Tag: therapist

Really Spent

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, blogging, depression, mood disorders

Really spent

I am running out of spoons faster than a kid’s birthday party. I went to my father’s today and had to pick up his prescription, again, because he forgot. That meant extra walking for me and I am still sore from all that I did yesterday. It felt like ages to walk the three blocks from Stop and Shop to his apartment complex. I got there and did what I needed to do but didn’t leave shortly thereafter because the lab was coming by to draw his blood and I wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to fight the phlebotomist. I guess the last time they drew his blood the lady drew extra tubes and tossed them. He got mad because he “needed his blood”. Luckily, his levels were ok this week. After the lady drew his blood, my sister came and got us. We went out for lunch because I knew he wasn’t going to eat. So we went to a pizza place. By the time we got there, I was so tired. I could barely keep my eyes open. Luckily my sister had to go home for something so I was able to get a ride. I think I would have fallen asleep on the train and goodbye Jack. I would have missed my stop.

I emailed my psychiatrist about my therapist situation. Now my psych wants to talk to my therapist. I told her it is my fault as I am done with therapy and told my therapist I was done with her. I just didn’t think she would take it seriously. I have tried to fire her several times in the past and failed. Why this is different, I am not sure. Maybe she is tired of me and my suicidality. She has said that she isn’t but her pushing me to see another therapist makes me wonder. I also told my psych that the phone just isn’t working for us anymore. I don’t know if she will call her or not. But then, I have never known my psych to say something that she doesn’t follow through on. I just know I am going to get the blame for all this as it was my anger that prompted all this. Thing is, I really don’t care what happens in therapy. I am so tired of the treatment itself, not necessarily of my therapist, just of talking to someone week after week after week. It’s old. I am bored with it. And I am not really finding it helpful. I am not saying that ANYONE should stop their treatment based on what I am saying because therapy has been helpful to me over the years. It has kept me alive when I really struggled with death. I am as my therapist has said, burnt out, in more ways than one.

My therapist has suggested that I find someone possibly DBT structured. I would try and find a CBT therapist that offers brief sessions. I don’t want to do the whole CBT or DBT program. I just don’t believe in it. I am more psychodynamically oriented. There is a place that is west of Boston that I can try and find a psychodynamic therapist but because I am on medicare now, I don’t think they will pay or see me. And I know my co-insurance will most likely be out of network so there is that, too. I don’t need a referral for seeing someone. I might call my insurance when I feel like really talking to someone again. Right now, I have no inclination to do so. Only person I will talk to will be my psychiatrist.

I want to say to my readers and those that have commented on my blog recently, thank you. It means a lot to have positive feedback that is empathic and understanding. I was seriously considering ending this blog because of the troll but you have showed me there is a purpose to this blog and that I do help people, even though I don’t always get feedback on every blog that I post. But my stats help show me that people look to my blog for whatever reason, especially those suffering from Cauda Equina Syndrome. There may not be a ton of people with it but there are a few.

Tired of Dealing with Bullshit

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, chronic physical pain, depression, mood disorders

Tired of dealing with Bullshit

I realized today that since my accident on Friday, I don’t care anymore. I don’t care if I keep this blog or stop it, that I don’t care if I see another therapist, or continue to see my current one. I don’t care that my family takes advantage of me and thinks I can do things physically that always bring me pain. I think they have accustomed themselves to me being home all the time, forgetting that I am disabled. I am tired of being in pain every single night and being in fear of this pain because I don’t know if I will sleep. Last night I was having one of the bad nights and thought Hyde was going to come out. He didn’t but it was the perfect scenario for him to come out in. And I don’t care that he has gone under, away from my consciousness. I feel like I am out of touch with everything and I am just going through the motions. I can’t think about killing myself because why bother, I’ll just get it wrong.

