[stopdog]

Have you ever had what you considered to be a breakthrough in therapy?

[piggy momma]

Yes. Several times.

[ElectricManatee]

Yeah, a few times I have learned/realized in an instant that something in my life wasn't at all the way I thought it was. One example was when I realized that it wasn't okay that my alcoholic parent used to routinely drive drunk with me in the car. Other adults (including my other parent) knew it was happening and didn't stop it, so I figured it was fine, even though my gut told me otherwise as a kid. I was trying to explain to my T one day that I know it's appalling to drive drunk, much more so with child(ren) in the car, but that it was fine when it happened to me. Then I saw her reaction to my explanation, and I was like, "Oh..."

[ArtleyWilkins]

Many times, which is why I was finally able to work my way out of therapy. For me, those breakthroughs were points when I internalized something we had been addressing/working on and reached a place of independently being able to continue the work on my own without the need for as much therapy support. Those moments eventually added up to a place where I really found the stability and ability to function that I was looking for.

[Echos Myron redux]

I've had some really important breakthrough moments. Sometimes really clear and sudden realisations that have changed my perceptions, sometimes without me noticing, my feelings have changed.

[LostOnTheTrail]

I have had a few, with different therapists. Eight weeks ago today, I cried in front of my counsellor for the first time. Neither of us ever thought that would happen. Last week, I realised that I like the person I am when I am at work.

[MoxieDoxie]

Originally Posted by LostOnTheTrail

I have had a few, with different therapists. Eight weeks ago today, I cried in front of my counsellor for the first time. Neither of us ever thought that would happen. Last week, I realised that I like the person I am when I am at work.

Been over a year and have not cried in front of my therapist. I think it is because I just go numb when I feel intense emotions. I look indifferent even when I should be crying. One time he tried to prompt me to cry because I looked tearied and I scolded him that I knew had to cry and did not need his help. There has been enough crying in my life and I do not need to do it here.

[atisketatasket]

Oh, my stars and garters, no. I’ve gotten motivation and encouragement, not breakthroughs.

No breakthrough moments for me. Maybe a very dim light bulb moment but breakthrough? Nah...never.

[downandlonely]

I have never found therapy very helpful. I think it's because my depression is genetic rather than environmental. My childhood was not perfect (no one's is), but I didn't experience the kind of trauma that would cause depression.

Mental illness is very prevalent in my family, so I'm pretty sure the cause is genetic. I can treat it with medication, but therapy doesn't really do anything.

[toomanycats]

Yes. One of my biggest was when I was talking about my brother's anorexia and my dad. I suddenly found myself saying "my dad is SO PROUD when my anorexic brother eats," and I realized how excruciatingly painful that was for me -- when I'd spent so many years with him and my ex stepmom telling me NOT to eat. I realized how badly I wanted my dad to WANT me to eat. It's one of the few times I started crying...couldn't stop it from happening.

[MobiusPsyche]

No breakthrough moment if by that you mean a sudden epiphany. My feelings and attitudes have definitely changed but I don't realize it until the next time a similar situation arises and I handle it completely differently to how I used to handle it. Then I realize that things have changed but I've never had an "A-ha!" my in therapy. I'm still happy with therapy and feel I'm making good progress and it's worth the effort and expense.

I had a few big ones, and a few not-so-big ones.

[kaleidoscopeheart]

Absolutely. Some bigger than others. Most recently, it was how I have compassion and empathy for other people but until now I was unable to accept that I also deserved compassion.... It has been a HUGE step for me to just accept that I was worth that and to be able to show myself compassion, especially when I screw something up.

Absolutely is my answer too, but I wouldn't say too often though. Rarely do I see things so astonishingly different that my world view will change. In talk therapy, and other therapies I am able to learn more how others view the world and I think the "A-ha moments" are when we are successful able to apply those considerations to our daily lives.

[WarmFuzzySocks]

If you call the therapist having to point out the glaringly obvious and me finally wrapping my head around it a breakthrough.

I must be feeling grumpy and bitter today. (About the "glaringly obvious," not about the therapist. All in all, she's done a good job.)

[fouracres]

I’ve only been in therapy for a few months, but I think I recently had my first breakthrough. In some ways it feels like such a small thing and part of me tries to minimize my progress, and then another part of me is really proud of me for working through something kind of messy and coming out with new realizations/information about myself. I’m trying to focus on the good, so I’ll claim my breakthrough. :-)

[ElectricManatee]

Originally Posted by WarmFuzzySocks

If you call the therapist having to point out the glaringly obvious and me finally wrapping my head around it a breakthrough.

