[substancelessblue]

I told my T I was feeling quite detached and felt like doing reckless things, and when she asked what I mentioned driving recklessly. I said I had felt myself driving recklessly on the way over to see her. Now I feel worried about telling her this. She sort of just nodded, but I know she often disguises her reactions and will bring things up in future sessions that I thought didn't make much of an impression.

Will my T do anything with this knowledge? I mean I know she won't take any outside action, but how serious is it that I mentioned it? I'm just unsettled and anxious about it.

[ilikecats]

I'm not sure what your T will do, but I've mentioned reckless driving to my T a couple of times, and she's never said anything. I just said it in passing, and didn't go into detail. I actually kinda wish she had asked more about it though.

[stopdog]

Any number of people drive recklessly with no interference from a therapist. I don't really know what a therapist could do - that seems more up to traffic cops.

[AllHeart]

Since she didn't mention anything at the session, she may not have thought it to be too serious. Afterall, she let you drive home (not that she could really stop you).

Please be careful. It would be a pity to endanger the life of yourself and others with this behavior.

[LonesomeTonight]

I think unless you said you were hoping you'd hurt yourself by driving recklessly, like if she thought you truly were a danger to yourself and others, then she couldn't really do anything.

Out of curiosity, are you bipolar? I'm only asking because that sounds like it could be a part of mania, feeling invincible. Or is it more like you just don't care about your own safety/well-being, and that's why you're driving that way? Which would be more along the lines of depression. Just some things she could be considering, depending on how you explained it.

[substancelessblue]

Originally Posted by LonesomeTonight

I think unless you said you were hoping you'd hurt yourself by driving recklessly, like if she thought you truly were a danger to yourself and others, then she couldn't really do anything.

Out of curiosity, are you bipolar? I'm only asking because that sounds like it could be a part of mania, feeling invincible. Or is it more like you just don't care about your own safety/well-being, and that's why you're driving that way? Which would be more along the lines of depression. Just some things she could be considering, depending on how you explained it.

I don't have bipolar, and I don't really know the exact reason. I think because I feel detached or dissociative I do intense/reckless things. Sorry for the vague explanation. I have anxiety, have had depression in the past, and basically have issues with emotional regulation. But my T doesn't like labels

[Argonautomobile]

Originally Posted by substancelessblue

I told my T I was feeling quite detached and felt like doing reckless things, and when she asked what I mentioned driving recklessly. I said I had felt myself driving recklessly on the way over to see her. Now I feel worried about telling her this. She sort of just nodded, but I know she often disguises her reactions and will bring things up in future sessions that I thought didn't make much of an impression.

Will my T do anything with this knowledge? I mean I know she won't take any outside action, but how serious is it that I mentioned it? I'm just unsettled and anxious about it.

When I get that 'just sort of nod' thing from my T, I think of it as him filing away new information in its proper place. I don't have to worry about what I said being weird, wonder how serious it is, or be anxious about what it means. Because all it was was a new piece of information. That's it. And it's T's job to figure out how it fits into the whole picture. I'm too busy trying to navigate my life.

So you presented a fact--the new piece of information that you've felt reckless and driven recklessly. Let her worry about what that means--it will get digested and distilled and given back to you as part of a wider bit of observation or advice: "Substancelessblue, I notice that you report doing reckless things when you feel detached or disconnected. How would you feel about doing a grounding exercise when that happens?" Or, you know, something like that.

Not sure if this is clear or helpful, but I do wish you the best of luck and stay safe!

[learning1]

I had one therapist who would bring things up in later sessions in a way that made me feel like I always had to be on guard about what I said. It wasn't that I thought he could do anything to me outside of therapy, it was that he was manipulative in therapy and he led me to feel bad about myself. Then I found a therapist that didn't do that.

T didn't really say anything to me either. I think I was quite desperate for her to reckonise how much this worries me.

What do you mean by reckless driving? Speeding more than 30 km over speed limit in town? Running red lights? Cutting in on bikie members? Ignoring give way and stop signs? Driving on footpaths? This is what I do when driving recklessly.

[ChipperMonkey]

The no label thing is interesting.

I think therapists do it to protect their clients but IMHO knowledge is power. Keeping someone in the dark about their diagnosis isn't doing them any favors.

[DechanDawa]

Driving on footpaths???

