Wierd Things Shrinks Say!

[FleeingFox]

I have been treated with total disrespect, rudeness, been called a liar to my face (about things I wasn't lying about), been challenged, provoked and constantly disputed over the facts of my childhood.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Been there Real, even though an old therapist had not bothered to look into my social services file he tried telling me that my trauma issues were figments of my imagination. He was such an arse, even after being pushed into seeing my social services file and seeing for himself that he was 'very' wrong, he still refused to apologise for his behaviour.

Can't say as I've ever heard of a good therapist, but then I haven't heard of everyone in the world, odd that the percentage of those helped by therapy is so low!

[Wisdom]

After I threw the statue at my pdoc's head he calmly asked me to sit down. He then said "you seem to be a little upset today. What's happening right now?"

At that point i was very capable of twisting his head off like a chicken, I didn't. I was good. I sat down nicely.

Wiz

[realscape]

Sorry to hear you've had shit experiences too Fox. So where ARE all the people who've been helped by therapy? I don't know any. All my friends who've had counselling, therapy whatever, all say the same things. Its more than co-incidence.

Wiz that's interesting to know. I've always wondered what they actually do. I have this idea that they call the straightjacket team and have you carted off to a padded room where you get injected with wierd shit and don't wake up for three months. Been watching too many movies! :blink:

[realscape]

I thought of some more:

1) Psychiatrist: "I think that you think there is one word I can say that will mean you can't leave this room". NO clue what she meant? Ideas on a postcard to realscape please.

2) Counsellor: "Your story is very sad, but I've heard a lot worse". Said in very superior and dismissive way. Didn't realise it was a sad story competition...

3) Therapist, after I told her I was upset that my GP shouted at me one day: "I think you'll find it was your anger at yourself". Er, no, it was GPs anger at me.... Found out from several other local people that our demented GP frequently verbally abuses people, so now I feel totally vindicated on that one.

[Lauren]

Nooooooooooo,

ANGER is good apparently.

As long as it is not directed in there direction......

[Vicky]

Yeah I keep beong told to "express my anger". So presumably then I shouldn't fight the impulses to push her through the 2nd storey window? (I won't btw!) But I don't think that would be considered healthy!

[Lauren]

yea,

feckers there addicted to this verbal expession shit.

[Vicky]

Yeah "how did you feel when (blank) happened?" How do you think? Fcking brain of britain..... NOT!!!

[Lauren]

Well you know,my first,instant reaction was to think about how my rage was so obviously connected to some huge past trigger in my past (prehaps my pet Gerbil dying when I was 6?).Then of course on realising this I felt such a huge amount of shame for breing so angry that I went up to the person,hugged them and forgave them for forgivness.

[Vicky]

LOL well I jokingly asked Kyle if, next time my cpn asked what I was going to do after the session to make myself feel better, I should say "I'm gonna walk under a bus". He suggested that instead I should say "I'm going to go and find myself a new cpn"

[realscape]

Well, I must say guys I have been VERY expressive of my anger in some sessions. At which point they look a bit worried and usually say "you sound angry". The good thing of walking out on so many is that now I can compare how they all behave and they all say the same. "You sound angry" is the bog standard phrase. No shit, Sherlock. But the thing is, if I say, "well I am angry", they haven't got a reply for that, just kind of malfunction. So how is that moving me forward? I was getting impression that anger is BAD. I can do verbal expression! Joy!

Have had violent impulses towards one. Kept having urge to smash her window or throw plantpot at her head. Not really sure why. They tread on dangerous ground because what the hell are they going to do if you act on it? I reckon a good percentage must have been hospitalised by clients! Or maybe they're all kung fu masters or carry secret stun guns or something...

The other common thing is sitting there silently staring at you, not saying anything. Apparently, this is to encourage you to feel like saying whatever you feel like saying. Have had this convo with three so far. Can someone tell me PLEASE, how is a medical professional that you've never met before, who you happen to know is trying to psychoanalyse you, staring intently and silently at you going to make you feel free to say anything you want? Unless you're doollally psychotic euphoric or something. Maybe I've just answered me own question.

[cornishdeva]

I've a good one.