This is the fascinating thing about having a spouse in therapy: I will share some insight in response to hearing about a problem in her life, and she will kind of vaguely nod. The next day, her therapist will tell her the exact same thing, and she will come home eager to tell me all about the great new insight she gleaned in session.

So what I'm saying is that you're not the only person who needs a therapist to point out the glaringly obvious. Maybe their insights are worth more because we have to pay for them...

[velcro003]

i think i've had exactly one. it wasn't in therapy per se, but it was in a group at an inpatient stay...so therapy-esque. i was resistant pretty much the entire time on how any of this stuff is supposed to help me, and it all seemed like a lot of work, which pissed me off more.

suddenly, i interrupted group and said "i think what makes me angry is that we are supposed to now work so much harder than if we had just gotten our needs met in the first place."

this is HUGE for me as i like to live in a land of denial about any wrongdoing in my childhood. 6 months later and i still find it hard to believe i uttered that, and have a harder time believing my own words.

[Salmon77]

I have had insights, though not a big "breakthrough," and often they come when after a session when I'm thinking it over, so they're more because of therapy than literally in therapy.

[susannahsays]

I put other, because while I think I know what a breakthrough is, I remain suspicious of my "breakthroughs." I also feel unsure if they happened suddenly, which is what I think of when I think of a breakthrough. Thinking about this, my mind becomes all muddled and confused. I don't know what that says.

[DP_2017]

Yes. A few stand out and normally I don't share details but talking about T helps right now.

1-- the hug thing. Being absolutely scared and ashamed of hugging someone, and getting to over 100 hugs with him and not having a care in the world about it, I actually miss it so much.

2-- When we were on a walk one day and I was saying how I didn't think I'd ever be assertive, I'm just too weak and nice. He said "Well you are assertive with me now" I didn't even realize it but when he shared examples, I was able to see it and I just got more and more, it helped the relationship grow in many ways

3--I didn't realize this one in time to share with him but I have never been able to cry in front of someone since I was a small child. It took me 6 months to cry with him. Then after that, I couldn't help it and it came out intensely the last few sessions. With the T yesterday, I cried almost instantly... for the first time in my life, with a complete stranger and I didn't even apologize.

A lot of people don't like my T because he "Crossed boundaries" and all that, but honestly he helped me more than most realize. I'm not messed up because of that, I just ****ing miss him and it's insanely hard somedays

[Waterloo12345]

Originally Posted by DP_2017

Yes. A few stand out and normally I don't share details but talking about T helps right now.

1-- the hug thing. Being absolutely scared and ashamed of hugging someone, and getting to over 100 hugs with him and not having a care in the world about it, I actually miss it so much.

2-- When we were on a walk one day and I was saying how I didn't think I'd ever be assertive, I'm just too weak and nice. He said "Well you are assertive with me now" I didn't even realize it but when he shared examples, I was able to see it and I just got more and more, it helped the relationship grow in many ways

3--I didn't realize this one in time to share with him but I have never been able to cry in front of someone since I was a small child. It took me 6 months to cry with him. Then after that, I couldn't help it and it came out intensely the last few sessions. With the T yesterday, I cried almost instantly... for the first time in my life, with a complete stranger and I didn't even apologize.

A lot of people don't like my T because he "Crossed boundaries" and all that, but honestly he helped me more than most realize. I'm not messed up because of that, I just ****ing miss him and it's insanely hard somedays

You're assertive on here so it's working well

[piggy momma]

I shared this one with my T recently...

I noticed that I say "I don't know" to a lot of his questions. I was thinking about it one day because I noticed more and more when I responded that way he responded with "yes you do". I realized that I was trying to make HIM do the work for me, so I could just sit back and enjoy the ride, so to speak.

After that realization I promised him that I wouldn't say "I don't know" unless I truly, 100% did not know, and then we'd try and figure it out together.

[Lemoncake]

Possible trigger:

1.That I wasn't bad as a child.
2. The panic attacks and anxiety I blamed myself for before the age of 9 wasn't my fault- but it was a reponse to the domestic violence I witnessed.
3.I was in denial about my father's emotional abuse.
4. being told to undress and touched as a child by someone of the same gender is still sexual abuse.
5.That I had value.