Quote:
Originally Posted by Xynesthesia
This is mentioned in the above article and is also something I often think about, reading all the intense therapy preoccupation stories here on PC:
"Her self-preoccupation and childhood focus had put a great deal of tension on her relationship with her parents and distanced her from her husband and son."
One way how therapy can become a big distraction for some clients, whether we call it addiction or not. I don't think it makes too much sense to overly generalize these things. We have different backgrounds, some people are just prone to these preoccupation, obsession, addiction etc and will often experience it with many therapists (that clearly shows it is not about the person of the T) and others are not prone to it and will not experience it. I also don't think it is as simple as transference related to unmet needs in childhood. For some people, yes. For others (like myself, I believe), I think it is more an addiction- and obsession-predisposed biological makeup and the individual will have a tendency to get hooked on anything that provides intense stimulation and pleasure. For me, dissecting all these psychological mechanisms and discussing it with others is very interesting and enjoyable - why I liked therapy sessions and interacting with the Ts (unless it became really twisted and disrespectful) and also why I like this forum. Why it can become a distraction - it provide momentary enjoyment=instant gratification. It is not transference in my case but one of my main interests that gives me pleasure to explore, I think. For others, it can be transference. And many other things.
|
This seems to fit with me as well. I have OCD, which means I'm going to obsess about things. So yes, I've gotten obsessive about my ex-marriage counselor and maybe to some extent, at times, about current T. And I've been obsessive about therapy in general. But the way my mind works, I'm going to be obsessing about *something* at any given time. It could be my health, like convincing myself I have cancer or some other illness. It could be reading whatever I can find online about autism (because of my D), seeking supplements or interventions that could possibly help. It could be, as was more common in my younger years, being obsessed with a particular band or singer and finding out everything I could about them, seeking out every song or album (and, in one case, publishing a fanzine).
So in some ways, an obsession with therapy might be healthier for me than, say, obsessing about my health or what I'm not doing to help my daughter. Obviously, I want to do what I can to help her, but spending hours a day obsessing about her and researching online is not necessarily the healthiest thing either, especially if it takes away from me actually spending time with and interacting with her--i.e., being a good, or a "good enough," parent.
And I don't think spending years in therapy indicates an obsession with therapy or oneself necessarily--some people just need more help than others (like with a trauma history or bad anxiety disorder or chronic major depression, etc.) or just find regular therapy sessions help them to be more functional in their daily lives, like Anne mentioned.