Couch 204: The Refactorable Couch

It is very likely to be ok. Prostate cancer is rarely fatal. Sometimes they don't even treat it, they just watch and wait. Still, cancer is never good news and I'm sorry to hear you have that extra thing to worry about.

Hugs @WarmFuzzySocks

Hi, WFS.
I'm pretty much new here so I don't know a lot about you, but my father has been diagnosed with cancer some months ago so I hear you there. If it's diagnosed on time, the prognosis usually is good. And having the kids to fight for, I'm sure he will fight with all that he has in order to overcome the disease.
If you wish to talk about it, you can send me a message.
I hope that it all turns for the best for you, your kids and their father.

Susannah is right. There was an article in the nytimes maybe 5 years ago that said they were WAAAAAY overtreating it.

I'm sorry to hear that Fuzzy.

Una can I have some attention please?

I hope you will be able to get a refill tomorrow, but that sounds very hard.

How are you feeling?

You didnt get my implied message earlier?

Oh I actually didn't get it. I thought you meant it was being over treated. Which is what it needs to be



I think SD is correct- we don't understand you.

My therapist copied the first chapter of a book he's been reading about complex trauma (It's Not Me). He apparently highlights passages by making little lines next to the sentences he finds important. It's kind of weird knowing that he's thinking of me when reading this stuff and marking passages and then me noticing these marked passages.

I think that's cute.

Shows that he's willing to sit and try to find out how best to help you.

Sample marked passage:
How does he see me? I feel a bit like a bug under a magnifying glass. Also, surely I'm not the only reason he's reading this book. He's indicated before and outright said recently that I have more trauma than any of the other clients he's ever seen. I have a really, really hard time believing that. In 12 years? Seriously? I keep meaning to ask him about that statement, but it feels like a really uncomfortable thing to bring up on my own.

Cross-posting from LT's thread:
Thanks for all the support! May share more later about my (not really planned) termination session with...ex-Dr. T (?). Saw M today for 90-min intake. Went well, I felt relatively comfortable with him (even shed a couple tears, which never happens in a first session with someone), he seemed to ask some good questions and was quite engaged. Gonna see him again next week, he asked if I would be willing to agree to work together for a month, because that's about how long it can take to see if it's a good fit. So I agreed to try that, but told him still seeing K tomorrow to process ex-Dr. T stuff (it was really too late to cancel on her...). He was OK with that, I said was to help process some of that so I don't bring it all in there. Was making sure at end he's OK working with me, too, because we covered a lot of different stuff today. He is. He's also still under supervision, which honestly, is probably a good thing (he's not that young, he taught high school art before going back to school to be T). And he doesn't really like using email (which actually sort of relieved me--he's saving me from myself!), but OK with phone at times. And what did he say when I left? "Take care." Stupid ex-Dr. T... (No handshake, but I'll ask him if he's open to that in future. And he stood and walked me into the hall. Though I still managed to wander into the kitchen in my attempt to find my way out of the office...

The table next to me had pens, tissues, his card, some tree thing that looked like a temporary tattoo, fidget toys, and...mints. Guess trying to be prepared for any situation? The table by him had what appeared to be some sort of squishy zombie figures.

Hugs, WFS...they can be really slow-growing at times. I hope it's at an early stage.

My understanding is that they are overtreating it (surgery and radiation) because they are finding it more thru bloodtests. That may be just in the USA. My knowledge is usually correct in this area

Anecdotally, my ex-FIL had it twice and as far as I know, he's still kicking. I'm sorry you have new stuff to pile on your plate.

PSA!!!

My grandfather had it too and recovered fully.

I called my insurance and got a list of MD's and PDOC's that are currently accepting new patients and who specialize in depression. I'm just not sure if I should call yet, or wait to see if the business is going to be sold, or if it is if they are going to get a new PDOC. On the other hand, I don't want to be without a PDOC. This is all very stressful.

Psa about psa!

Personally I think it would be best to get the ball rolling as soon as you can rather than waiting especially as you've been struggling so much already.

This is stressful. I don't like it.

Your more than just being a trauma case.
Could you email him saying what you've typed here.

Well, somebody likely has to have that dubious honor. And why not you?

I don't find it hard to believe he might have chosen a book hoping it would help him help you. C's longtime therapist went and got trained in neurofeedback, invested in the whole setup with computers and everything, hoping to help her (because C just couldn't seem to tolerate any sort of talking about trauma). I do think they sometimes do that. Is it just for you? Well, it might be yes and no. C's longtime therapist always said she had learned so much about how to help other people from working with her. So you might be his primary concern when he undertakes something like reading a book, but I expect he hopes that the knowledge he gains will be something he can add to what he can offer other figurative people who might end up needing it, too.

Well, I'm seeing him 4 times this week because trauma, I guess. Maybe I'll bring this up today. I really wonder what his other clients come to see him about when he says stuff like this. I wasn't abused as a child, other than one instance of SA by a neighbor that was mostly my fault. He thinks my parents didn't provide what I needed emotionally, which he calls non-recognition trauma. My parents were doing the best they could.