[splitimage]

My T said something to me in T tonight that got me thinking. She said "I use you as a case study in my training all the time."

My T is only a part time clinician, albeit a really good one, she's also a researcher, author, and trainer of other T's and Dr.'s She's on the faculty of the local med pschool in the dept of psychiatry. She travels a fair bit delivering training on trauma and addiction.

I knew she's used me as a case study in the past, and I'm basically ok with it. I guess I just I didn't realize the extent of it. On the one hand it makes me feel good that T is thinking about me and ways to help me, when I'm not in session, and thinks that our work together can help other people learn. On the other hand, I don't like to think that my case is weird / interesting / problematic enough to be used as a case study. It makes me feel like my problems are maybe worse than I think they are (I do tend to minimize as a defense mechanism).

I never grew up thinking I'd be in therapy for 10 years or that I'd be a psych patient, or that I'd need meds to function. And now I'm a case study. It jsut feels weird.

--splitimage

[deliquesce]

case studies come in many forms.
we need straight textbook mundane so we can learn how things are meant to look.
then we need 'real life' case so we can learn how what we are looking for isn't always what we find.
chances are you are not weird/interesting/problematic enough, but that there is something about your case which is textbook enough for people to understand, and 'real life' enough for it to be something to use as an illustrative teaching point.

[sittingatwatersedge]

(((((((((((((((((( splitimage ))))))))))))))))))

I get you, and how.
well....... in "real life", case studies are called biiographies, and they're used for inspiration among other things. How wonderful it would be if yr T can use your story as an example of courage, of resilience, of healing. It doesn't necessarily mean bad things.

hugs to you
from the lady who found out that her file is 5x bigger than T's other clients

[BlueMoon6]

((((Splitimage)))) I also would feel weird about it and think it pointed to how f***** up I am. But I agree with SAWE, it is a story of courage and healing. How therapy works. It is an honor, really. But I can understand how it would feel weird.

Well, better a case study than a psych inpatient...

[WePow]

(((((((((((((((splitimage)))))))))))))))
I am so sorry that your life was challenging enough to result in the therapy that you have to go through now. It always breaks my heart when I know somone else knows this type of anguish that humans should not have to endure.

One time, my old college T said "You are textbook." I asked him what in the heck he ment by that! He told me it was not meant as an insult at all. He said that it just meant all my symptoms were following exactly what they teach in the books about trauma and such. At least I understood his point of view better than just letting myself worry about it day after day. Maybe you could ask T to clarify exactly what it is about you she uses in the case study!

[skyliner]

My t, a senior psychologist, presented me as a case study and I felt kinda good.

[darkrunner]

Originally Posted by splitimage

I never grew up thinking I'd be in therapy for 10 years or that I'd be a psych patient, or that I'd need meds to function. And now I'm a case study. It jsut feels weird.

I can relate to this, Splitimage. Sometimes when I take a step back and look at my life, I just have to shake my head.
I never would have expected this to be me life, and it is sad.
It doesn't seem fair, but I guess some things are out of our control.

you know, on a lighter note, did you ask for royalities? or a discount for being so interesting she uses your story?


hope you feel better. maybe she uses you as a success story.