What is your therapist's response...

Ashleypenwren · May 20, 2019 at 12:55 PM

How has or how do you think your therapist would respond if you express frustration with your struggles?

For example right now i feel extremely "done" with my OCD. I hate it. I want it gone. I've been working on it for the better part of 10 years and still have daily issues. I'm fed up with it! And also tired. So tired that I find it hard to have motivation to fight my compulsions. I want to get in bed and never come out (not depression, just tired of the fight).

I'm not done with therapy or my therapist and am not mad at her at all nor do I think this is her fault or doing in any way.

But I'm sure hacked off at my disease.

Just curious how your therapist would respond to that?

LabRat27 · May 20, 2019 at 01:03 PM

My T acknowledges that he doesn't know what it's like and validates that, yes, it's really ****ing hard, and, yes, it really ****ing sucks.
Then he adds that he also has hope/believes that I can make progress, it will become easier, things aren't going to hurt this much forever. He sometimes brings up the progress I've made.

I think it helps that he will openly admit that he has no clue what it's like and he can only imagine how difficult it must be. I think that's easier for me than a T who had similar issues.

Have you expressed these things to your T? Do you know what kind of response you would (or wouldn't) want?

speckofdust · May 20, 2019 at 01:09 PM

I have expressed extreme frustration regarding my depression and anxiety many times to my T. She expresses sincere (by my perception) compassion for my struggle. Our work together over the years has been mostly focused on how I can learn to cope. She once said, "Depression and anxiety do not define you, Speck." I said, "It sure feels like they do." She responded, "Let's work together to change that perception." I've made some progress on that front, but it has taken time. effort, and patience.

If you feel like sharing your frustration about your OCD (or anything, really), your T may be a great person to do that with. I believe I'm fortunate to have a great T, and I know that each of them is different, but I hope yours will show compassion and be willing to help you work through that frustration!

ArtleyWilkins · May 20, 2019 at 01:21 PM

Expressing that kind of frustration (usually about depression) was pretty typical in my therapy. I found my therapist pretty unfazed by it. He let me voice those frustrations, and then we returned the focus to the work of dealing with the issues that were causing the depression and how to deal with the cycles of depression that were so disruptive to my life.

Ashleypenwren · May 20, 2019 at 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LabRat27

Have you expressed these things to your T? Do you know what kind of response you would (or wouldn't) want?

I think a response similar to your t's is what I would want...but the reason I'm asking here is when I expressed this to my t she said "how would you like me to react?"

I'm not sure, but it definitely won't feel genuine if I have to tell her what to say.

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What is your therapist's response...

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ArtleyWilkins Magnate Member Since Oct 2018 Location: USA Posts: 2,787 5 7 hugs given	May 20, 2019 at 01:21 PM #4 Expressing that kind of frustration (usually about depression) was pretty typical in my therapy. I found my therapist pretty unfazed by it. He let me voice those frustrations, and then we returned the focus to the work of dealing with the issues that were causing the depression and how to deal with the cycles of depression that were so disruptive to my life.
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