Has this ever happened to you in a session?

I had a fairly rough session today - I chose to discuss an issue that I've never discussed with another living soul. My T was wonderful about it, said all the right things, but I still felt lousy after the session. That feeling isn't as strong now, but I'm still rather shocked that I said it all, but also somewhat relieved.

But that's not why I'm writing this... as soon as I started talking about this issue in the session, my nose started itching badly. I was rubbing it, and my T asked if it was allergies - I said it must be. Further into the session, it was itching like crazy, and I had to stop talking and really scratch it. I told my T that this was so weird, my nose never itches like that. My T said (and this is the first time she's really disclosed anything) that she has another patient whose nose itches when he is talking about something really meaningful. Hmm!

So has anyone ever had an experience like that, something weird happening with your body while you're in a session?

if im discussing my sexual addiction , I will almost always sneeze 3-4 times in a row

When I'm discussing something that makes me anxious, my throat and lips get dry, and i have to keep swallowing and licking my lips.

My throat and mouth can get so dry that I can't talk. Water didn't help. Gum does, though. Anxiety will do it. Also, I tie myself up in knots, often without noticing it. Fingers, arms, legs, jewlery, scarves, anything I can manipulate - it all gets tied up in knots.

I haven't really noticed my nose itching, but it wouldn't be surprising if it does and I just don't notice. Like I said, I tie myself up in knots without noticing. I only notice the dry mouth because I can't talk, and then T stares at me because she expects me to talk.

Interesting, Rapunzel. For my first 2 sessions, my throat and mouth were very dry, but water did help somewhat. Today, my tongue felt too big for my mouth, but my mouth wasn't that dry.

I'm very aware of my body, so I try not to cross my arms or legs much - I try to stay as open as possible. But today, I was definitely scrunching inward, curling up a bit more, if that makes sense.

I get a lot of weird body sensations when anxious. Some.. Don't seem to match with anxiety which makes it hard for me to cope afterwards.

Oh, yeah. This isn't an internally physical thing but. . .after an intense session, I look down and I've completely twisted and mangled the kleenex. If I have 2 or 3 kleenexes, I've twisted the heck out of them all. Sometimes, little bits falling on the floor, etc. I really don't notice it while I'm doing it.

I do the exact same thing!

I have mild rosacea so my face gets flushed when I get anxious. It only happened once or twice in therapy, though, and most of the time when I see my internist. I feeler safer with my T.

I remember getting a headache when I had a very intense session once. But my most prevalent physical reaction is having to use the bathroom. Usually I waited until the session was over, but a few times when I told my T something very difficult, I had to take a bathroom break. Fortunately, it was right across from her office. At my old T's, I had to get a key and walk all the way down the hall. I felt like I was wasting my precious therapy minutes!

I also tore a styrofoam cup to pieces during a session with my first T. I actually have that session on tape, and you can hear the sounds of tearing it, though I didn't remember doing it!

A couple of weeks ago before a session in which I wanted to discuss thoughts about self injury I had a panic attack in my therapists office. She helped me to calm down and relax but I felt like I was going to pass out or something...I felt embarressed and told her. she said it was ok how I was feeling and she was there to help me through it...

I sweat, get anxious, I hyperventilate, I sweat some more, my foot doesn't stop moving, I can't articulate my words....then when it gets too much, I shut down, leave the room...

Oh yeah, I get headaches when I have a more intense session, too. I don't notice the headache until I get home, but it lasts the rest of the day. It's how I know that I actually did work in therapy that day.

It's an autonomic response to negative stimuli...I think everyone has something that happens that triggers this kind of response albeit maybe not easily noticable or recognizable.

Hugs,
Stormy

I've experienced nausea and dryness in my mouth before, I've just never had my nose itch like that - it was so bizarre!

Thanks for the responses, everyone - it feels good to know that I'm not alone in having something like this happen! And Stormy, that makes sense that it's our body's automatic response to negative stimuli - very interesting!

sharp pain in my head during session, pounding headache afterwards, dry mouth so my tongue sticks to my mouth, sweating, flushing, dizziness, zoning out, unable to focus or concentrate, hyper-awareness of my whole body or any particular part of it, i play with my shoes (foot up on one leg), shoelaces, anything on my coat which i always wrap around my waist even though my T always asks if i want to hang it up, play with my watch or fingers/hands and often catch myself doing all that fiddling with things without even realising ive been doing it.

so no you re not alone.

I get panic attacks, but I know that what you're talking about is different. When I talk about something very intense, private, and meaningful in session I often get the urge to stand up.

Human behavior is so funny - I've really enjoyed everyone's responses. It's actually very good that you're able to identify your behavior because it means you can decide what you want to do with it.

Do with it? Whine and complain and use it as an excuse, or course! (JK)

Therapy has side effects. They are real. But I suppose it would be more productive to actually figure out where all that anxiety is coming from, and work on reducing it, wouldn't it?

mightaswell, your post reminded me i often get an almost uncontrolable urge to crawl behind the chair or start franticly thinking about having a blanket to hide under. lol.

when I start to get uncomfy in T, physically i feel like my insides are shaking which eventually manifests itself in my foot which usually ends up shaking relentlessly, which is I guess how my T knows I am moving into uncomfortable territory...I didnt really notice until she pointed it out to me--she is such an observant T...guess that's their job, huh?

Sometimes I zone out. I used to keep the copay receipt in my hand and by the end of the session it would be completely folded up or twisted---T once said I hope you aren't going to need that receipt LOL. I started bringing a rubber band because i felt like playing with the receipt was making too much noise and I end up twisting that and by the end of session it's full of knots....i forgot it one time and T looked around the area she sits in for a rubberband and didnt find one, but said "next time just let me know and I will get one for you before we start"..I never ask and always make sure I have several in my purse at all times. Oh also my mouth gets really dry so I usually grab a few jolly ranchers from the candy bowl at the receptionists desk

You just reminded me that, once I was finished telling my T my story, I really wanted to stand up and actually end the session! This was the first time I've ever looked at my watch - I must have looked at it 4 times in the last 15 minutes of the session.