Seeing a Psychologist

Seeing a Psychologist for Panic Attacks and anxiety for a few months now. I am retired Police Officer with many injuries and I am always in pain do to my injuries. It took a lot for me to seek this kind of help but the fear of these attacks are really getting to me, I was starting to get some control but it has been a hard path. When I speak to the Psychologist I do cut in a lot but I am eager to get better and excited to talk because of feeling all wrapped up with this fear, so I talk a lot do to this stress .So today without this guy knowing anything about my childhood or knowing if I was a good little boy or not. He comes out with " you know you might have ADD but at this point in your life, you made it this far it seems sense less to put you on a med for this because you take pains meds extra, ok I did not go to college, but before my injuries I was a happy person never had any trouble in school as a child or at work for anything. I can do any task with out trouble at that time in my life before my injuries .He then tells me I became a Police Officer because it was job that I could fit into because of the ADD. I never felt that I had ADD and wanted to become a Police Officer because of it. Where is he getting this, he made me feel worthless.

Hi and welcome. I'm sorry about the injuries you have had and the pain and panic attacks.

Different therapists provide different types of therapies. Some do depth work and some do other kinds of therapies.

It's always a good idea to talk to the therapist about things like this where they say something we don't agree with or don't understand. I would tell him everything you've said here when you see him next including how you feel about what he said. It's really important.

Hi JP

It sounds like you have a lot on your plate. Keep talking to this therapist you are seeing. You don't have to agree with everything he says! It was such an eye opener for me when I realized that. You know yourself best. Ask him the questions you are asking yourself, such as where he comes up with his ideas.

Best of luck.

Peace

If you didn't already, I think you need to talk to him about how his words impacted you. That's part of the whole process...learning how to communicate in the moment. I'm still not very good at it, but therapy helped immensely.

He also probably needs to better explain what he means. I think he might mean that it was the perfect job choice for a man who wanted to be a police officer, and whose skills and abilities (including those which ADD offer, like being highly intuitive & curious) suited the job so well. I don't think he meant that you had this problem, ADD, and had to hunt for a job that you could do with that deficit. In this case, ADD would make you better at your job.

Of course, I'm try to read the guy's mind....so best to ask him!

Slippers

Congratulations on trying to get help -- in spite of the stigma that this often has in our society. And I agree with the other posters: try to discuss your reactions to the T honestly with him. If he does not appreciate your honesty, it might be good to try to find another therapist.

" I don't think he meant that you had this problem, ADD, and had to hunt for a job that you could do with that deficit. In this case, ADD would make you better at your job"

He felt that I did but said why test you now. He thinks I picked that job because of it. That is what ticked me off , because I have anxious thoughts now do to my anxiety I have ADD come on.

It's a theory, is all. He's trying to fit in all of you, what you're telling him and what you are "manifesting" in his office, etc. Adult ADD is not like the kid's version. Like everyone says, I would talk to him about how the suddenness and seemingly far right field of his thinking and how that effects you, see if you all can come to an understanding of where each other are coming from.

http://psychcentral.com/addquiz.htm

http://www.adhd.com/adults/adults_add_screener2.jsp

He gave me a work sheet called "The Burns Anxiety Inventory," to fill out each day and told me to buy the book called The Felling good Hand book by Dr Burns. The work sheet I do not care for just lets me know and reminds me how bad my Anxiety and Panic attacks are. But i will try.

Did you suffer a head injury? You can research this but head injuries can be severe enough to cause symptoms that are consistent with ADD.

Check out Daniel Amen's book about the six types of ADD...he goes on and on and on about head injuries.

Your psychologist didn't know you before your injuries so he is probably feeling you out about it.

Hello & welcome. Your T said you might have ADD because you were talking fast. He's just getting to know you. Keep seeing him and getting to know each other. I talk like that also when I have a lot to say and have such little time to say it. They pick up on everything. The tone of your voice, your body language, etc.

Therapy is a very slow process. Remember it is a process. You have to walk through it. You will not heal overnight.

You may want to talk to a Pdoc about meds for the anxiety. You won't have to stay on them permanetly, but they can help you through the rough times. I also have anxiety and have not had a panic attack since I've been on meds. Panic attacks are very scary.

My job requires me to work closely with the police department. I never realized what the officers had to go through until then. I would like to tell you what respect I have for the police departments. They are not nearly paid for what they are worth. They have to be people that care about helping other people. The stuff they deal with out there I can't imagine dealing with everyday. I have a hard enough time dealing with life as it is dealt to me. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate all that you've done and thank you for risking your life to help others.

Good luck & God Bless.

Thank you for the kind words. I did had some head injuries when I us to box . What gets me is I am always in pain and I told about my pain and how it effects my thinking plus I am on pain meds.I told him how noises makes me jump and some stories about my job as a police officer and how I cannot watch medical shows on TV they upset me, he once said something about PTSD real fast when I said sounds made me jump and never went anywhere with it. So I am not going to open up with him I did take an online test for PTSD and said I should have it checked out I might have some OCD issues certain things have to be in order otherwise it bothers me.I tell him I am nervous and he looks at me clueless yet it is on the work sheet he gave me to take home as a sign for anxiety, my nervousness I feel comes more from my joint pain and spasms that I get This upsets me which could be part of the anxiety I am getting. The worksheets that he has me doing just fuels my anxitey. I have learn to live with the pain and even some of the anxiety but the Panic attacks I get are bad I ask him if he ever had one, he said no but those of you who have know what it is like . " A bad nightmare" and I would not wish them on anybody.

Well trained T's who have been in practice awhile are the ultimate observers... they pick up on everything!! It's a little creepy, IMO. Good thing I like mine.
--Insane Max