[awkwardlyyours]

Do you think your therapist is "high"?

Putting the "high" in quotation marks because it needn't necessarily be induced by stimulants.

As for me --
(Repeated from the Couch) Current T said she's on a "high" (not artificially induced but she compared it to a runner's high) when she sees clients -- it's apparently then easier for her to see a whole bunch of clients while "high" than just one client.

[Argonautomobile]

He's so G-damn sober he makes me feel high (even when I'm not!)

[atisketatasket]

I find this question offensive. Don't you know that therapists are beyond any imputations of wrongness in their dealings with clients?

[ruh roh]

wtf? (That's for your therapist, not you for raising the question.)

I can't say my therapist has ever shown signs of being high off of depressed/anxious/traumatized people's lives. I will have to ask her. If so, she hides it well.

My answer is "other" just because even though it's "No" I don't think she needs to be high and I'm also not offended by the question.

As for the other kind of high. I once asked her if she smoked (meaning...cigarettes) because she was angry and smoking in a dream I had. She said, "No...and not the recreational kind either."

[stopdog]

No. I don't think that of either of them.
Although the first one has said I look at her like she has 3 heads when she talks. We fixed that by not letting her talk.

[awkwardlyyours]

Haha....so, I actually hadn't interpreted current T's being 'high' as her getting high off of other people's problems.

I guess I took it as being a bit like how (given the way my brain functions), I can get going and buzz through a whole lot of tasks in one straight shot or at the other end of the spectrum, just laze around doing absolutely nothing (i.e., there's not much of a middle ground).

But yeah, now that I think about it, her response does sound a tad ghoulish

[ruh roh]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

Haha....so, I actually hadn't interpreted current T's being 'high' as her getting high off of other people's problems.

I guess I took it as being a bit like how (given the way my brain functions), I can get going and buzz through a whole lot of tasks in one straight shot or at the other end of the spectrum, just laze around doing absolutely nothing (i.e., there's not much of a middle ground).

But yeah, now that I think about it, her response does sound a tad ghoulish

Yeah. I mean, I can understand people who get high off their jobs, but those who deal in pain might want to keep their glee to themselves.

[atisketatasket]

I'm not sure she was experiencing or expressing glee? It sounded more like the feeling I get when I do endurance exercise - once I have swum 500m, it is easier to swim 1500m, and then easiest of all to reach 2500m. Not a happy high, but an energy high.

[junkDNA]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

Do you think your therapist is "high"?

Putting the "high" in quotation marks because it needn't necessarily be induced by stimulants.

As for me --
(Repeated from the Couch) Current T said she's on a "high" (not artificially induced but she compared it to a runner's high) when she sees clients -- it's apparently then easier for her to see a whole bunch of clients while "high" than just one client.

My T is au natural

[Out There]

Regular T I wouldn't describe as at all " high " - he's very calm and serene. EMDR T can be a little high - like he's involved and animated ( both of these work for me ) Ex T was on a quotes disastrous " high ". I would have concerns about burning out with a T who does a client conveyor belt high type of thing. I was discussing with EMDR T whether there was more demand for the service than he could provide and he told me he's expanded a little but still has to limit as you can do too much with trauma all the time.

[iheartjacques]

I doubt they get off on our suffering. It takes a lot to hear one bad story after another

[lucozader]

He gets excited sometimes when we're doing really important work, it's cute I wouldn't really describe him as 'high' though.

In terms of OP's T I get the impression they're 'in the zone', like you get with any job? It's a good feeling but I don't think it would translate to enjoying their clients' pain.

[brillskep]

No, and I think it's important to be grounded as a therapist, as opposite to "high". Grounded, paying attention, sure - free associating and intuitive, but not "high".

I'm not offended by the question at all, but it was the only no answer.

[thesnowqueen]

Don't know as I've only seen her twice and was in too much of an emotional state to really gage her. My intuition is that maybe she could do with being a bit high as at some point she informed me that she was 'not mad'. Perhaps a little MJ might help!

