Has anyone gone to therapy?

[Leah1976 301]

So I started seeing this therapist back in September. She has given me some useful tools BUT I feel at this point she is not offering me anything new or any more help... so we end up talking about organizing the house, kids, other life stresses BUT my health anxiety and how to control it. She uses the internal family systems method for anxiety, which in theory is good but hard to practice.... she just told me to work with this workbook Break Free: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in 3 Steps: A Workbook for Overcoming Self-Doubt and Embracing Life. I just got it from amazon and I will start using it today. I don't see her until next week.... in the last session I cried because I felt like I have been regressing, you all know how hard it is to control HA.... I don't know what to do at this point.... continuing with her or finding someone that knows HA better.... she is more specialized in self image, eating disorders. BUT I LIKE her t=so much. I feel very comfortable with her... she is 42 like me with 2 little kids just like me. I feel like I want to hang out with her in a bar LOL.... we click... but I am not sure about the HA part.... what do you all think???? It's expensive to do therapy, my copay is $65 every session until I reach my deductible of $3,500.... so I don't know what to do?????

[madtowncard 40]

I did back in the winter of 2014-2015 , got really really better then found out my cousin who was like a like a brother was found dead at 33. Took it out of me for a long time. I should go back because I found benefits from it. Stick with her a little longer you will know by then. I dont know how much I can help but hang in there this site is a great place.

[Leah1976 301]

7 minutes ago, madtowncard said:

I did back in the winter of 2014-2015 , got really really better then found out my cousin who was like a like a brother was found dead at 33. Took it out of me for a long time. I should go back because I found benefits from it. Stick with her a little longer you will know by then. I dont know how much I can help but hang in there this site is a great place.

What kind of therapy did you do? CBT? ACT? 

[LilyLabVA 56]

I have been in therapy for a good while off and on. While I truly liked all my therapists, it has taken a while to find one that REALLY helps. I found that person! She is focusing solely on CBT and it has helped get me through some really low times. It is extremely expensive though! 

[Leah1976 301]

Just now, LilyLabVA said:

I have been in therapy for a good while off and on. While I truly liked all my therapists, it has taken a while to find one that REALLY helps. I found that person! She is focusing solely on CBT and it has helped get me through some really low times. It is extremely expensive though! 

That's great! I love my therapy but I don't think she has a lot of experience with HA.... I am guessing yours have experience with HA in particular?

[mollyfin 366]

Have you talked to her specifically about how you want to focus on HA and asked what more she has to offer in that regard?  If not, bring it up.  If so, it might be time to move on, as much as it sucks.  

[madtowncard 40]

18 hours ago, Leah1976 said:

What kind of therapy did you do? CBT? ACT? 

CBT

[bin_tenn 1252]

I've gone to therapy a handful of times since August or September. It's been great! We have focused a bit on the health stuff, but she tends to focus more on the root cause of the anxiety and how to cope in general, rather than specific manifestations of the anxiety. She's very attentive, and I get plenty of time to say what I want to say. I know all therapists are probably different though in how they approach it.

She has mentioned CBT, but we really don't get caught up in the jargon. Instead, we just agree on what's going on and then how to resolve it. It may be CBT, or it may be another form of therapy.

[Leah1976 301]

4 hours ago, mollyfin said:

Have you talked to her specifically about how you want to focus on HA and asked what more she has to offer in that regard?  If not, bring it up.  If so, it might be time to move on, as much as it sucks.  

Well I guess it's my fault too 'cause I start rambling and talking about other stuff too..... but yes next time we will discuss the workbook and see how much progress I make with it in the HA area.

[Leah1976 301]

20 minutes ago, bin_tenn said:

I've gone to therapy a handful of times since August or September. It's been great! We have focused a bit on the health stuff, but she tends to focus more on the root cause of the anxiety and how to cope in general, rather than specific manifestations of the anxiety. She's very attentive, and I get plenty of time to say what I want to say. I know all therapists are probably different though in how they approach it.

She has mentioned CBT, but we really don't get caught up in the jargon. Instead, we just agree on what's going on and then how to resolve it. It may be CBT, or it may be another form of therapy.

