[Ghostofmyself]

Hi... I was wondering if anyone else does this. I keep lying to my therapist and psychiatrist, even though right before my appointments I try to work myself up to just say how things really are going for me- which are a lot worse than I tell them. I tend to lie about how I am feeling. Like, minimizing how depressed I am. Somehow, I feel like I need to make sure my therapist or psychiatrist are doing well and if I say that I am not doing so good-that they will feel badly. I don't want to make anyone else feel badly. I've done enough already to hurt this world. And yes, I am trying to work on my guilt and shame, but no matter how much I am working on it,I still blame myself for things that are not directly my fault.

I don't understand myself. I realize on a logical level that I am going there to get help, but they can't help me if I don't tell them what is going on.Yet, I just can't tell them that things are getting worse. I feel like I've lost hope to ever being well. I kind of want to quit going but don't know what that will mean in the long term.

Sorry if this is all over the place. I am having a hard time staying on one topic.

[Skeezyks]

Yes, I guess I used to do this, although I didn't really consider it to be lying. (I don't see anyone anymore.) I would always just slap a smile on my face & say I'm okay... just couldn't bring myself to do differently. I don't think it had anything to do with not wanting to make them feel bad though. Maybe it was pride or something. Or maybe it was just that I had done that with everyone in my life for so long it was just habit.

Here are links to 2 articles by our host Dr. John Grohol, Psy.D. plus 2 additional articles, from PsychCentral's archives, on the subject of lying to one's therapist:

Why Would You Lie to Your Therapist?

10 Common Reasons to Lie to Your Therapist

Talk Therapy: How Honest Are You?

Why We Lie to our Therapists | Therapy Unplugged

[Ghostofmyself]

Thank you for the reply. And for the links. I am going to do a bit of reading now.

I just want to figure this out to make my sessions work better. I need to figure out how to just be honest about what I am feeling.

Thanks again.

Ghostofmyself, I believe you are doing your best and your psychiatrist and therapist do have the training to read your mind. It doesn't really matter much whether you lie or not, be yourself and you'll have a pretty good treatment plan coming up for you.