[allintime]

My psych issues are at an extreme level of complexity. I was assumed a resident for local U when my psychiatrist , and minorily myself, thought issues were benign and had to do with relationships. I have had this BP episode since Oct, first saw therapist in early Dec. By Dec my problems were massive and it took a month for therapist to finally be able to "assess" me and ask questions because I was unloading all of my problems every week dealing with an unhealthy, emitionally abusive, manipulative relationship. Once my life story was told, T would give simple advice like be kind to yourself and think about this more, is that what people really think and so in. My mental and psych problems continue to worsen 7 months into episode and 5 months into therapy. Everyday I'm finding new depressing and anxiety provoking self revelations that I'm trying to turn into wisdom. Essentially, I know most of my problems, why the dominoes fell. The T is only a resident and I feel these problems require more experience. Plus, this week we are supposed to talk about crisis mgmt, an issue yes, pertinent no. I feel I need the tools to get better rather than trying to explain to an out of touch resident my problems, waste of mental energy, and then be accused of researching too much an wind up talkin about crisis mgmt.

[CantExplain]

((AllInTime))

Unfortunately, it really does get worse before it gets better. Buried pain comes to the surface, and you have to process the backlog. But the backlog *will* be cleared.

It's easier to see things getting worse than it is to see them getting better. It might be quite a while before you see how far you've come.

PS:

Welcome to the forum. You'll find good friends here.

[BonnieJean]

If you're sensing the resident isn't getting you and may not be up for what is transpiring with you, can you go back to the psychiatrist and get referred to some one more experienced in the areas you're dealing with? This is tough stuff and you need to feel supported and in good hands.

[unaluna]

Otoh, if you change therapists now, you will simply start telling your story all over again. Are you still in this "abusive, manipulative relationship"? Would crisis management be about how to get out? I don't understand what you want from the current t - so maybe if you make it clearer to them? Or to us?

[Perna]

I just started a good book, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions by Kate Lorig, Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions: Self-Management of Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Depression, Asthma, Bronchitis, Emphysema and Other Physical and Mental Health Conditions and like how she points out that knowing what is wrong, having the insight as to how one got to where one is does not help the problem, only active management of our conditions can do that. The book teaches those skills/how to actively manage chronic physical and mental illnesses.

I would list your immediate problems and skills you want to learn, including, probably, crisis management. It sounds like you have been having a big, complicated problem for quite a while, I would call that a "crisis". But you could help focus yourself and your therapist on what you would like to learn and practice those things (which takes time, they're often new skills) instead of just having a whole lot going on that does not seem very structured. In other words, maybe list your problems and rank order them and work on them one at a time. Often working on one problem will help another, "connected" one and over time, there will be fewer problems than first listed.

I would not change therapists until I understood what was going on with me and what I wanted, etc. and that the therapist could not help me with it. It could be your approach has your T perceiving that your situation appears out of control and some crisis management might help. I would discuss why s/he has picked that subject to work on at this time and see if I could learn more about how others perceive me and my situation.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by hankster

Otoh, if you change therapists now, you will simply start telling your story all over again.

I've just done that, and it can be helpful. Back to basics is sometimes a good move.

@Perna: One of the big divisions in the therapy business is, does the answer lie in the past or in the future? Theorists tend to concentrate on one or the other, but it seems to me that both are relevant.

Change must happen in the future, but guided by knowledge that can only come from the past.

Originally Posted by CantExplain

((AllInTime))

Unfortunately, it really does get worse before it gets better. Buried pain comes to the surface, and you have to process the backlog. But the backlog *will* be cleared.

It's easier to see things getting worse than it is to see them getting better. It might be quite a while before you see how far you've come.

PS:

Welcome to the forum. You'll find good friends here.

omg CE you are so wise, 'processing the backlog' is exactly where I'm at, at the moment. Wow. AllInTime this is a great forum and there is SO much wisdom here. Welcome!!!