Since my mother fell last week, she has asked for help with making dinner and then cleaning up. I hate cleaning up. Growing up, we didn’t have a dishwasher so we had to do all the dishes. My father had his way, my mother had hers. And when one of them were supervising, there was bound to be yelling because we were doing it “wrong” aka the other parent’s way. But my mother washes the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. I don’t understand this so I just washed the two dishes and put them in the strainer. I don’t see the point of washing them just to be washed again. Doing this causes me pain. My hip acts up because I am standing greater than ten minutes. Then my foot and ankle decide to get ornery. My upper back can’t stand me doing anything so I have to sit down and rest every ten minutes. It takes a long time to get finished doing this stuff. But I have to help her because she is hurt. I did the dishes and pans tonight. I didn’t do the pan she cooked the mushrooms in because there was still a lot of oil in the pan. I don’t do oil. If I toss it, she might be mad so I just left it for her to do. Tomorrow I have to pick up my niece. I hope my ankle is feeling better by then and I can stand and walk to the school and back.

My therapist and I talked today. She was all business and willing to work with me, even if that meant finding another therapist. We walked down this path before and I am sure we will walk down it again. I was going to make a call today to a social worker in my area. I never made the call. I just can’t go through another possible rejection. I hope the business like attitude continues and we don’t really go back to where we were before.

I realized today that I have become my father. When he becomes mad at someone, he cuts all lines to them. He never talks to them again. I realized today, it’s what I have been doing to my therapist the past three or four years. Every time I get mad at her, I want to leave her. Problem solved. But she wouldn’t allow that, never has. I sent her stuff from the Suicide Summit meeting that is going on the past few days in NY City. Some of it had to do with Jobes and others were from other researchers. We talked about it and the airhead thinks that I still want her to be a suicidologist. I think Airhead is going to be her new name. What I find troubling is that she gets the information that I give her yet won’t step outside her box to actually find these places on her own. Like suicide is a one time thing. I can’t be her only client that is suicidal. Maybe I am. I have no clue. And I don’t want her to be suicidologist, just be aware of what is going on in the suicide world because it is so important in the field of psychology and others. Suicide is everyone’s business, least that is the motto of the AAS. She doesn’t have to change her entire way of doing things, just be aware of what is going on around her. I am not at the hospital anymore where I had access to current research. I am only getting tidbits from Twitter because I follow suicide prevention tweeps. And those tidbits turn into my research library. Sure I get the AAS journal, but it’s the only research journal that I get. When I was at work, I had access to all the psych journals and more. It hurts no longer being an employee anymore.

Saturday Blog 28

by Midnight Demon, posted in baseball, Bipolar Disorder, blogging, depression, mood disorders

Saturday Blog 28

Listening to the ball game. We are currently leading 5-0. I don’t believe it. The way the season has gone, it is a miracle they are in the winning column right now. Usually it’s a reverse. Now the question becomes, can they hold on to the lead? Of course not!

I haven’t showered in a few days. I need to do so today. I think I will after I finish this blog. I have gone out today to get my prescriptions. I couldn’t pick get them yesterday because they were having electrical issues. A transformer blew on the main road in my town so the businesses were out of power. I meant to get some snacks but didn’t. Now I am too hot and tired to go back to the store. When I came home, my brother in law asked me to watch my niece. I did. He will be getting me half and half. I hope he gets the half gallon and not the quart like he did last time.

Finally finished “Chamber of Secrets”. It might have taken me about a week to do but I finished it. As I was reading it, I was keeping an ear out on the game. The starting pitcher gave up four runs. The Sox still have the lead, but barely. Bases are loaded with Sox now, with Bogey at the plate. Only one run scores though. The second run that tries to score is out at the plate. Sox up 7-4. Sox scored a couple of more runs. It’s now 9-6. I am so glad the manager of the Rays is someone other than Joe Maddon. I cannot stand Maddon. I prefer ARod over him, that is how much I can’t stand him. He plays dirty and I just don’t like him, though he thinks he plays fair. Now the idiot is the Cubs manager.

I have been thinking about starting another letter for my therapist to read. I really don’t feel like having therapy anymore. I don’t know if I need it. I forgot to discuss this with my psychiatrist yesterday. I just don’t think it is worth talking anymore. I haven’t been getting anything out of it other than frustration. We are coming up to our 15th year anniversary. I have never been with someone this long before. We know each other fairly well. For the most part, we don’t argue that much. Only time we argue is about my safety and my suicidality. Thing that gets me is that my therapist, I think, has an anxiety problem she refuses to acknowledge. She gets very nervous with me and it prevents “therapy” from happening.

