Has going to therapy negatively impacted the way you see yourself?

[DP_2017]

Nope, it's actually the only part of my life that I feel like I matter and I am worth something...

I'm slowly starting to accept myself. Even the parts I thought I'd never accept. It's a slow process, tough but worthwhile for me.

[stopdog]

Therapy had no bearing on how I viewed myself, but I did not hire one of those guys in order to change how I viewed myself.

[ruh roh]

Yes. It had been working really well and I was doing things that shocked myself and others, and it felt great. Now...I don't know what's going on with me. I have no idea if it's to do with therapy or just my wonky brain.

[AllHeart]

With ex-t:
It has made me feel worse about myself

After a while with current t, I recovered enough and:
I feel the same about myself

Now, after more time with current t:
It has improved the way I see myself

first t, made me feel much worse.
this t, makes me feel so much better.

[LostOnTheTrail]

Overall, this round has improved/is improving the way I feel about myself. What is going on at the moment is just a case of unbelievably bad timing. (R has a family crisis which has taken her ten hours away indefinitely, and I have a trauma anniversary tomorrow....bravo, Universe, bravo!)

[zoiecat]

Although I am not good now I was definitely not good before therapy either. I have my ups and downs but therapy has helped me understand what is wrong with me and why I guess and that way it kind of makes me feel better about myself because my therapist constantly validates why am the way I am. On the other hand I am now feeling emotions that I've never felt my entire life and this is very painful so in that way it makes me feel worse but my therapist said this means I'm making progress so I hope eventually things will start improving in that aspect.

[stopdog]

Therapy did help me see therapists and therapy itself as fairly defective

Originally Posted by stopdog

Therapy did help me see therapists and therapy itself as fairly defective

LOL.... funny

[maybeblue]

I think overall there has been a net positive impact on my self-esteem. But I do think there is a serious risk with the wrong therapist at the wrong time to make it worse. I became the most suicidal I have ever been when I was working with a therapist who was not good for me. That's been more than 15 years ago now though, and looking back I think I learned a lot from her...mostly what I *don't* want in a therapist, and that I am strong enough to fire them if they are wrong for me.

Originally Posted by maybeblue

I think overall there has been a net positive impact on my self-esteem. But I do think there is a serious risk with the wrong therapist at the wrong time to make it worse. I became the most suicidal I have ever been when I was working with a therapist who was not good for me. That's been more than 15 years ago now though, and looking back I think I learned a lot from her...mostly what I *don't* want in a therapist, and that I am strong enough to fire them if they are wrong for me.

How was she wrong for you? just curious

[maybeblue]

Originally Posted by Coming up tails

How was she wrong for you? just curious

She talked way too much about herself in therapy sessions. She also really pushed me to root around in my past and come up with "trauma," when what I really needed at the time were some skills to be more assertive and to be more able to regulate my emotions. I needed to deal more with the here and now because I was in crisis and afraid I was going to lose my job because of the depression. I didn't need her to keep pushing me to disclose sexual abuse, which is what she really wanted.

Ironically though she might have helped my self-esteem by being so completely nuts that I had to stand up to her or go completely crazy myself. And I realized that I really do have the capability to stand up to people in authority if it is necessary.

Since then I have had therapists who were better at giving me what I needed at the time, and I have become much better at asking for what I need. It's much better when we are on the same page. I don't entirely blame her. I expect I was a very difficult client. But at the same time I wouldn't go back to her if she is even still around.

[Trace14]

Originally Posted by stopdog

Therapy did help me see therapists and therapy itself as fairly defective

Agree with that, so disappointing.

[Glittering]

The jury is still out on this for me. Sometimes I think it makes me feel worse about myself because I realise just how much work there is to do and how broken I am, and I find it hard to not get caught in it being my fault I'm like this. Other times I feel like slowly, slowly, she is getting through to me that maybe it's not all my fault...but I think it's going to be a loooooong process.

[missbella]

Therapy was about how defective I was so it could hypothetically “fix” me. The one time I requested a break from talking about my flaws the therapist was mocking and furious.

[alpacalicious]

I saw 2 therapists in the past and I always felt the same about myself. I have to say that with the first T I got better for a while (months) and I had a bit more of self esteem but didn't last longer. With my second T nothing changed. I feel the same about myself. It was a weird experience but I feel the same (like i was suicidal even before, I'm suicidal now, nothing changed at all). They didnt help me that much tho.