[Duckling000]

I have 3 months left with my T. We've made really good progress on my childhood/parents stuff and I'm in a much better place because of it. Now he wants to spend the remaining time talking about my future.

Is it just me or is this a vast and anxiety inducing topic? I'm 31 and still not sure whether I want children or not, whether I want to marry my partner or not, what I want to do with my career or if I have any big goals to achieve. I tend to just think that things will work themselves out - is that so bad? I feel like I'm just going to sit there going 'I don't know...'

Has anyone else tackled this stuff with their T? How did it go?

[junkDNA]

when my T used to ask me about the future i felt suicidal. that went on for like 4 years. now i can talk about the future and feel ok... im not totally gung-ho about it but im more able to discuss it. i have more of a future available than i did years ago when T would bring it up... im still unsure about it all though. im 29 with no partner/kids/romantic interest in anyone. im working a retail job , im in school and will finish in may 2017. im trying to get off SSDI and get a salaried job with my education. those are my like....'societal' goals...goals that society thinks everyone should have (college, family, kids, 9-5) ..i still feel an urge to rebel against all of that. i ran away when i was 16. i actually WANTED to be homeless.

umm anyway im kinda rambling but yeh i get that feeling

[awkwardlyyours]

I'd just tell T where I am at.

I don't ever talk about future or even much present day stuff in therapy -- it's actually become an issue to the point that she's mentioned it (she never brings up any topic on her own and so, it's kind of a big deal). It just straight up terrifies me to do it.

The closest I've come to saying anything is that I never ever thought I'd live to the age I am (late 30s) or even make it past childhood. So, I'd never thought of what I want to do with my life for more than a year or so out. For the first time recently, it's hit me that I might actually live for a while and so, it's a strange, weird and unsettling feeling to think about that prospect -- still don't know how to deal with it though and the feeling is still not constant.

[Duckling000]

Originally Posted by junkDNA

when my T used to ask me about the future i felt suicidal. that went on for like 4 years. now i can talk about the future and feel ok... im not totally gung-ho about it but im more able to discuss it. i have more of a future available than i did years ago when T would bring it up... im still unsure about it all though. im 29 with no partner/kids/romantic interest in anyone. im working a retail job , im in school and will finish in may 2017. im trying to get off SSDI and get a salaried job with my education. those are my like....'societal' goals...goals that society thinks everyone should have (college, family, kids, 9-5) ..i still feel an urge to rebel against all of that. i ran away when i was 16. i actually WANTED to be homeless.

umm anyway im kinda rambling but yeh i get that feeling

Yes totally. When I first started seeing T, he tried to talk about the future and I felt so suicidal it just felt utterly pointless. Now it's not pointless but it's still anxious-making.

I hate the society goals BS. I don't think that T is buying into that... I'm not really sure what he wants from me.

Thanks so much for your comment. It's good to know I'm not alone

[Duckling000]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

I'd just tell T where I am at.

I don't ever talk about future or even much present day stuff in therapy -- it's actually become an issue to the point that she's mentioned it (she never brings up any topic on her own and so, it's kind of a big deal). It just straight up terrifies me to do it.

The closest I've come to saying anything is that I never ever thought I'd live to the age I am (late 30s) or even make it past childhood. So, I'd never thought of what I want to do with my life for more than a year or so out. For the first time recently, it's hit me that I might actually live for a while and so, it's a strange, weird and unsettling feeling to think about that prospect -- still don't know how to deal with it though and the feeling is still not constant.

I'm so glad it's not just me. It does feel really scary - and I felt stupid for feeling that way. Same here - normally my T never brings up topics, he lets me lead - but this is something he's brought up more than once.

[kecanoe]

I haven't dealt with that stuff in t, but it was not all that long ago that I would have been unable to talk about the future. And I am married, have kids and a good job.

Vast and anxiety inducing is a good way to put it.