I went to talk as a service user to new staff joining cornwall partnership trust (mental health)

I spoke to about 30 of them for about 20 mins, telling them a bit about me and my experiences. I have seen both sides of the locked door, firstly as a student nurse in MH and then as a patient, so i do know how 'they' see us. I never went OTT with anything i said it was all matter of fact, TRUE and concise. I didn't belittle staff or patients. At the end in the questions bit someone asked me this 'do you know the amount of stress people like you put on staff?'

I felt like decking her.

What i should have said is this 'without stressful patients like me people like you wouldn't have a job'

Where do they get them from?

[The Lost Soul]

I never thought I would be seeing a shrink - he wants me to go see a psychoanalyst - I might have to go myself - coz the shrink wants me to see them nearer the end of my treatment and I am sure the meds I amon are not working very well.

Anyway, I have a line I have had for decades almost, that I have always wanted to use...

Psychiatrist: What do you think?

me: I think I should ask a question

Pyschiatrist: Whats that?

me: What do YOU think?

I wonder if I will ever get that chance and if I will have a wry smile or burst out laughing should this ever occur.

[MrsDerelictContent]

GP said to my *suicidal* self- "No-one ever died from not sleeping" -yeah but alot of people died by suicide didn't they?! Stupid cow!

Police Officer & psychiatrist both asked when I was doing on the wrong side of a bridge- well, I liked the view? :blink:

[~ Mandy ~]

Half way through a really serious conversation about self-harm:

Therapist: "Hang on a second...is that your natural hair colour?"

Then for the rest of the session every couple of minutes she interrupted herself and ask a question about it, like what type of dye I used etc .

Randomly again:

Therapist: Have you heard of dry conditioner?

Me: Er...no...can we get back to me now please?

My old psychiatrist:

"You're young now, it doesn't matter if you decide against social work, I've only just qualified and there were loads of older people on my course that had done other things first. One is nearly 40 and used to be a FIREMAN can you believe it?!"

Me: Er...yea...ha ha...that's hilarious...

Another old psychiatrist (discussing my dissertation on women in religion)

(while leaning forwards and looking really interested)

"Tell me what you've found out so far, this is really interesting to me, what have you researched blah blah blah."

Me: Well, I haven't really done anything yet.

Then there's the classic, when you're lying in hospital attatched to a drip:

Doctors/Nurses/psych people: Why did you take xx tablets?

Me: Why the h*** do you think?

Therapist: I like to know I've got choices. I remember when I was about five months pregnant and realised that I'd have to give birth whether the baby died in the womb or not...it was shocking.

Me *thinking*: Well what the h*** did you think was going to happen?

[~ Mandy ~]

Oh and another one...

I have no idea how we got onto the subject but my therapist spent ten minutes telling a story about when she took her dog roller blading. Now, that was actually funny. .

And apparently she once killed a guide dog...

Yea, I can see why people think she's strange...

[realscape]

I am loving reading these responses guys, even if I haven't posted back.

Mandy, I think your therapist needs more help than you!

Derelict that sounds a typical failure illustrated by other of the posts - how do they hope to build dialogue with these type of comments?

Lost, I think when you start asking them what they think and what they mean, you're on the right track!

It is fully what I intend to do with my next one.

Cornish, thats a horrible thing to happen, I cannot imagine where they get them from but I could make a few unpolite guesses!

Vicky, I think Kyle gave you a CBT session without realising - he moved you off a self defeating response into a more powerful one, wow!

[angelkarmachic]

Good to know it's not just me that's never found a decent therapist, they're not working for the NHS that's certain.

I have no faith in therapy based on my previous encounters with it. EVERYTHING said by any of the many I have seen has seemed utterly ridiculous to me.

I would spend the time between each session dreading the next. I would wonder what the fuck I was going to talk about because I sure as hell wasn't telling some stranger the shit I could barely tell myself. I would half jokingly consider throwing myself down some stairs on the day of my therapy in the hope of a broken bone and a good reason not to go. Often, I just wouldn't go.

