Leaving therapy c. turkey

Hi all,

I am new to this forum.

I've been in analysis about under two years due to a sudden death of my spouse.

The therapy was going well until 2 months ago I started having serious insomnia. I didn't sleep at all for few nights, and then I found my way out.

I continued the analysis, but suddenly I felt that my analyst didn't take my insomnia seriously, i.e. he didn't recommend going to psychiatrist to get medication.

I send a msg that I want to discontinue my therapy. I didn't discuss it with the analyst.

Did I do the right thing? Insomnia is still present, and treated with meds.

I feel anxious because I don't know if and how much the therapy helped with sleep.

What should I do?

Thank you
Joxx

I don't totally understand your reasons for ending therapy; I don't see it as an analyst's role to recommend a psychiatrist. On the other hand, if you feel like you've resolved the issues related to the death of your spouse and you don't think you're making progress anymore, then ending therapy makes sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salmon77 I don't totally understand your reasons for ending therapy; I don't see it as an analyst's role to recommend a psychiatrist. On the other hand, if you feel like you've resolved the issues related to the death of your spouse and you don't think you're making progress anymore, then ending therapy makes sense.

I am confused as well.

I think just walking away is fine. No need to pay a therapist to tell them you are not coming back

Hi all,

It seems that a therapist and psychiatrist are a world apart?

If my insomnia is getting worst, and theoretically, at least to my understanding, a therapy is to resolve sleep problems, and it is not, what am I supposed to do?

The next step is obviously pharmacological treatment. So I have to decide it on my own and look by myself for solutions.

When faced with troubling sleep proble, how come it's not the analyst concern? I don't have any interest in my head other then to have a sound sleep, talking about anything else is oblivious.

I do expect that analyst and psychiatrist work together when needed.

Are you doing true analysis or regular talk therapy? There is a massive difference in the functions of an analyst and a therapist.

A therapist would likely be far more willing to be part of a biopsychosocial approach with your physician to treat medical conditions including insomnia.

An analyst will just work with your unconscious and let you “self-revelate”.

Have you asked your analyst outright what the best course of action is regarding your sleep? I have major sleep issues and we talk about it all the time in therapy.

If you think it's fine, it's fine.

But I am also confused. You said you started analysis due to the death of your spouse, and that it began about two years ago. Then you said the insomnia started two months ago. But then later comments make it sound like sleep issues are the only thing you wanted to talk about, so I'm unclear about if that was the purpose of your therapy in the first place.

Also, unless your analyst is a psychiatrist - which they might be, you haven't mentioned - it's beyond the scope of their expertise to identify whether someone requires medication for sleep.

I have found therapists to be useless when it comes to sleep. I have insomnia also and, when I used to do therapy, she had nothing to suggest. In fact working with her made it much worse, so I quit. My sleep improved significantly after stopping therapy. Insomnia may or may not have something to do with your psychological well-being. You may need to see a medical doctor instead. A regular doctor can prescribe sleeping pills if you need them.

Hi all and thank you for the replies,

I don't know how to quote, but all the answers are useful.

I am going to Lacanian analysis, and it did open a new world to me. I did other analysis and therapies, but this one has been most reveling.

Yesterday I went to see a psychiatrist, and she suggested me to continue the analysis, especially since i am not doing well. So I called back my analyst, since I am in India now, I have no many options.

Yet I was "angry" that my analyst didn't do more.

@ piggy momma

Yes, I can feel this attitude of analysts, once I had psychiatrist and neurologist turned analyst. She never addressed sleep problem, but when asked she referred me to a psychiatrist.

Even though I like the process, I think that analysts see the process as some kind of "cosmic panacea" that will resolve all. This is a problem now and I hope I can come to terms with the analyst.

@ susannahsays

Do you really think they can't recognize and suggest the need to see psych? Even myself if someone tells me that he is not sleeping, I would tell him to see a doc. In short I feel left alone.

And precisely this was the reason for interrupting, but it got worst now, even after a week, so I reiniciated the analysis fearing it may get totally out of control.

And the reason for talking about insomnia is that is severe and governing my life in many ways. If he is unable to work on it, it will be over. I certainly have other topics I want to work on, and obviously my sleep reflects my inner problems, but I can't see how I can work on them when I am suffering. I think I have to understand how I feel regarding insomnia, no?

@ scorpiosis37
Your first line kind of summarize what I am going through, and however you look at it, weather is analyst, therapist... it escapes me that mental health specialists overlook the symptom. I think piggy momma is lucky... I am glad though that your sleep is restored.

So I'll see how it goes and will make another post.

Thank you all
Joxx