Regarding getting worse I believe that in some cases it is really inevitable. The experience you describe is somewhat similar to mine. I had built very strong defence systems that served me very well, I had no depression, no anxiety, no emotional problems. I just didn't connect to people and didn't feel to belong to this world. When I started therapy my defences (or part of them) were very quickly torn down. This left me vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Previously I had been able to use work as a regulation mechanism - if there was any threat for emotional disturbance I retreated to work and everything was fine. Now this suddenly didn't work anymore. As a consequence, I became very dependent on my T, obsessing about him all days, barely able to do any work.

This period lasted quite long time, I don't remember exactly anymore, but at least a year or year and a half and it was truly difficult. However, over time I gradually found myself again a bit. I had to develop new coping mechanism but this would not have been possible if the old defences would not have been brought down first. The new coping mechanism are more relational, they involve more other people, e.g. my H, whereas previously I only could retreat to a cocoon. Also, having lost those defences put me into touch with my emotions that for very long time were intolerable to me. But in order to learn to know my emotions there is no other way, the only alternative is to run from them .