Couch 91 - Forget the small change

No, i think it means that before working with our ts, we could keep falling back into the same ruts. But by working with them, we patch those roads over so they are smoother. That would describe how its been with my t. There is still a little groove i get caught in, but not the big freakin ditch. Eta - but i also recently dropped from 35 mg of prozac to 30, and it was back to the ditch for me. So i realize i need my stupid meds.( There is no such thing as 35 mg of prozac, its either 30 or 40. But 30 is not enough, and 40 is too much. I think this is why prozac "doesnt work" for some people. I dont think i am particularly unique.)

It could mean that your depression is worsened by stress, and that dealing with the triggers and stressors in therapy will lessen the severity of depression. It's still physiological, not a pull yourself up get over it kind of thing. I see it as an encouraging thing to say.

Morning couch.

Marking time until tonight.

I live in the middle of nowhere. I wish I lived in a city *sigh*

I have no idea if I'm a factor in the recent couch stress but I'm a relatively new variable. I'm going to try an experiment. I'll stay off the couch for a month and see if the stress level goes down. If it seems to, I'll stay off this thread. If not I'll return. Okay?

Not sure how to measure this, or to control for variables (scratches head in perplexity).

I haven't noticed anything different about the couch since you arrived. No need to leave. O.o

Is there something I missed that you're picking up on?

Things wax and wane on the forum and on threads. No one, in my opinion, need go away for the benefit of others. If one needs a break for one's self - great - take care of yourself. But don't try to take care of others by going away - taking care of themselves is the responsibility of the others.

You're asking the wrong person. Social perception isn't my strongest point. Or biggest priority. Just noticing correlations.

Maybe it's not different. A few people indicated it was lately. (Not that it was connected to me).

Are you my therapist?

Well. Thanks to being IP, I've met my out-of-pocket maximum for insurance to the tune of around $5k.

I think this might mean I don't have anymore co-pays for therapy. Maybe I should start going 2x/week if that's the case... I'll wait to see how the claims pay out.

Eh. I doubt it's you. It's just the nature of the couch. Ebb and flow and the people-ness of all of it.

Thanks, Nowhere. You're probably right.

I decided to take the counsellor's advice, especially since similar advice has been given to me re: other situations. It wasn't a well designed experiment anyway.

I have a pretty good track record at being right.

I really want to go to 2x week sessions. I feel like a wreck *sigh*

Aaaaaaaaahhh!!! Dont go!! Who's gonna laugh at my excellent jokes??? Not that i have a selfish motive in you staying...

Don't do that Rags! We'd miss you!
The stress is always going to ebb and flow, and it comes from all of us. The couch is a safe place - for all of us.

rags, stay on the couch! i love your posts!

Sick child is home again today, but she's happily watching YouTube videos. God bless the Internet!

Aw thanks, everyone. (Insert embarrassed smiley that must be there somewhere)

I'm staying as long as Hankster keeps up with the jokes.

I've been thinking about mirroring. I half want to start a thread about it... I was reading about interacting with personality disordered partners - about mirroring rather than absorbing the emotional outburst. I used to do it with stbx - not at first, but after I'd been in therapy a while... It was hard to do, but when I was strong enough to manage it it had a very positive effect. It would calm him down, though he didn't exactly like it. Strange, because often it usually involved very loud and intense anger... It was like I took his toys away and left him with no options or something...
Anyhoo, I was wondering about this type of mirroring in relation to the therapeutic relationship. Toxic and/or abandoning therapeutic relationships in particular. At what point is it too much? I want to start a thread, this stuff really interests me, but I'm afraid it would explode all over the place...

I'm staying as long as you all put up with my random thoughts, random outbursts, random sneaking in of whiskey to jazz up our collective coffee cup, and random .gifs. Wait, was I even leaving?

That sounds pretty fascinating, tbh!

My observation and belief is that things tend to go down hill fast when people start focussing on various diagnoses of others (personality disorders for example) rather than on the other parts. So if I were going to start such a thread - I would focus on the technique in general and leave out any reference to specific diagnoses/labeling of others.

Great we'll be ostercized together then!

Yeah... That's why I'm hesitant. It was just a quick reference/suggestion for coping in an emotionally abusive relationship in the book I was reading. It jumped out at me because I recognize having done it, and I see some similar stuff here. Touchy subject...

I would like to know what the technique is just so I can deal with a couple close relatives that my therapist calls abusive personalities. If they are approached with a truth, even in the gentlest of ways, I get attacked and, at the same time, they play up being victims and martyrs. I don't know how it works out that way, but it's a mind***k.

I am off to IKEA in a bit to get plastic bowls.

Positive emotions. My T wants me to try to notice them because I say they don't exist. Except he's been right >:-O I've noticed them if ever so faint.

I could dig my heels in but whatevs. Might as well try right? RIGHT??

Validate me The Couch.