Tell Me About Your Shrink

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I saw a psychiatrist for a couple of months when I was in college and had a meltdown. He put me on an antidepressant and told me I just needed to get laid. I don't think that he helped me very much.

My endearing term for my current psychotherapist is "Psychowoman." I've been seeing her for three years, and we concentrate quite a bit on how I can keep my nervous system from going into overdrive, being "in the moment," learning how to describe my emotions, etc. I refuse to go on medication for anxiety and depression even though I know that I would qualify because of the severity of my symptoms. I've come to find that exercise, diet (no gluten or casein), talking and writing about how I experience things, deep-pressure skin brushing (had never heard of that before-it really helps to reduce anxiety), and accepting my emotional discomfort and fear have helped me a great deal. I was emotionally in a bad place three years ago and now am feeling much more positive and accepting of myself.

My inner being is the world's best shrink. Not only is he available 24/7, I don't even have to worry about my account being past due.

thankyou all - I have to go out and 'act normal' three out of the next four nights, so I'm getting the need to talk about this stuff out of my system now!

zonder, I completely agree about diet and exercise. I am on the gluten free diet, stuff myself full of fruit and veg, and go to the gym three times a week. I swear I am a much happier, calmer person for it.

I was totally prepared to walk out and never return if this new woman rubbed me up the wrong way. Sometimes you can just end up arguing for the whole hour - or at least I can, I'm very stubborn - and I'm grateful not to have to do that. I think being already diagnosed helps a great deal in terms of the time actually being useful.

Sarastilettos

I'm on my way out the door (it's 5:00 am here) to run and catch some endorphines. A year ago I got my non AS sister to try gluten-free and she swears that if she has a little bit of wheat, she can't concentrate and feels stupid for a couple of days. I said to her, "So that's been your problem!"

Z

My psychologist is fine, but her methods don't work with me.

I tell her that I am constantly analyzing events, emotions, and trying to find reason behind them. I tell her that I seem to have lost my expressive emotions because I ask myself "Should I actually feel this way at this time?" She said that I should work out to see how I react. I've yet to be motivated to work out. Then she asks me what do I'm going through when I am sad or happy, and I couldn't answer which got her a bit hissy. When I did I'd say "I think I..." to her interjection "Don't think! Feel!" which was followed by more silence in my part.

Mine gave me a list of words for emotions (the "E" list). I look at the words and still can't pick one for what I'm feeling except for happy (not often), sad (more often), I don't know (most often). There is a technical word for not being able to describe emotions - it is "alexithymia." It's really frustrating but I keep trying.

Z

Last edited by Zonder on 26 Feb 2008, 6:22 am, edited 2 times in total.

My psychiatrist is very cool, and somehow I managed to convince him I was a genius.
The only thing I criticize him for is his willingness to dish out the medication. <_< But that's about it.

... He's also my next door neighbor.

What is "E" list? (I think I get it now, Emotions? Sorry, I'm slow )

Yes, I have alexithymia. I can't describe anything. "I'm not depressed, I'm just very down, but I'm not sad. I would equate it to being as low as possible but still suspended. Do you understand?" *shakes head* "No, I...I don't."

She asked me to associate color with my emotions. I just looked at her odd. She told me "Close your eyes, what color do you see?" "Uhh, right now it is black, which shades of red due to the sun?" She got a bit "angry" i think. I had to lie about it. I don't associate with color, I don't have synaesthesia.

She said I'm not connected with my emotions because I don't even experience anything until after the event is done. Like if a person was to die in front of me, I'd have to process what just happened. Afterwards Ill realize "Oh s**t! Someone just died in front of me!" It's very silly, like deer + headlights.

Mental Health Professional: "Feel, damn it, you must feel!"



Me: "I'll let you know when I feel something. How about we pencil in an appointment for next week?"

Ha, I recall two sessions ago when I was in her office. I got in, sat down. *silence* I look to her like "WTF do I do?" and she asks "SO how's your day?"

Me: Uhh well I had a minor anxiety attack because I missed an exam today, I spent my whole night studying for nothing.
Psy: Hmm, how did that make you feel?
Me: Me? Uhhm...
Psy: What was going through your mind "I studied all night, but I missed the exam." How did that make you feel?
Me: Uhmm...nothing really. I've gotten used to it.
Psy: Missing exams?
Me: No, just not having things go as planned despite planning them in advance or doing things to ensure such will happen.
Psy: Did it not make you feel anything? Sad? Anger? Disappointment?
Me: Hmm, er..no...I don't think so, just anxiety, but sadness? No. It's an everyday thing for me. Like I said, I've gotten used to it.

Mine is soooooo nice First time i met him i couldn't make eye-contact or talk to him, but now it's like wow! He says he has seen huge improvements in my socia and communication skills and thinks that i will be able to do all thing i want to in the future

i dont have one. i dont really need one anyways because ive found i can talk myself out of most of my problems and make me feel better without anyones help

Mine's great! He is fully conversant and understanding of Aspergers and how it manifests itself in me - and that is the platform you want for discussion of issues. He has been happy to help out with applications as required. It's just a shame he doesn't have the power to over rule that bloody CMO report!! We've discussed that a lot and he understands my frustration.

My shrink's name was Scott. He was the head psychologist at the hospital. He helped me realize that it's okay to be selfish. He could almost read me like a book too.


The psychiatrist, Douglas, actually told me it's good to be selfish. He said most people want to be famous.


The other psychologist, the one that gave me the IQ test, was louder and more boistrous but Scott had just as good a sense of humor as her, perhaps a better sense of humor. She ended a session early and rebooked for a month later rather than wait an hour to start eating her fruit cup; she was that hungry! She didn't mention it, of course. She jsut got out her fruit cup and didn't concentrate that much and a minute later said she would book me again for a month later.


They were all fairly impartial, except when Scott once turned away a neo-Nazi whom he suspected had some sort of depression, by lying to him and saying there was nothing that could be done for him. He said he did it because at the time he was thinking, "This is a racist prick" and that he could tell by lots of stuff the guy said that he had Neo-Nazi ideals and that he actually asked the guy if he just looked like a skinhead or if he was a skinhead, and he said he was a skinhead. He said thatt that was the worst thing he did in his career and he did it to save people like me from holocausts started by people like him, because then I was afraid of an Aspie holocaust, or a PDD holocaust, or a welfare-bum holocaust, or a holocaust for anyone with psychiatric or psychological disorders.