nerves...restarting therapy today

Having a lot of panic attacks & bipolar issues, so restarting therapy. Have my 1st appt. 5:30 today. A bit anxious about it. After 20 years I found a therapist I can work with (realize I should have been looking for a CBT therapist all those years), but I also know she is going to make me process and deal with all the tough s*it. Not that she isn't nice or understanding (saw her briefly in the fall prior to a no insurance period as H started a new job), but she also has the kind of personality that comes across such as if she tells you she intends to do/work on a thing in therapy, you can be sure it's going to happen. So...sigh...

I also went to the rheumatologist this AM (fibromyalgia), got 6 vials of blood taken. OMG, I thought for certain I was going to pass out. Had to lie on the table forever. Rheumatologist thinks I have either low iron and/or am anemic as I have had a craving (since around mid-Jan) to eat crushed ice with just enough Powerade Zero in it to have a liquid drink. Apparently, low iron can cause this (often in pregnant women), but so can dehydration (and I do run too much still). Feel blah after that blood draw.

Therapy less than an hour away. I need this, but starting it is making me so anxious.

Just take it a minute at a time. It can be rough, but I always feel refreshed after getting everything out. I've seen both kinds of therapists recently and I much prefer the harder ones. I actually feel like I'm doing work while I'm there.

Good luck to you, I hope it goes well.

I really benefited a great deal from CBT. More than any other kind of therapy. I hope CBT and your therapist are great fits for you, too.

How did it go?

Sorry for the late response I hope everything went well today <3

You can do this <3

It was a good session. I have had a lot of anxiety regarding that nearby ITC plant incident, and my therapist said she’s not feeling completely normal yet. She lives even closer to that plant than I do, so we did a lot of work on thoughts about what might happen to vs what actually we know is happening and to worry about, and if there are things like long term effects that may happen, we cannot live every day worrying about it. She gave me homework to just stop following the story on the news and county/city sites and the air quality monitoring sites.

She is working things out with the insurance but said in the meantime she will see me weekly and won’t charge, even if the insurance won’t let her retro bill, which is really nice.

Afterward, I felt reassured again, like there is someone I can call or talk to about sudden psych issues not requiring the pdoc or ER.

So all in all, it was a good appointment. My pdoc is strongly of the opinion she can help with my high anxiety and panic attacks.

I'm glad to hear it went so well. Good luck on the homework!

Thanks. I haven't checked any news on it today (and hopefully won't) even though the county department of emergency management (which I have a phone app for) sent a notification that there is an update on the incident. I haven't read the update. Lately, the updates have been much the same...cleanup continues, agencies are all working together, air quality is good, drinking water OK, these parks & beaches are closed, etc., etc., so it's not even really new information.

CBT sessions have worked wonders for me. I wish you continued success with your therapy. All the best!

Bipolar II:
Geodon
Lamictal
Buspar
Trazadone

It is wonderful you have found a T you click with, and one that seems so willing to help by giving you some free sessions until your insurance kicks in. That is rare. How often will you see her?