Originally Posted by DechanDawa

Driving on footpaths???

I get this Blues brothers thing happening when I am manic....

footpath=sidewalk if that swhat you mean?

[substancelessblue]

Originally Posted by Bipolarartist

What do you mean by reckless driving? Speeding more than 30 km over speed limit in town? Running red lights? Cutting in on bikie members? Ignoring give way and stop signs? Driving on footpaths? This is what I do when driving recklessly.

I wouldn't say driving on footpaths, but maybe the rest. I didn't really give details to my T though, I just said reckless driving.

[substancelessblue]

Originally Posted by ChipperMonkey

The no label thing is interesting.

I think therapists do it to protect their clients but IMHO knowledge is power. Keeping someone in the dark about their diagnosis isn't doing them any favors.

Yes, it kind of makes me feel there is no label that exists for me. Which is a little unsettling.

Originally Posted by substancelessblue

I wouldn't say driving on footpaths, but maybe the rest. I didn't really give details to my T though, I just said reckless driving.

i would say tell T the details as this quite dangerous behaviour all thar happens to me is i hand my keys over to someone else until i am better.

If you mental status is causing you to be reckless in your driving, I would hope you would get someone else to do your driving for you. I know my pdoc has asked me about my driving when I am really symptomatic as it can be an indicator of a person's mental status. Please don't put other people at risk for harm. That could turn out quite tragically for everyone involved.

My therapist has been known to not let me leave a session if he felt I was not in condition to drive. He's even called my husband to come get me on a couple of occasions. It just isn't worth the risk if you are unable or unwilling to follow basic safety in driving.

[iheartjacques]

She would probably just make a note of your appearance, demeanor and behaviour.
Mine knows I had my licence suspended for incurring too many points to in a few years. He didn't lecture me or anything gets, I already owned my ****

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by Bipolarartist

I get this Blues brothers thing happening when I am manic....

footpath=sidewalk if that swhat you mean?

Well, sorry, didn't get the Blues brothers reference but I understood footpath to mean where people walk, including children, and it made me heartsick. If I were a therapist I might have asked you to explain further. It is so uncool to put others at risk, and if you are talking about it you have enough self-awareness to do something about it. I used to drive, I would say not recklessly, but often thoughtlessly, then in my neighborhood a small child was killed by someone going too fast. The driver was going too fast, and simply did not stop soon enough. I had a small child myself at the time, and hearing about that other child's death cured me of driving thoughtlessly forever.

Can you imagine what it would be like to cause someone's death because you were driving thoughtlessly and/or recklessly? I think if I was a therapist that's the question I would pose. Not saying you should do this, or you should do that, but think about the possible outcome of this behavior. As well, coming up with a solution, such as have a significant person in your life hold on to your car keys while you are deeply manic, or something like that.

Originally Posted by DechanDawa

Well, sorry, didn't get the Blues brothers reference but I understood footpath to mean where people walk, including children, and it made me heartsick. If I were a therapist I might have asked you to explain further. It is so uncool to put others at risk, and if you are talking about it you have enough self-awareness to do something about it. I used to drive, I would say not recklessly, but often thoughtlessly, then in my neighborhood a small child was killed by someone going too fast. The driver was going too fast, and simply did not stop soon enough. I had a small child myself at the time, and hearing about that other child's death cured me of driving thoughtlessly forever.

Can you imagine what it would be like to cause someone's death because you were driving thoughtlessly and/or recklessly? I think if I was a therapist that's the question I would pose. Not saying you should do this, or you should do that, but think about the possible outcome of this behavior. As well, coming up with a solution, such as have a significant person in your life hold on to your car keys while you are deeply manic, or something like that.

I think you are confusing me with the OP. This stuff I used to do undiagnosed and in the rural regions where I live there were no people about after dark which is when I used to drive on footpaths. Now I do hand my keys over to someone else.

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by Bipolarartist

I think you are confusing me with the OP. This stuff I used to do undiagnosed and in the rural regions where I live there were no people about after dark which is when I used to drive on footpaths. Now I do hand my keys over to someone else.

Sorry if I got confused. But it's great you hand your keys over. Happy Holidays, and hoping all who need to hand over their keys.

If a therapist is concerned enough if details are given he/she may report it as a danger to self, and others. Think about the resent car killings in USA.

I remember reading about this <25 years ago. DMV could take your license away.