Yes my therapist was great at figuring out the WHY... I think a lot of it it's genetics (my dad is a hypo) and also trauma.... she has been great I just don't know if I will continue to make progress.... i guess I will see hoe I do with the workbook!

[Bobnnat 496]

I've seen numerous psychologists over the years and frankly, not much help. I did have one therapist where we agreed that what served me best would be for her to be a sounding board for me. So let's say I come in for my scheduled appointment and I have a BT fear at the moment. I would talk with her and she would help me reason it out. It helped some, and since she had no emotional involvement with me (like my wife) there was no frustration, anger and exasperation that I occasionally get from my wife.

Another suggestion Leah; in each major metropolitan area you'll find a person who is the local guru for CBT. In Toronto it's a psychologist named Neil Rector. I was scheduled to start with him last Friday, but something came up (don't ask...oy). I need to reschedule and give him a try.

[Leah1976 301]

38 minutes ago, Bobnnat said:

I've seen numerous psychologists over the years and frankly, not much help. I did have one therapist where we agreed that what served me best would be for her to be a sounding board for me. So let's say I come in for my scheduled appointment and I have a BT fear at the moment. I would talk with her and she would help me reason it out. It helped some, and since she had no emotional involvement with me (like my wife) there was no frustration, anger and exasperation that I occasionally get from my wife.

Another suggestion Leah; in each major metropolitan area you'll find a person who is the local guru for CBT. In Toronto it's a psychologist named Neil Rector. I was scheduled to start with him last Friday, but something came up (don't ask...oy). I need to reschedule and give him a try.

Good luck with him, I want to hear all about it!!!!

[Iugrad91 501]

I don’t know that HA is much different from other types of anxiety when it comes to treatment. It is usually considered a type of OCD. Did your therapist give you tools to help challenge negative thinking? How to stop catastrophising? How to quit seeking reassurance? I haven’t heard about the internal family systems therapy, but in any type of therapy practice and acceptance is very important. If she gave you tools you will need to use them over and over and over each time you have anxiety over a symptom. It’s not something that you try once or twice and expect to be cured. It sounds like the workbook is a step in the right direction. I know you want her to keep giving you ways to curb the anxiety but you have to use the ones she’s given you and if they don’t work, try something/someone else. It can be a lifelong practice with continual work to overcome anxiety.

[Holls 1505]

I went to therapy for about 6 months and stopped. I loved my therapist so so much but like you she didn't help me with my Health anxiety. she gave me a few tools but I wish she offered more, like  CBT. she was also a grief specialist and while I did need that after losing my best friend to cancer, hence my health anxiety.. I felt like I was the one who pulled myself out of the anxiety spirals. It was hard for me to not see her because I liked her so much but I did have a copay every time so I had to tell her that I would have to start scheduling appointments only when I truly needed them and I ended up never going back. You need to do whats best for you and your anxiety.

[bin_tenn 1252]

10 hours ago, Leah1976 said:

Yes my therapist was great at figuring out the WHY... I think a lot of it it's genetics (my dad is a hypo) and also trauma.... she has been great I just don't know if I will continue to make progress.... i guess I will see hoe I do with the workbook!

Time will tell. Give it a try. If it doesn't work, be as open as possible with the therapist about it. Ask what other options there are for you. If you don't feel like you're getting anywhere, perhaps see if there's another therapist in your area who may be more helpful to your situation. It's a process, and unfortunately it can take quite a bit of time sometimes.

[Leah1976 301]

Just now, bin_tenn said:

Time will tell. Give it a try. If it doesn't work, be as open as possible with the therapist about it. Ask what other options there are for you. If you don't feel like you're getting anywhere, perhaps see if there's another therapist in your area who may be more helpful to your situation. It's a process, and unfortunately it can take quite a bit of time sometimes.

Thanks for the advise Bin!

[clearhead 129]

You should try it. Therapy helped me to change my thought processes. It showed me how my thought process were leading to negative thoughts and how to change the process for a desired outcome. It takes time and practice. I went 20 years ago for about six months and have not needed to go back.