" about it which is a common story here so I won't bore you with it.
Long and short is I have a fatty liver and I'm determined to get it back into shape by abstaining from booze. My PCP recommended a person for me to see who is a LPC and LADC ( assume the latter is something with addiction). I have my first appt tonight at 7 and this is something new to me. I've seen a councilor before but I gave it a half ass effort and stopped after a few months but not I'm ready.
If you've gone before, what should I expect? I told my wife that I know my problems, triggers and what I'm doing wrong, I just have a problem controlling it and going down the health anxiety rabbit hole/booze.
My PCP said to really open up and let it out and tell him everything, cry if you have to, just get it out and see how it feels versus being embarrassed about how much you drank, DUI's, falling down, blackouts, etc.
I don't know, I'm always a little hesitant but maybe, just maybe this hour will fly by with me yapping non stop. The last time I went I felt like I did all the talking while he made notes and said a few sentences which was non impactful for me.
I know its my first session of many but wanted your feedback on what works as I tend to get out over my skis and start to more towards the outcome or what I want him to say versus just shutting up and listening and taking the "criticism".
Thanks!!
Long and short is I have a fatty liver and I'm determined to get it back into shape by abstaining from booze. My PCP recommended a person for me to see who is a LPC and LADC ( assume the latter is something with addiction). I have my first appt tonight at 7 and this is something new to me. I've seen a councilor before but I gave it a half ass effort and stopped after a few months but not I'm ready.
If you've gone before, what should I expect? I told my wife that I know my problems, triggers and what I'm doing wrong, I just have a problem controlling it and going down the health anxiety rabbit hole/booze.
My PCP said to really open up and let it out and tell him everything, cry if you have to, just get it out and see how it feels versus being embarrassed about how much you drank, DUI's, falling down, blackouts, etc.
I don't know, I'm always a little hesitant but maybe, just maybe this hour will fly by with me yapping non stop. The last time I went I felt like I did all the talking while he made notes and said a few sentences which was non impactful for me.
I know its my first session of many but wanted your feedback on what works as I tend to get out over my skis and start to more towards the outcome or what I want him to say versus just shutting up and listening and taking the "criticism".
Thanks!!
Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 25,373
I think a good therapist is going to get your story then ask some questions. It isn't so much about what they tell you to do as it is you sorting out your own issues in a safe place and with intense focus.
Are you still drinking? I would start with putting down the alcohol. It just creates those circular obsessive loops in the brain.
Are you still drinking? I would start with putting down the alcohol. It just creates those circular obsessive loops in the brain.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 850
My experience with therapy has been great, but only after I found the right therapist. You really just have to see what works for you. I had a woman in college who just sat there and looked at me while I spoke and I hated it, but maybe some people want someone to just listen.
I find that my current therapist listens, takes notes, remembers things about me, and will respond and ask me questions in order to talk more about things. I usually just start with my day and go from there, but there are times I go in with specific things I want to talk about or a topic she brings up. She challenges me when it’s needed and will give her professional opinion when I ask. I am not embarrassed in front of her and tell her everything, things I don’t tell anyone else. I cry, scream, and rant if I need to. I’ve been seeing her for 4 years now, so we are very comfortable.
So, I would say go with an open mind. They will probably ask you questions or ask you to talk about yourself and you should absolutely be 100% honest. If, after a few sessions you feel it’s not working out, give it another try with someone else. No harm in it, and styles of therapy differ. Sometimes it really just doesn’t feel right, and that’s okay.
and just remember, they really have seen it all. I doubt anything you say or do will be a shock and if they react poorly they are not a good therapist. They are a safe place for you to lay it all out and take a good look.
Good luck!
I find that my current therapist listens, takes notes, remembers things about me, and will respond and ask me questions in order to talk more about things. I usually just start with my day and go from there, but there are times I go in with specific things I want to talk about or a topic she brings up. She challenges me when it’s needed and will give her professional opinion when I ask. I am not embarrassed in front of her and tell her everything, things I don’t tell anyone else. I cry, scream, and rant if I need to. I’ve been seeing her for 4 years now, so we are very comfortable.
