Embarrasing !

Hi all . I wondered if anyone can relate . I have been having therapy for a few weeks and have noticed that if the therapist says something that makes me a little uneasy i respond like a child of 6 !! Im 46 !!! I dont intentionally do it and to start with im unaware until maybe after the session on reflection i realise my response was child like . For example when asked if i had spoken to a doctor about my self harm , i responded very quickly and abruptly with " NO I dont like doctors" Now this has happened a few times and i cant stop it i have no control 😔. How can i control it anyone ???

I tend to giggle when she asks intense questions. I think it’s a defense mechanism.
I’ve been with the same T for almost 7 years and I still giggle sometimes. But I think the way around it is acknowledging it and giving it time, and talking about it.

Sounds like a good thing to bring up and discuss. What is putting you back into that child like behaviour?

Good luck.

It's a wonder that I can drive home from some of my appointments, given how far I regress during and after some appointments.

Please give yourself a break and understand that this may be part of the process and it won't always be this bad. I don't think the point is to try to control it, though.

Good luck to you!

I see nothing wrong with saying you don't go to mds because you don't like them

I can definitely relate

I think it's probably because your defenses are down. I think sometimes we get pretty vulnerable. I'd try not to feel embarrassed about it. That's partly what therapy is for...honest reactions, not filtered through a whole lot of consciousness. Also, I'd have to be really bad off to go to a doctor for SH. I don't like them either.

I don't see this type of reactions as abnormal necessarily. If you actively dislike doctors for whatever reason, there is nothing abnormal in saying out loud, even if you may sound emotional. Having emotional reaction to certain things is not necessarily childish if your emotions have a basis. Being an adult doesn't mean you are supposed to shut off your emotions. You just know how to manage them better. Of course, I don't know all you say in sessions but if this is the kind of stuff you mentioned in your post, I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But if your reactions bother you, talk about it with your therapist.

Do you feel child like when you first walk into his office? Do not feel like an equal to him to begin with? If not well then you are going to respond the way you feel.

I never feel like my best adult self when I walk into therapy. I resort immediately to a younger child like state.

I don’t like doctors in this forest either

Ugh, I've noticed this, too. At first, I thought maybe it had to do with one of my diagnoses, but I think that less and less. I personally find myself pouting and sticking out my lip sometimes. Not even kidding. I shudder to think what I must look like.

I do the same thing! Except I become a teenager with attitude. I can be so rude and will talk back, and though it feels completely natural in the moment, I’m always surprised when I reflect on it later. I would have been in so much trouble if I spoke to my parents the way I speak to my t, and as alarming as it can be as a full grown adult, I have to admit it does feel satisfying.