[suzzie]

I am amazed at how many of you can remember your sessions so well.

I always forget 90% of the session when I walk out the door. And what I do remember are unimportant things like temperature of the room, if blinds were drawn, etc. Not the discussions! And the discussions are what I want to remember.

Just wondering how you do it. Do you just happen to have really good memories. Maybe my being really anxious has some affect on this. Perhaps you need to be a place of safety before you can remember.

Anyways, I think it is a nice gift to have.

[bpd mess]

I wish I could remember everything as well. There are some days that I don't remember the conversation as we're having it. My t will be saying something then ask me a question and i can't remember what she had just said. That usually happens when it's a topic that makes me uncomfortable. Good thing my t has a good memory.

I used to have a really hard time remembering sessions. A lot of times, it would just be a big blank spot in my day, just NOTHING. Other times, I might remember the very beginning, but that was it.

Slowly, slowly over time, I'm able to remember more and more. Even the really hard sessions.

I asked T if there was any point in me being there if I couldn't remember anything, and he said that some part of me was remembering. And even without remembering, it seems like I made progress.

Therapy is hard...be gentle with you

[skeksi]

When I leave, I sit in my car for ten minutes and jot down short notes about what I can remember. I try to write them out and add more detail the next day, but a lot of times it is too scary to face so I don't. When I am having a particularly dissociative session, I ask T to summarize the main points before I leave. I can usually remember those long enough to jot down so I can keep a thread of memory between sessions.

[sadface]

What I do is make notes about what I want to talk about and then when I go in I take my notes in and as we talk I make notes about important things for me to remember. I have to do this because I know I would not remember and I think I would feel I wasn't progressing any. My T said he wanted me to come up with things I wanted to work on and I did. If I don't have anything we go back to that plan I came up with. I hope this helps.

[murray]

I try to spend some time journaling as soon as I get home from therapy each week. Sometimes there are blanks but often as I type up my summary of the session I am able to fill in some of those blanks. Unless I do this, I forget just about everything that we discuss.

[zooropa]

sometimes I remember more, other times not much at all. I have found that I really like it when I can remember, so I try to write it down shortly after I leave. A lot of times that means posting here, or just writing in my journal, or whatever.

I think I do have a pretty good memory in general, but when I get anxious my mind goes blank and there is a lot of anxiety and dissociation in my sessions sometimes.

[Kacey2]

Suzzie,
I have had a hard time keeping grounded in sessions myself. My t knows when this is happening and he gently but persistently brings me back to the room. Do you think it is possible to discuss this with your t and maybe you two could work on figuring out your cues when you are checking out and she could help guide you back to the present. Another idea would be to take 5 to 10 minutes at the end of your session to summarize what you talked about. Then you might be able to take it with you. Good luck with this.

[suzzie]

Thanks everyone!

My next session is on Thursday. I will remember the tips to write it down right away in my car. Usually I dont remember right after I close the building door. But Im going to try.

treehouse, its nice to know that some part of me is remembering it.

Kacey2, hope my T notices this first as I dont talk much. Just saying yes or no takes forever.

[notablackbarbie]

I just cant remember things if u simply tell me. A lot of auditory info by itself always gets lost in my head w/thoughts, feelings, memories, daydreams, words, images songs...throw in my mood at the time and reactions (sobbing for an hour) and i would not remember whats important at the appointment. So i journal b4hand, have it out in the session to write throughout, and write in the waiting room afterwards. Therapy for me includes many mandatory times of written reflection = homework; not just listen and nodd along. Then on those few days when im brave, i look back at all that was written and consider....

[suzzie]

sadface and notablackbarbie, Great idea

I will hold on to it for in the future. Right now, unfortunately, I wouldnt be able concentration and focus on it properly. Im not present alot of the time.

I think a combination of this (some quick notes on key things during) and writing right after (additional info and more detail) would be good someday.

Funny, how we have a need to hold on to the sessions and revisit them. Me anyway.

[Sannah]

So do you think that you are dissociating Suzzie? Are you going to talk to your T about this?

[suzzie]

Sannah, I think sometimes. I should but I know I wont. I havent told my T much of anything yet. I dont talk. T says she can see the wheels turning.