there's a joke about the profession that feels very much true to me:
how many therapists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
only one, but the lightbulb really has to want to change.
But I'm also pretty skilled at drawing other people out, so I've also managed to get them to talk about themselves.
that's not what you're there for. :) it's obvious to me that this is something that you need to fix so you can get a lot more out of therapy. you also need to fix this idea that you are obligated not to bore the therapist.
I don't know how to judge if I'm making progress, and I CERTAINLY don't want to hurt a therapist's feelings by saying that I feel like I'm NOT making progress
that's another thought of which you need to rid yourself. you're not there to spare the therapist's feelings. you are there to improve your life. if it's not working, your therapist needs to hear that, so zie can find another way to approach you. if you don't know how to judge your progress, ask for help. if this were a physically obvious condition, like a broken leg, you wouldn't be making the same excuses about why you can't get any help from your GP, so stop sabotaging yourself. :)
there is a lot of benefit in therapy if you are open and honest about what's not working in your life. it's a real boon to have a smart, objective person on one's side considering what a mess other people (and oneself) can occasionally make of it, whether or not one has a biochemical disorder.
and as somebody whose depression is very much biochemical (i am 100% certain of that), i am convinced that there is no such thing as beating that only with medication. long-term depression creates very bad habits, and relentlessly pulls one back into ruts. having a therapist help with suggestions on how to break the bad habits, and create new pathways within the constraints the depression imposes is an invaluable aid to living a relatively decent life despite one's handicap. it's an incredibly insiduous condition, and we need all the help we can get.
Re: Saw the doctor today
how many therapists does it take to screw in a light bulb?
only one, but the lightbulb really has to want to change.
But I'm also pretty skilled at drawing other people out, so I've also managed to get them to talk about themselves.
that's not what you're there for. :) it's obvious to me that this is something that you need to fix so you can get a lot more out of therapy. you also need to fix this idea that you are obligated not to bore the therapist.
I don't know how to judge if I'm making progress, and I CERTAINLY don't want to hurt a therapist's feelings by saying that I feel like I'm NOT making progress
that's another thought of which you need to rid yourself. you're not there to spare the therapist's feelings. you are there to improve your life. if it's not working, your therapist needs to hear that, so zie can find another way to approach you. if you don't know how to judge your progress, ask for help. if this were a physically obvious condition, like a broken leg, you wouldn't be making the same excuses about why you can't get any help from your GP, so stop sabotaging yourself. :)
there is a lot of benefit in therapy if you are open and honest about what's not working in your life. it's a real boon to have a smart, objective person on one's side considering what a mess other people (and oneself) can occasionally make of it, whether or not one has a biochemical disorder.
and as somebody whose depression is very much biochemical (i am 100% certain of that), i am convinced that there is no such thing as beating that only with medication. long-term depression creates very bad habits, and relentlessly pulls one back into ruts. having a therapist help with suggestions on how to break the bad habits, and create new pathways within the constraints the depression imposes is an invaluable aid to living a relatively decent life despite one's handicap. it's an incredibly insiduous condition, and we need all the help we can get.