I’ve been in therapy forever. I don’t mind really. I’m a screwed up person, and I feel like it helps me get my shit together. I used to get it really cheap, and then for a while, I had insurance that paid. I would often just quit going for a year or two if I felt that I got better enough, but then I would relapse really bad and feel like I needed to get some therapy again.
I now get it through the county. I get meds from the county, and a condition of that is you have to be in therapy. So, no problem. He’s also made me go to group therapy, and that’s pretty fun too.
The people in group don’t seem the slightest bit insane in general. If you came to our group, I don’t think you would there was even one crazy person there. In fact, you would have a hard time figuring out who the patients are and who the therapists are. The patients have dx’s of Depression, Manic Depression, Schizophrenia and OCD.
The schizophrenic is very interesting. For a long time in this group, I had forgotten that you had to have a serious dx to get in. I thought the patients were just regular folks from the community with “life problems” and such.
I thought the schizophrenic was just a very nice, very shy, somewhat nervous and hyper guy with some self-esteem issues. I was floored when he told me he had schizophrenia. I never would have guessed. On meds, he is certainly within the normal range behaviorally. The people with manic depression and depression simply appear normal. Some of them might seem a little down, but you see people like that all over in the public anyway.
I’ve been told that only relatively healthy people even end up in group at all. The real crazies just can’t handle group. They drop out or get thrown out pretty quickly.
Individual therapy is just fine. It’s just you and some really smart and interesting genius-type guy sitting there talking about your stuff. It’s like a conversation with a friend. There’s nothing to it, and nothing to be scared of. Therapists are generally excellent at what they do these days, and therapy is getting more and more scientific minded. These folks are generally on the scientific cutting edge as far as the science of psychotherapy is concerned.
There’s no reason to be scared off by the stigma of therapy. See all those famous people, those Hollywood stars, celebrities, musicians, authors, and whatnot? They’re all in therapy. Many have been in therapy forever. Celebrity guys are still drowning in hangers-on, chicks and money, no matter how often they go to therapy. It’s not like fame groupies say, “Oh! You go to therapy! I won’t date you!”
If it’s good enough for the beautiful people, why isn’t it good enough for you?
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I’m sure the insights site on this have caused a nervous breakdowns warranting therapy for many!
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What would your critique on the treatment and therapy be? How useful has it been to you?
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I can’t believe there are still people who would still think of therapy as a taboo. I mean much of the society uses drugs and pharmaceuticals, but talking about your problems with other people is weird?
To me, therapy is like a luxury good, like caviar, cognac, nice threads, expensive shoes, a nice watch, rims on your car, an import model vehicle. It’s great if you can afford it, but it’s very expensive.
If you can get the psychic equivalent of Hennessy’s for free, why not do it?
Most of my therapists have been quite good. However, with OCD, if I am not being medicated, there is only so much that therapy can do. I could not even begin to use the useful lessons that I learned in therapy until I got on medication.
PhD’s are by far the best. LCSW’s and MFT or LMFT’s are much less good in general. It’s important that they know about your condition.
It’s been very helpful to me, but I have a very bad case, so maybe it’s limited how much better this sort of thing can make me. But maybe it’s my fault because others seem to get totally cured or much better.
Hennessy, a funny way of putting it.
Have you always had OCD as an issue?
I have had it very bad for the last 30 years. Before that, it was a whole different world. My best therapist said I was already an obsessional, but if it’s not that bad, you can function amazingly well and most people will treat you like you are either normal or more or less normal. They only times they think you’re not normal is when you go off into obsessing or worrying mode where you look like you’re thinking and staring off into space.
However, there is a whole universe of difference between very low key obsessional behavior and full blown OCD, which is basically a catastrophe, and lots of people feel you are quite strange. Once again, a lot of off in space, off in your own world, on Planet Bob, space case, space cadet kind of stuff. Sometimes people say I just look “weird.” I guess it’s the stuff in the previous sentence that they are referring to when they say I am “weird.” I don’t act weird in any other ways, I am incredibly cautious and controlled socially and afraid of fucking up, watch and monitor social rules and reactions like a hawk, and try 1000X harder than most to be as 100% normal as possible. I don’t say weird things, I don’t do weird things. I think I just look out there or something.
“1000X harder than most to be as 100% normal as possible.”
What in the hell is normal in this case?
You mean behavioral reciprocation within a socially defined group setting and congruency within a personality you have projected to others?
Or did you mean you are weird?
Ah, armchair experts. I haven’t seen a therapist (of any form) for 2 years now, and I’ve never been better. Therapy is nothing but a distraction, and you usually leave the office angrier than you came in.
What were you in for?
Truer words were never spoken.
“If you want to know how you can help your children…leave them the fuck alone!”
As the father of two schizophrenics, I find your comments interesting. It is my observation, and that of most doctors I have spoken to, that therapy is not very useful in treating schizophrenia. The only thing that works are the meds; and they do so imperfectly.
The one comment that I’ve heard and agree with is “if a doctor tells you he can treat schizophrenia with talk, don’t walk out of his office, run out!”
It is a chemical imbalance of the brain.
To me, its like a milk bath fit for cleopatra. A dermalogica face cleanser, a la mer moisturiser, its as fine as a bottle of jean paul gaultier, a jurlique facial or a 6 pack of chicken nuggets.
I contacted Robert Lindsay a few months ago for OCD and he has helped me immensely, because there is no group therapy where I live. In fact I have never even heard of it besides the small activities we did in high school. I was in dire straits before contacting him, so anyone with OCD should contact him if they can’t get into group therapy or afford it where they live if it is too costly. (That is if they have OCD or perhaps anxiety and depression.) For me, Ive been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder too so I have to see someone else now, but Robert is great and I highly recommend him to EVERYONE with OCD. I no longer chat to Robert but I will miss him heaps and heaps and heaps because he really knows what he is talking about and is very very cheap compared to other therapists. It’s perfect if you have trouble leaving the house on transport too because it is all done at home on your computer and you don’t have to take 20 valiums to get there. So, dear Robert, from all the people you have helped with OCD over the years, I’m giving you a big fat thank you for all the work your doing for all of us and I carry all your advice close to my heart on a daily basis. I really appreciate you and all the tireless hard work you put into people with OCD like me and all the articles you write that keep us from losing the plot during a panic attack or a super bad day. Never selfish, always loving and kind, These are memories you leave behind. A Tribute to Robert Lindsay in song form because he is simply the best. I am sure I am speaking on all OCD peoples behalf when I say, We love and honor you. Love Emily.
Thank you very much, my dear.
oh yeah, the song is about keeping up the hard work so that others get the wonderful opportunity I got when you helped me with my OCD. Cheers!