My last T had interest in some substances that make one high when he was young but don't think he practices therapy with that mindset He did appear quite enthusiastic sometimes, clearly enjoying the interactions, but not manic. I liked that because I did, too. It was much more upsetting for me when my first T would sometimes just sit there staring at me speak and looking apathetic. Not offended at all if someone finds exploring difficult personal experiences exciting because I do, too. I think I get when someone is really into what they are doing and very interested, it's hard to stop. The mental stimulation can indeed create something akin to a 'high', I think. But I'm not the best person to ask perhaps because I had addiction problems (main issue I sought therapy for).

[MBM17]

I don't see a problem with what she said, though others have. It sounds to me like she's saying her natural abilities/instincts increase kind of unconsciously when she needs them to. That often happens to me when I need to go to a large family activity I know will be emotionally demanding. I prep ahead of time, and then due to years of practice and developing the skills, I'm able to perform even better than the average person. I'm entertaining, welcoming, can see the people not being included and include them, keep conversation going - all things that would normally be extremely difficult but that I have learned to do. It's like a coping mechanism. I'm not getting high off of other people's experiences. I'm just working at an above optimum level because the situation demands it.

Sometimes my therapist comes to therapy feeling extra cheerful and excited (I'm right after his lunch break), but as soon as I start talking about how hard my life is, he comes right down to reality. He's very stable and grounded, which is part of why I can meet with him.

[MBM17]

But awkwardlyyours, are you talking about "high" in demeanor, like cheerful and excited, or "high" in a way we can't see, like it's an inner "high" ability?

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by MBM17

But awkwardlyyours, are you talking about "high" in demeanor, like cheerful and excited, or "high" in a way we can't see, like it's an inner "high" ability?

Any which way you interpret being 'high'....including stoned-out-of-one's-mind stupid! I think one can perceive being high as leading to both the states that you mention above -- so, however, you think the 'high' manifests (assuming you think it exists).

Also, just to clarify, it's meant as a fun poll -- I didn't mean to distract from it by mentioning what current T told me. I only gave it as an example of other kinds of 'high' (so, folks don't get stuck on the definition of it only being artificially induced) although of course, everyone is free to comment on what she said as well.

(And, with that I believe I've achieved a new high in making a post convoluted.)

[ruh roh]

I thought it was a fun thread, too, but it seems my comment was taken seriously. It's kind of not worth it to post anymore.

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by ruh roh

I thought it was a fun thread, too, but it seems my comment was taken seriously. It's kind of not worth it to post anymore.

Aww...rr, hardly.

I didn't take your comment seriously (entirely because you refused to pick the 'I'm offended' option.....after all the thought I put into it

I believe folks are commenting (and I'm totally okay with it) because my post contained the intimate details of my conversation with current T. Given how PC works, it was taken (and understandably, so) to implicitly mean that I was asking for feedback.

Please don't stop posting....pretty please? :insert-non-existent-hope-emoji:

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

Aww...rr, hardly.


I didn't take your comment seriously (entirely because you refused to pick the 'I'm offended' option.....after all the thought I put into it


I believe folks are commenting (and I'm totally okay with it) because my post contained the intimate details of my conversation with current T. Given how PC works, it was taken (and understandably, so) to implicitly mean that I was asking for feedback.


Please don't stop posting....pretty please? :insert-non-existent-hope-emoji:

I agree, rr. Sorry if I took you too seriously. Just cause I'm an idiot doesn't mean you should quit posting. Swimming's a lot harder than being a therapist imo.

Although I note that this post means AY doesn't take me seriously, since I said I was offended. Harrumph.

[awkwardlyyours]

Originally Posted by atisketatasket

Although I note that this post means AY doesn't take me seriously, since I said I was offended. Harrumph.

But, I took you seriously, precisely because you took umbrage

(I swear I got a perfect score on the TOEFL.)

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by awkwardlyyours

But, I took you seriously, precisely because you took umbrage


(I swear I got a perfect score on the TOEFL.)

But I didn't take umbrage seriously!

[junkDNA]

Originally Posted by ruh roh

I thought it was a fun thread, too, but it seems my comment was taken seriously. It's kind of not worth it to post anymore.

dont leave ruh roh!!!

My last therapist was definitely high cost. Even he admitted to being on the "high end" (his words) with fee. I pushed it lower but that still would have been too high a weekly experience very long term for chatting or what therapy is worth so I left him 'high and dry' last fall. Well, kind of, because we sometimes email for free.