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The therapist from hell.

Ginseng

Ginseng

Christian
V.I.P Member
I am going to share something very personal. I hope that y'all will be kind.
I went to a therapist after not having seen one since college. I have seen two in my life, but I was unable to open up to either of them due to my past history of abuse. I was hoping that after all these years maybe I could actually open up in therapy. I also have a long history of depression, but I can no longer take anti- depressants because when I finally found one that worked after trying about 15 or twenty different ones, The Effexor not only stopped working but it made me suicidal. I mean I seriously considered walking out in front of an 18 wheeler that would go by my busy road daily.

Well, I made an appointment to see a therapist and I was trying to process my life so that I could learn to make better choices. My therapist, a woman had been in the military (which she made a point of telling me on several occasions) She would go from being nice and warm to strongly confrontational and even mocking and laughing at me. She literally freaked me out. I started dissociating through the sessions and lost a lot of time. I even heard a child's voice at one point which caused me to really be embarrassed and more withdrawn. I was so confused and I would feel like I woke up several times during the sessions. She apparently had come to the conclusion that I was faking it and I guess that is how she justified her actions. I do not know. But she is no longer seeing me (which I received as rejection) I had hoped we could work though whatever was going on in the sessions. I have a new therapist I have seen her about 4 times now. She is much nicer and I have not dissociated any in her office. I feel calm and safe. I felt afraid during the other therapist sessions.

What I want to know is can any one relate to anything I have said? This whole ordeal has left me feeling really lost and questioning my sanity. I mean when your therapist thinks you are lying and rejects you is pretty profound.
 
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Your ex-therapists approach likely reflected her military backround. The military can be very blunt, mocking and confrontational in some of its teaching methods (ie. Basic training).
 
I haven't had an experience like yours. I have had a series of therapists that were ineffective. I only went when my depression was really bad, and it was obvious I was depressed as hell.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with Effexor. I've been taking it for more than twenty years, and it has kept me on an even keel. My ability to deal with my ASD went from bad to worse during that time, but I didn't sink into depression, I just wondered why I was so weird. I kept trying to fix myself, to be more like other people. I always failed, which did wonders for my self-esteem.

Back to your therapist, I believe we have the ability to see the true nature of a person. Not immediately, nor during a conversation, but over time we keep a mental dossier, and we notice behavior. It may take a bit of time, but we are very observant. I think your intuition about your therapist was correct.
 
Not all therapists are good, or to be kind I guess I could say some aren’t right for everyone. But they are just people with problems like anyone else.
I’ve had some bad ones, some not so good but harmless, and a couple that were great.
Sorry you had a bad experience but glad you found someone safe to talk to.
 
Cactus said:
I haven't had an experience like yours. I have had a series of therapists that were ineffective. I only went when my depression was really bad, and it was obvious I was depressed as hell.

I'm sorry to hear about your experience with Effexor.
Click to expand...

Please be careful. I took Effexor for years. It is the only antidepressant that ever helped me. I didn't recognize when it had stopped I didn't tell my doctor it wasn't working I just started making plans to kill myself. And if you have to stop taking it you need to slowly taper yourself off. You cannot stop suddenly.
 
Your title is very fitting. I would have been a mess by the end of that first session. I'm glad you found one that you're more comfortable with.
 
She sounds really nasty... With PTSD and disassociation involved with a dualistic therapist like that developing DID / multiple personalities would be more likely in the course or her treatment. Yikes.

And yes can relate.
 
She probably doesn’t treat them all that way but I made her angry. I corrected her quite a few times. I wasn’t trying to be rude but she kept giving out information that was inaccurate. I think she took a lot of what I said the wrong way. I was afraid so I was on the defensive and trying to act like I was not afraid. They were freaky sessions, but I bet she had done this to others.
 
I am sorry you endured that.

You are probably smarter than she is, and that put her on the defense.

And, if she is military, chances are she is a victim. Female victims who tough it out and think it's no big deal can be your worst allies.

Look at these stats: Sexual assault in the United States military - Wikipedia

I would think there is a good chance she has been abused or at least harassed and feels she overcame and toughed it out and so should you.

Not everyone can be as tough, and while I respect that she was military, it can still mean she cannot understand those who did not choose that path.

We are gentle. Be careful about who you let see it. It's a gift. I hope your new therapist appreciates that :)
 
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Thank you Freecat. I know I do not need rough. I respond to gentle and freak out over rough. I do not understand why so many people are so rough.
"We are gentle. Be careful about who you let see it. It's a gift. I hope your new therapist appreciates that :)" I love this! Thanks.
 
It can take a while to find a therapist who "fits." I went through at least a dozen who never noticed I was autistic or ADD. The only ones who did were the two I went to specifically for ADD and autism evaluations. They all thought I was shy, socially awkward, forgetful, or just a common flake. What I did learn is if there is no fit, try another until you find one who works for you.
 
I’m very sorry for what you had to deal with,depression or ptsd is something that needs to be treated with kindness and this therapist regardless of her background doesn’t seemed fit to treat those with trauma,regardless I am glad you don’t see her anymore and I wonder how many others she has treated the same way and surprised if she remains a therapist with such a terrible attitude towards trauma victims.
 
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