councelling........?

[blue]

I have just started some councelling sessions. Does anyone else go for councelling? what do you make of it?

I keep crying I carnt seem to talk about my past without bursting into tears. Does this happen with anyone else?Also there are certain things i dont want to tell her incase she thinks im mental or something!
Like when im in a social situation my brain seems to get focussed on someone and i feel really pannicky if they look at me or when i see them, i am aware this is a little weird

Also do you feel pannicky in the waiting room I HATE IT :evil: my councillor said in our surgery she reccons one in 4 people are nervouse about the waiting room......they all like fine to me :roll:

what are your views/ experiences with councelling?

 

[dottie]

Also there are certain things i dont want to tell her incase she thinks im mental or something!
Like when im in a social situation my brain seems to get focussed on someone and i feel really pannicky if they look at me or when i see them, i am aware this is a little weird

i so relate to that. it is embarrassing because i get fixated on a certain select person from a group (probably something about their personality)... it's like i become very aware of their every move and panicky if they look at me. then it is hard to hide that fixation and my eye contact sucks, i get all awkward... it's a mess. i'm dealing with this issue at work.

 

[blue]

Hi dottie

what works for me sometimes is picturing a stop sign in my head everytime i start feeling pannicky about someone. I read it in a meditation book and it has helped me with some really difficult sittuations .

I know it sounds abit strange but if you really stick with it it does help.

 

[nesh]

I feel the same blue. I started counseling last week and I couldn't talk without crying. I've been to counseling before and never got like that. I couldn't control myself. I must have looked really stupid. Crying and feeling sorry for myself. Normally you start crying when they hit a nerve or something, like when they ask you about your family and you burst into tears or something, I burst into tears whatever I got asked! It's was like, how old are you? And I'd start crying. :roll:

I did open up about everything though, even those irrational mental thoughts. At the end of the day SA is a mental health problem right? I told my counselor that when people look at me I feel they can see through me, see what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling and I start panicking. I think you should just say everything that's on your mind.

 

[IceLad]

I had weekly sessions of counselling for nearly 2 years.

It was a tremendous weight off my shoulders sharing my irrational fears and experiences with someone who would listen. It certainly helped to identify unhealthy thought patterns.

However, although it can be painful/ traumatic, you have to make sure you are open with you counsellor.

 

[flake__]

counseling isnt useful at all if you're not ready to completely open yourself up to your counselor.

if thats the case, take some time, and when you are ready, go back.

i havent gone to counseling before. i'd much rather talk to others with actual experience, those who know how it feels like. too bad there isnt Alcoholics Anon groups for SAers. =[

You know there actually is! It's called SPA i think, social phobics anonymous...infact here's the link http://www.geocities.com/seanphilib/ColoradoSPA.html
they have USA meet sessions, everywhere else phone sessions...yeh it's not as big as AA yet!

As for counselling, hmm yeh makes me feel absolutely awful before, during, afterwards. I feel bad after, like i've done something bad. But i think it is good to get these things out. However maybe for the run-long hypnoanalysis is better, ever heard of it? It makes you get out those experiences, usually in childhood, that caused your SA. It even cures people of SA just doing this, or significantly improves it.

 

[Butterflies]

counseling isnt useful at all if you're not ready to completely open yourself up to your counselor.

if thats the case, take some time, and when you are ready, go back.

i havent gone to counseling before. i'd much rather talk to others with actual experience, those who know how it feels like. too bad there isnt Alcoholics Anon groups for SAers. =[

You know there actually is! It's called SPA i think, social phobics anonymous...infact here's the link http://www.geocities.com/seanphilib/ColoradoSPA.html
they have USA meet sessions, everywhere else phone sessions...yeh it's not as big as AA yet!

As for counselling, hmm yeh makes me feel absolutely awful before, during, afterwards. I feel bad after, like i've done something bad. But i think it is good to get these things out. However maybe for the run-long hypnoanalysis is better, ever heard of it? It makes you get out those experiences, usually in childhood, that caused your SA. It even cures people of SA just doing this, or significantly improves it.

Thanks for this Flake - I just went to the link. Think I might join a session - I've been trying to start something up here for Australians - I didn't know about this program.

 

[flake__]

cool . i think it would be great if this got bigger

 

[MelissaQu]

I've found therapy to be useful, but it's true, you have to want to get better, aim and work at it, and open up at least a little to the therapist. For me, that was the hardest thing. I am kind of closed off, so opening up to her took me a long time and she waited patiently while giving me guidance. It has been a year since I started, and I feel better about a lot of things now.

 

[desperate]

WOW YOU DID ME A FAVOR SENDING THAT LINK! THANKS!!!! I WAS SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE IN NYC. I EMAILED THEM, LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANKS

counseling isnt useful at all if you're not ready to completely open yourself up to your counselor.

if thats the case, take some time, and when you are ready, go back.

i havent gone to counseling before. i'd much rather talk to others with actual experience, those who know how it feels like. too bad there isnt Alcoholics Anon groups for SAers. =[

You know there actually is! It's called SPA i think, social phobics anonymous...infact here's the link http://www.geocities.com/seanphilib/ColoradoSPA.html
they have USA meet sessions, everywhere else phone sessions...yeh it's not as big as AA yet!

As for counselling, hmm yeh makes me feel absolutely awful before, during, afterwards. I feel bad after, like i've done something bad. But i think it is good to get these things out. However maybe for the run-long hypnoanalysis is better, ever heard of it? It makes you get out those experiences, usually in childhood, that caused your SA. It even cures people of SA just doing this, or significantly improves it.