So, I would say go with an open mind. They will probably ask you questions or ask you to talk about yourself and you should absolutely be 100% honest. If, after a few sessions you feel it’s not working out, give it another try with someone else. No harm in it, and styles of therapy differ. Sometimes it really just doesn’t feel right, and that’s okay.
and just remember, they really have seen it all. I doubt anything you say or do will be a shock and if they react poorly they are not a good therapist. They are a safe place for you to lay it all out and take a good look.
Good luck!
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Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: S.E. MI
Posts: 1,025
I to have health anxiety most likely for no reason other than I was treating my body badly by drinking, but who knows. I do know stopping drinking for only 9 days has helped alot. Not sure if you are drinking or not but I am sure not drinking helps quite a bit. At least it did for me.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 146
No, I'm on day 2. I don't know about everyone else but I notice the following. Day 1 sucked, I had to travel for work and do some meetings and was basically a zombie. Today seems a little better and I even had some "happy" moments. It seems like each day I get a few more minutes of happiness but it's a slow roll whereas if I grab a few glasses of wine, it's happy time for a few hours and then start all over.
Thanks for the advice.
Thanks for the advice.
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Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,312
Congrats on Day 2!!
I agree reed that it’s about the patient/therapist relationship. Sometimes you click, sometimes you don’t. You’d need a few sessions to “feel” the therapist out.
I have a therapist I see right now who I click with. I’ve opened up more to him than any other therapist. Right now, I’m being helped tremendously by this therapist. I think it’s because I’m putting the work in and seeing results due to that.
I agree reed that it’s about the patient/therapist relationship. Sometimes you click, sometimes you don’t. You’d need a few sessions to “feel” the therapist out.
I have a therapist I see right now who I click with. I’ve opened up more to him than any other therapist. Right now, I’m being helped tremendously by this therapist. I think it’s because I’m putting the work in and seeing results due to that.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 146
Update:
Me with the councilor last night, really good meeting and I like the guy a lot so I'm off to a good start. An hour went by like a minute for me. We talked about the fatty liver and esophagitis and he said. So if you have these two things and alcohol causes these things, you should stop drinking.....all together. So not just giving it up for 3 months or 6 months, all together. It's not like he was saying something so crazy and I actually felt embarrassed having someone my age tell me something that was so f***ing obvious.
He told me of how the liver is great a regenerating until it's not. He is an addiction councilor and said he had a guy a few year ago that had 10% of his liver still functioning and was deeply cirrhotic. They guys took off 1 and a half years from booze and it went to 75% but it can easily go in the other direction, quickly, if you continue to drink.
Long and short, he told me to give it up and he's gonna help me.
Thanks
So on day 3 and here we go.
Me with the councilor last night, really good meeting and I like the guy a lot so I'm off to a good start. An hour went by like a minute for me. We talked about the fatty liver and esophagitis and he said. So if you have these two things and alcohol causes these things, you should stop drinking.....all together. So not just giving it up for 3 months or 6 months, all together. It's not like he was saying something so crazy and I actually felt embarrassed having someone my age tell me something that was so f***ing obvious.
He told me of how the liver is great a regenerating until it's not. He is an addiction councilor and said he had a guy a few year ago that had 10% of his liver still functioning and was deeply cirrhotic. They guys took off 1 and a half years from booze and it went to 75% but it can easily go in the other direction, quickly, if you continue to drink.
Long and short, he told me to give it up and he's gonna help me.
Thanks
So on day 3 and here we go.
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,339
Good to hear that your therapy went well and that you heard some advice there that is so true for us.
I have a new therapist who is not as much a fit as the one who helped me get through some really tough things, but I'm more comfortable about directing the conversation to where I know it should be going now than I was in the early days. Don't be afraid to come in and say I'm having issues with x, y, z and would like to focus on those today. Use the time wisely.
I have a new therapist who is not as much a fit as the one who helped me get through some really tough things, but I'm more comfortable about directing the conversation to where I know it should be going now than I was in the early days. Don't be afraid to come in and say I'm having issues with x, y, z and would like to focus on those today. Use the time wisely.
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