Minimizing problems in therapy

Does anyone else have problems with this? Whenever my therapist asks me to rate my anxiety, I always end up rating way lower than it actually is. Or if I'm talking about something, I'll make it seem like it's not a big deal to me when it actually is. Does anyone have this problem too or know of something that would be helpful in these situations?

Always! The way I was brought up taught me to do this in a way. For example, if I went to my mom with a problem she would rarely acknowledge my feelings. She push them off and told me it was not a big deal. So now I tend to minimize my feeling and it is very frustrating and hard to break that habit.

I think it is good to talk to your T about this problem and maybe they can help point out when you are minimizing a situation.

I do it all the time. I'm not sure how to get around it. So far, ex-T's and I have just been working on acknowledging it and finding a way to express the extent of it all. I tend to write or express it through art later and try to find the courage to tell the T later...

My T stopped asking it that way. Sometimes she will ask how I am doing and usually I say ok...based upon my facial expressions she will say "sure you are now tell me how you are really doing?"

I wish my T was like this... there have been times when I've gotten teary-eyed when she asked me how I'm doing but if I say I'm okay she just goes with it.

My T and pdoc had me start keeping a mood chart daily. It helped me get a bearing on the levels of my depression, anxiety, irritability, etc. and I became more consistent and aware of my mood levels and more accurate in reporting them to my T and pdoc. There are some great apps for mood charting.