[SummerTime12]

Someone's thread about therapy and non therapy life gave me the idea to make this thread. How do you get your mind to stop dwelling on the things that you talk about in your session afterwards? I know I will always think about it some of course, but does any one have any suggestions for how to make those thoughts less prevalent? What helps you, if anything?

[smmath]

I like to process it for a while to get it out of my system. Then I tell myself that it's okay, and I don't need to think about it right now.

[BlessedRhiannon]

I write about it in my journal, or if I really need to "get rid" of the thoughts, I'll send T an email. I've found that once I get the thoughts out of my head and on to paper or in an email, it's much easier to put them away until the next session.

[always_wondering]

Why would you want to not think about things dwelling in your head after a therapy session? I try to remember them and work on the things we discussed. I always say to T, "What was the lesson of the day again?" He tells me and I work on the lesson all week until it is engrained in my head. What kind of things do you not want to think about?

[SummerTime12]

Originally Posted by always_wondering

Why would you want to not think about things dwelling in your head after a therapy session? I try to remember them and work on the things we discussed. I always say to T, "What was the lesson of the day again?" He tells me and I work on the lesson all week until it is engrained in my head. What kind of things do you not want to think about?

I like to think about it just enough to process it, but it seems that (for me) after that thoughts related to therapy make me feel worse. It will make me think about things that have happened in my life that I don't need necessarily want to spend so much time thinking about, but I don't know how to change that

[always_wondering]

Originally Posted by SummerTime12

I like to think about it just enough to process it, but it seems that (for me) after that thoughts related to therapy make me feel worse. It will make me think about things that have happened in my life that I don't need necessarily want to spend so much time thinking about, but I don't know how to change that

Yes. It is important to think about it. How does it affect your life today? What happened to make you the way you are today? Do you understand why you
do what you do today, because of the things that happened to you in the past?
It's painful, but is there a lesson to be learned?

Maybe I think it's easy, because, honestly, I have not told my T the nitty gritty. Maybe I don't tell him the really awful things, because I don't want to think of them. Maybe....I should, and then I will understand how you feel about the after session thoughts.

Maybe I'll go into session next time and say, Hey....I have some really awful things I have not told you.. Maybe not?

[SummerTime12]

Originally Posted by always_wondering

Yes. It is important to think about it. How does it affect your life today? What happened to make you the way you are today? Do you understand why you
do what you do today, because of the things that happened to you in the past?
It's painful, but is there a lesson to be learned?

Maybe I think it's easy, because, honestly, I have not told my T the nitty gritty. Maybe I don't tell him the really awful things, because I don't want to think of them. Maybe....I should, and then I will understand how you feel about the after session thoughts.

Maybe I'll go into session next time and say, Hey....I have some really awful things I have not told you.. Maybe not?

Is it ok if I PM you? I would like to answer your questions but don't feel comfortable putting it where anyone can see

[always_wondering]

Originally Posted by SummerTime12

Is it ok if I PM you? I would like to answer your questions but don't feel comfortable putting it where anyone can see

sure. you can pm me.

Originally Posted by always_wondering

Why would you want to not think about things dwelling in your head after a therapy session? I try to remember them and work on the things we discussed. I always say to T, "What was the lesson of the day again?" He tells me and I work on the lesson all week until it is engrained in my head. What kind of things do you not want to think about?

Sometimes it is necessary to do it even if we don't want to - to be able to work, for instance.

Do you do CBT? It sounds a little like it, if you have a lesson of the day... there is nothing like that in my therapy, at any rate.

[possum220]

If we have talked about an issue and a question comes up then I find it helps to send my T an email just to get it out of my head. I had a session today and started feeling sad. 6 hours later and the sadness is still with me. Sometimes maybe we just need to sit with things. Other times to get stuff out of my head I write about it.

[SeekerOfLife]

I never stop thinking about the things we have discussed. It is ongoing.....part of my recovery.

[HazelGirl]

I think there is a fine balance in regards to this. Part of it is needing to function and have a real life outside of therapy, and part of it is a necessary sitting with uncomfortable or difficult things. I have no clue yet how to keep it balanced, but I think I am getting closer to what is balanced for me. I take my time to think and process it, but I am getting better at setting it aside and moving on. I also have other things I can use, like anxiety medication if I feel really anxious to help me regulate my exposure to the junk. For me, it seems to be working (so far...).

[always_wondering]

I dont think I am getting CBT. I just like to have something to really focus on for the week.

[RTerroni]

I don't stop thinking about it but I don't know if that is nesesarily a bad thing.