I'm really sorry that you are disappointed in me, SAWE. I understand why it might be upsetting to hear that I, a person in distress due to my own troubling psyche, would laugh at someone with their own troubles.

I hope this thread does not start any arguments or bad feelings from the group. That was not my intent. My intent was to share the reasoning behind my concerns about my T's honesty.

In my defense, I have never laughed with malice or even specifically at the person. I certainly would not laugh at someone with compulsive masturbation who came in seriously in distress.. it may help you to know that the specific case I was talking about, I was trying to do an assessment on something else, not to ask the person about their masturbation habits and they kept insisting on talking about it, and I could barely contain my laughter at all the unnecessary detail. This person was not so distressed, more annoyed at the time it was taking them each day. So I laughed about it later. Does that make me insensitive?

I commonly laugh at the many manifestations of the human condition. I laugh a lot. Maybe nothing is sacred to me anymore. In my job, I see enormous amounts of pain daily. How could I survive if I did not laugh? How would I keep myself from burnout if I did not laugh? It doesn't mean I don't care. I would expect someone to laugh at some of my symptoms. For example, when my OCD is bad I have in the past had horrible full-body twitches that were intense and completely out of my control. This was very bad around the time I started seeing my T. I imagine my T laughed about it after she saw it happen, and I don't blame her. It is extremely embarrassing, but it is also hilarious when I am not experiencing it! Looking back, I can certainly laugh at my bizarre symptoms.

I react to what people tell me. I laugh with colleagues, I cry in the bathroom at work, I vent frustration. In front of people who are seeking help at our clinic, I have the veneer of a professional. I have a professional self. I have warmth, but maintain a level of detachment. I do my job. I do good work. I care.