Couch 222: Create, Cooperate, Harmonize

Honestly, that'd really piss me off. It's once thing if there's a family emergency or whatever, but this is not that. Especially since school is what's taking him away form you.

I guess I'm okay with it because I'd rather have him be mentally present when we do meet and he told me that he was so tired he didn't think he could be fully present. But it still sucks. And I probably suck because a small part of me wishes he'd fail all his finals and stay and continue being my therapist.

Xanax and Christmas Music seem to be helping me with my feelings of being overwhelmed and oversensitive to stimuli. I texted a couple of friends also and one replied to me and that made me feel good. Trying to remember what my boss says, "This too shall pass." Hopefully tomorrow is a good day.

OK, weird question time. How can you tell when you are projecting something onto your T?


I got the sense that R may have been a bit frustrated today, but I am not sure if it was just me.

I agree with the others saying that's crappy of him. Especially considering you have limited time left together. I'm sorry....

Do you tend to project onto other people a lot? If yes, maybe you are projecting.

Well, my T tends to call me on it if he thinks I may be projecting (whether on him or someone else). It has helped me become better at realizing when I'm doing it with people.

If you have the feeling, maybe bring it up with her? Check in, see if she felt frustrated. If not, likely projecting. Though even if she did feel a bit frustrated, there could still be projection involved (if she's good at hiding it, say).

I wore blue mascara a few times in middle school, which I guess was the very early '90s. My boyfriend at the time joked that I'd get "blue eye boogers."

I believe a bidet is on her current list of requests. She is also creating a list of grievances in PowerPoint form. Her biggest being, I believe, that she does not yet have a name. Plus, the injustice and humiliation she suffered at the vet today, particularly when my vet referred to her as "whatchamacallit."

As for a previous owner, she was a stray at 2 months & had been at the shelter for the last 3.5 months with her siblings (also a grievance, I am sure).

Ooh, like stopdog made in a power point for her therapist?

I like the name Whatchamacallit. It’s a candy bar! “Whatsis” for short.

Probably a few weeks to months.

YUM. Youngest son is peanut allergic, so we had sunflower butter around for years until the boys switched to ham sandwiches instead of nut butter.

Exactly. I am pretty sure she has been reading this forum.

Now I want a candy bar. I have definitely heard worse (because I have been responsible for it). My calico had such a terrible name that her internal med. vet said, "Such a beautiful cat deserves a much nicer name." Ha. I actually tried, but her nickname stuck instead.

It can’t be worse than Baby Yoda’s real name...can it?

Does anyone remember PB Maxx candy bars from the 90's? I wish they still made those.

Zaggnut.

I have no idea what Zagnuts were, but remember the patient in "ER" who was addicted to candy and they were his favorite.

Kitten with the litter issues--it may be that the litter is deeper than she wants. I imagine a kitten could feel unsafe in deep litter.

About masks: I don't think it's just about selfishness or not caring (though there is that, too). There's a deep aversion to mask wearing in US culture because at times in history, wearing one was prohibited. It was even against the law and was associated with criminal activity. This was especially enforced against non-white people. That's why during the 1918 pandemic there was such a huge public campaign and incentives, like reduced price theater tickets (yeah--should people have been encouraged to go to a theater in a pandemic???) for mask wearers. Think about all the cartoons where the bad guy is masked. Even raccoons are called "bandits."

Went to bed at 5pm (even though I had fellowship class from 5 - 9) so now I'm wide awake. Session at 7am. Date at 8pm.

I need help to decide if I will turn up to my normal therapy session in 3 hours or just to leave without a follow up session at all.

I sent my T an email asking if I could have an extra session on monday as my anxiety was bad. I sent a follow up email telling him I was in a crisis on Wednesday. No replies to either.

The last time I was in crisis he told me that he was not my mother. He couldn't hand me a blanket or wipe my nose.That I needed to learn how to cope. He did previously reply to emails but for the past four weeks has implemented a complete no response mantra.

I'm angry at him and would rather spend £44.50 on chocolate.

Where are you going to go for your date?

I can picture you in a burger bar.

We’re going to a tiki bar/barbecue place just down the street. It sounds sort of kitschy but the food is amaaazing.

Honestly, Lemon, it sounds like you might be better served by a different T, someone who has expertise in trauma and won’t engage in these push-pull dynamics with you.

(I am fully aware, though, that y’all say the same kinds of things to me about my T, and that it can be really hard to leave a therapist that you’re attached to.)

I think my anti psychotic (sulpiride) is a factor in my borderline high ldl cholesterol and triglycerides.

My last test a couple of years ago showed similar readings as my results yesterday although I now cook 95% of the time opposed to having to eat out everyday because I couldn't cook.

What's new is elevated inflammation markers. :/

Hope you can discuss this with your psychiatrist if you need your medication altered.