I would go into a room, with a stranger and I would analyse everything they said, everything they did, each shift in a chair or raise of an eyebrow. I would look for their weaknesses, any weaknesses. I would stare silently at the ones who stared silently at me and I would ask about the lives of the ones who talked.

Everytime I left the office of a therapist I wondered how the fuck these people could sleep at night. I wondered if they believed that they mattered, that their silent stares were worthy of their over inflated salaries. I would wonder if they remembered my name from one day to the next or if I was simply their two o'clock.

I hoped with each new therapist that something would happen, something, anything that would allow me to accept that maybe this time, this one particular therapist, would be an intuitive, perceptive human being rather than a profession of text books without feeling and disorders without understanding.

I never found that one good therapist. I decided if I couldn't fix myself it was a part of me that simply wouldn't ever be fixed. I have dealt with and made improvements with my BPD from the day I told therapists exactly where they could stick their own heads into their own bodies and leave it there for the love of humanity.

Some days I just decide there isn't anything wrong with me, bet a shrink wouldn't have cured me by denial like I can!! Sometimes even two days in a row!

Karma.

x

[realscape]

Angelkarmachic

Totally relate to where you're at, the way you express it, I could'v written it myself. The fact is, qualified people with good skills are not in the NHS. I mean, why would they be? They can be working with Slebs in retreats in Arizona or writing books or in private consultancy. I mean, you'd have to be mad to eschew all that in favour of hanging around dodgily painted offices with no windows in a mouldy victorian underfunded inner city hospital.

Recently I went to see NHS Cons Psychotherapist and told her I don't think I believe in 1:1 therapy anymore. She said 'can you not see the paradox in what you've just said' which wasted the whole session in semantics and banter. Since I was going to see her to be asked to be referred to a group, then I STILL don't see the paradox, but it certainly filled a whole session talking about something that didn't move me forward.

[angelkarmachic]

I wish I was still in America, the people there are so wacky and they believe in therapy, its kind of therapy utopia there.

Maybe.

Not that they really sound much better than ours but the Americans seem better at believing in the affirmation generation of therapy. You know, 'profound' shit to tell yourself.

Karma.

x

[lostsoul]

i'm feeling really angry about this thread. it's like nobody is able to see both sides of therapy. yeah, people don't always get better in therapy, but many do find it extremely beneficial. me for one.

why are you all villainising therapists? if they didn't exist you'd probably moan about that too.

*confused*

x

[cornishdeva]

lostsoul,

I agree there is a bit of a therapist-bashing going on...

I know that when I was in DBT my individual therapist was great, better than that even, and a couple of my old cpn's were ace too, but unfortunately when someone says something really wacky to you, you tend to remember it, and sometimes this colours the 'better' interactions.

If I'm honest, if it hadn't been for those really involved in my care i wouldn't be here today, but that doesn't account for the not so thoughtful comments I've heard in my time as a service user.

An idea for you (not being sarky-honest) if you feel strongly why not start a new thread with POSITIVE experiences. I bet you'll be inundated.

Best wishes

Cornishdeva

[realscape]

Hey Lost

I am very happy you feel that way because it means there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel for all of us. I just started this thread because I needed to vent about how wierd and wonderful the people who were supposed to be helping me were. I never met a single therapist who wasn't totally insane in their own right (apart from one, but she left because she was pregnant) and I just wanted to vent and give other people the room to do so. When you invest a bit of hope in seeing a therapist and then it turns into something incomprehensible or confusing or abusive or hopeless its a very lonely place because you automatically assume its your own fault. It was only through talking to a lot of my friends who've had therapy that I realised I wasn't alone. Not one single of them could tell me a positive story but there must be room for all experiences and opinions to the contrary.

I think it would be a great idea to start a thread to give hope about therapy, or maybe that is already in the 'recovery' section? But I still think people need space to discuss the problems, and maybe it would be better if we did try to keep it a bit humourous rather than hopeless.

[Lillymay]

Are the psychiatrists/therapists here on site much help.havent seen any online since I joined.is there a day in month when we can chat to them?Is it a free advice service or chargeable?

[drew]

once a doc at the hosp told me to grow my hair and get a boyfriend and i would be fine i was so gobsmacked i couldnt even tell him i was gay