I always want to bring up abuse during therapy. I tend to close up into a shell. It's so difficult and I feel like it is putting alot of stress and hold back during therapy. I can't bring it up that was (r word) recently. I had therapy today and it was just like a normal session and I was to scared to tell him about it.
How do you guys bring that up? What does your T say?

[ejayy78]

Would it be possible for you to write out what happened/what you want to talk about and give it to your therapist at the beginning of your session? You could even print your post out and give it to her. Or email your therapist if they allow it.

I didn't disclose specifics about my past abuse verbally because I always froze. It was easier for me at first to write it out and give it to my t, and we would talk about it from there.

[Argonautomobile]

Here's an old thread you might find helpful http://forums.psychcentral.com/psych...-your-csa.html

It's common to clam up (but no less frustrating ) A lot of people, myself included, wrote the thing down and gave it to T to read. My T was really kind about it.

I hope you find you can process this. Sending lots of good thoughts!

[AllHeart]

Wish I had a good answer to help you out. My t knows a little about my CSA, but, we haven't discussed it a whole lot. Recently I've been needing to discuss it with t. I dropped hints about needing to talk about it for a few weeks without any luck. I finally wound up just randomly blurting it out. It was a load off. Of course now I'm faced with the difficulties of finding a way to speak out loud what I need to get out.

[ThisWayOut]

I find it much easier to write it first, then either give it to t,or read it while there.
Recently I've taken to tell t art the very end of session, then hope we return to it next session. It seems to take the pressure away (and it still takes me that long to build up the nerve to talk about it).
My t's have all been cool about it. They let me take it at my own pace, and are understanding/kind/supportive when I have talked about it.

[RedSun]

I wrote stuff down for my T, and she reads it in session. Then she starts a discussion about it, sometimes I can say things, but it definitely makes it easier that she begins, and that she knows the background.

I've emailed too, and asked her to ask me about something in session.

It's still difficult. I thought I would bring it up, and we would talk all about it, but it hasn't worked like that. A little bit here and there. Life gets in the way!

[rainydaywoman12]

I also find it much easier to write it down. I have a really hard time talking to people and had a hard time bringing up abuse to my therapist.

Aside from writing it down, if you feel comfortable with it, you might suggest to your therapist that you would like to talk about something sensitive but that's its too difficult for you to talk about - It might help get things slowly started without feeling overwhelmed.

[monkeybrains21]

i tend to get homework from T adn in that sometimes i will write of the past. she then has me read it and i am like a zombie just going through the motions until she comments at the end. she always tries to get me to say it wasnt my fault and eventually i will but i dont really mean it and im sure shes aware of it.