I don't think my therapist "gets" anxiety

[claireypoo]

Hi
I have been seeing a psychoanalyst for 3 sessions and I don't think she gets anxiety.

I have been reading Claire Weekes and I thought all therapists for anxiety were like her but mine doesn't seem to understand that the feelings are real and caused by adrenaline from stress - mine seems to think I imagine symptoms up.

Today she said that my anxiety is me inventing health problems to compete with my sick child and this rivallry was common in all parents to an extent?

I think she asked this because I told her that when I took my daughter to the docs today I was dying (but didn't) to ask about my jaw pain cos I was so scared it was my heart. I really don't think it was rivalry - i was just plain scared.

Has anyone got any advice?
Thanks
Claire

[clickaway]

Claire,

I have been seeing my psychoanalyst for somewhile now, and am able to accept most of what he says.

I accept that my physical symptoms are a direct response to my thinking. For example, I will be sitting in one of my sessions and we may discuss a topic that I *think* I am comfortable with, but I suddenly start to shake as deep in my concious it is uncomfortable. It will be a trigger for an unsafe childhood memory.

I also buy the idea that my symptoms are a revisitation of my childhood, because of why I react, and besides I have always had a troubled mind before I had panic attacks or anything.

I personally would consider seeking another therapist if you cant buy what she says, but not straight away. First, be honest with her, seeking clarification. For all I know, you may go and see someone else and they may hold a similar view. Are you going private?

Have you established the cause of your anxiety. Was it because of your ill child, or is there something further back?

Take Care,


Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[claireypoo]

Hi - thanks for your message!

I think i've always been a bit of a worrier with a tendency to over dramatise but i think the panic started when my daughter got pneumonia and i moved house all within a month. i think it was this that caused the anx and i actually feel that i'm recovering quite well apart from the odd setback. (setbacks for me usually come when i'm extra stressed or chronically tired, or when i drink more than 2 glasses of wine - i'm on citalopram - i don't think it mixes well!)

I'm going to do as you suggest - my therapist often suggests reasons to me and usually i go and think about them - I can see why she might have suggested the rivalry thing but after some deep open minded thought I just don't buy it!

My therapist is a free counsellor attached to my daughter's respite centre. She is a psychoanalyst and usually counsels bereaved parents. I'm going to stick with her til xmas (that's when sessions run out) but i'm considering CBT as i feel that the cause of the anx was exessive stress and huge lack of sleep and i feel more caught in a loop with the health worries and fears.

Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks
Claire

[claireypoo]

Update!
Wow did i get things wrong! She didn't mean that at all and i totally misunderstood her!!!! Damn this over reacting!!!! She was trying to find out if I felt "heard" by my GP!!! As it turns out I had a pretty good session today and had some major breakthroughs too! Some real a-ha moments!
Basically if I've learned anything it would be... with therapists give them the benefit of the doubt!
I'm still going to try CBT, i think, for practical here and now help (the therapist actually recommended it to me too) but we've certainly got a number of causes established! Too early to tell if that is helpful or not - pretty gruelling sesh tho!
Anyway Thanks Ray
Claire

[clickaway]

:)

Glad things have become clearer! Sessions can be hard. I sometimes need a two minute shut-eye session before I leave the room!

Take Care,

Ray


http://www.anxietyrelease.org.uk/

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[claireypoo]

lol
That's a good idea- I'll try that out!!!
:)
Claire

[bb01234]

Your therapist should be able to enable you to identify the reasons underpinning your panic feelings and then release you from the repetition.

Many times whilst we think we know in advance what is causing it, these events are actually just the trip switches in our lives, the actual patterns that are being fired off are ones that were set down much further back in our early years.

That doesn't mean you need lots of time 'in therapy' to resolve them, moreover just a focused approach that will enable you to let you direct your unconscious mind to the underlying reason.

From first understanding the start and then revising the interpretation you will find manifest change occurs.

Then, you can get on with living, rather than remembering ' don't panic ' rather like Marvin the paraniod andriod.

HTH, happy to explain further if needed

Regards

Brian