Love/Hate Relationship with Therapy

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, depression, mood disorders, suicidality, suicide

Love/Hate Relationship with Therapy

There are times when I like my therapist. When she is supportive and understanding, it’s easy to like her. Sometimes the like turns to love because she means so much to me. It is at these times when I value our relationship the most. My therapist is very dear to me but then, like tonight, she will say something that makes me hate her. Mostly, this is around her not wanting me to kill myself. I feel trapped by this, and so the love I feel turns to hate. It is not a quick thing to happen. I don’t have oscillating feelings toward my therapist. It is only when I am suicidal and she wants me to live that I really hate her.

It wasn’t always this way. I never really knew how she felt about me till we were four years into our relationship. I call it a relationship for lack of a better word. In 2005, I was severely depressed and snapped. I wanted to die very badly and was planning on ending my life sometime that November. It was one of the lowest points in my life. When I finally confided in her what I was planning, which was not easy to do, she got really upset. I couldn’t bare to see her that upset. In fact, no one till that point in my life was ever upset with me for being suicidal. Her fear of losing me made her cry and I just could not tolerate it. I still cannot tolerate it. It messes with my head. Since then, the love/hate began. The love is just the kind that people have with one another. I told her I hated her tonight and she welcomed it. She said that I could hate her till eternity if it meant keeping me alive. But I don’t like hating someone that I really care for. It hurts me. It causes me mental anguish that drives me crazy. I can’t stay hateful for long. I’m not that type of person. And I do love her more than I hate her. She brings me joy and a little bit of hope every time we talk. I need these things or I will attempt to take my life.

I feel trapped by her love. To her, I can do no wrong. I am not a bad person in her eyes. I told her to read a blog that I wrote that I think is triggering to people. She doesn’t know where I came from, that I always think of others before myself. I write horribly dark, depressing things. But this piece of work is really troubling me. It’s extremely profound in darkness and depression. I want her to read it with a professional’s eye. I want her opinion from her psychologist’s mind, not her love for me. Yes, she loves me, too. It makes me uncomfortable at times. But it also makes me kind of feel unsafe. Because if I love her back and she loves me, that just opens a can of worms I don’t want to open. I don’t want to get hurt again by a therapist. I have been hurt ten times by former therapists and she is my last straw. I know that if we break up, it will kill me. After fourteen years together, it will be extremely hard to start over with someone new.

My suicidality has always been a gatekeeper. She feels that I should have more sessions because I am suicidal. More is sometimes not better. But she wants to know what is happening in my life all the time.

My psychiatrist I have known for more than twenty years. I feel closer to her than I do my therapist because of our long standing relationship. I sometimes think of my pdoc as a mother figure in my life. She is proud of me and my accomplishments, even though I never went to med school like we hoped. That is another story for another blog.

My pdoc is the best. She really gets me, sometimes better than my therapist. I don’t know if she loves me. I know she cares deeply about me. We have been through some tough times together. She is my rock. I know I do love her, but in a way a son love their mothers.

My therapist and I love each other as people do. We truly care for one another. I guess the same can be said about my pdoc, thought we have never discussed our feelings for one another. She is strictly professional in this regard, not to say my goofy therapist isn’t. There are boundaries. I respect both of my treaters. I don’t think I have ever hated my pdoc. The only time that I might have was when she sectioned me a few years ago after I sent her a dark email and she couldn’t get in touch with me. I knew it was out of concern for my safety but that doesn’t mean I had to like it.

My therapist has never sectioned me or made me go to the ER. My pdoc doc knows that I will usually take myself to the ER when I am in a dark place. My therapist will just tack on another session. My pdoc would do the same when I am at my worst points. Sometimes, I would see my pdoc weekly rather than biweekly because she was concerned about my safety. Both of these professionals know me pretty well. I have known them a long time and I am grateful they include me in their treatment plan rather than saying this is how it is going to be. That doesn’t work for me and they know it. I have to be in control of my treatment in order for it to work. And if this helps save a life, then so be it.