Posted by kiddo on February 15, 2002, at 14:25:35
In reply to grraaaaarrrh, posted by m3 on February 15, 2002, at 0:59:55
Hiya-
I'm kiddo, pleased to 'meet' you...
I've been seeing my pdoc (psychiatrist) for 6 years, and I've been where you are many times.
For me, I've reached this point at several different times during therapy, and I'm sure I will again. There are reasons for it (for me), I'll list the ones I've dealt with in the past, and maybe it will spark something with you.
1.) Either my current challenges have become 'easy', and the level needs to be raised.2.) I'm depressed, and feel therapy isn't working (which it has, I've made major improvements since the beginning) and need to reflect on those accomplishments, be reassured that I'm not wasting my time, and a lot of money.
3.) The meds I'm on aren't working as they should and adjustments need to be made.
4.) I'm dealing with issues that need to be addressed either in my home life or therapy. (Sometimes it takes a lot of 'reflecting' to figure out which)
5.) Something my pdoc has said, done, etc., has triggered something from my past and I need to deal with that.
6.) I am ticked off at my pdoc for some reason.
My pdoc has, on several occasions, tried to get me to react (most of the times successfully) if I'm in that frame of mind.
Do you think she knows you well? She may have been trying to get you to react/respond because anger is a great motivator (at least for me). Anger will do a lot more than depression, and if you are angry-with her, or whatever, you seem to forget about the depression-at least for the moment....
I think you need to let her know exactly how you feel about feeling manipulated, disrespected, and betrayed. That's important, in my opinion.
I'm not sure I can answer that for you; regarding whether or not you should accept that or not. However, you shouldn't just accept feeling the way you said....
I'm pretty blunt with my pdoc and if I feel that way, he'll know pretty quick, and we talk about it.
I'd write down the questions you asked the group, and ask her as well. You have every right to ask any questions regarding your treatment, and she shouldn't have any trouble answering her motives for her line of questioning...maybe she thinks you do have problems with therapy being ineffective at the moment, and had no ulterior motive in asking..
I know that probably didn't help much, but I hope so...
I'm sure someone else on the board will be able to add a lot more insight...
Good luck-
Kiddo
> I have a question for other people in talk therapy (guessing there are at least a few on this board). I just went for one of my fifty-minute hours, and my shrink and I were talking about how restless I felt and how I was tired of being depressed and tired of being in therapy (background: I've been seeing her for about 11 mos, we generally get along pretty well).
>
> Toward the end of the session she took up the theme of whether I was angry with her because the treatment has been ineffective (this has come up before). I told her that I didn't directly feel that way, though it might be causing some of my restlessness. We continued to discuss it, and she again asked if I was annoyed with her. I got the idea she wanted me to be annoyed with her. She kept pushing me in that direction. I finally became annoyed because I felt manipulated. I accused her of manipulating me, and she didn't exactly respond.
>
> Nobody likes feeling manipulated, and I accept that it sometimes happens in therapy, but I really feel disrespected and betrayed right now.
>
> So my question for the community of the being-shrunk is, is this fair? Am I supposed to play along and try to accept that she has the right to do things like this? Has this ever happened to you? What gives?
poster:kiddo
thread:18297
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020214/msgs/18332.html