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Update on the new therapy

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Posted 2/21/2016 3:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all!

Yes I switched to a new P. doctor and he is, umm, quite interesting xD
And I see him face to face, I will continue with Skype when I return back to Sweden.

He is an easy to talk to kind of person and is very vocal with what he wants me to do. He explained everything about Hypochondriasis, and he told me that I am not a victim nor an unfortunate person but I just don't know how to take control of my emotions. Because of that reason I have perception problems.
The thing I really liked, he doesn't beat around the bush. He wanted me to start the exposure therapy right away.

First of all he asks me to stop health googling, but he also asked me stay away from any type of forums and group pages :(
Though I explained him how we support each other here in HW, he basically said "any place where people talk about sicknesses"...

The exposure: He wants me to convince myself that I am terminally sick, 3 times a day for 30 mins each.
I find it quite hard to do, since I will be pretending like I received a C. diagnose from a dr (a different type of C. each time) and he wants me to plan my funeral, write my will and all stuff. He wants me to pretend like dr told me that I have a couple of days to live, and I have to plan things as it is really happening. I MUST feel this shock, fear and terror x10 amplified... :/

So hard to do because it is not happening for real...
Posted 2/21/2016 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
In an odd way I think may be effective. I started cbt therapy with a new doc and she has started to build an exposure plan 4 me. I believe it will be along those lines.
Posted 2/21/2016 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
Rr

I too had a therapist who thought that continuing on HW would just reinforce my anxiety...and form the idea that I identified as an anxious person...rather than someone who was recovering.

As you see, I did not heed his recommendation of staying away. ;) I decided for myself that I could have both...my recovery and the support I find here.

The decision is of course up to you...and I would never tell you to go against the advice of your therapist...

...so this is simply my story and experience for you to consider.

I wish you continued progress in getting to the place you want and need to be!! Great work on going after your recovery and feeling your best.

Hugs and high fives my friend!! :)

S.C.
Posted 2/21/2016 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
Dear S.C. and Jennings, thanks for your comments.

S.C. you know how much support we give each other, I wouldn't trade you guys for anything in this world <3
I definitely won't listen to him about staying away from HW xD, heck no!
Posted 2/21/2016 10:32 PM (GMT 0)
tongue :-) :-) turn wink smilewinkgrin

I was so hoping you'd say that...but felt it wasn't my place to try and sway your decision...

It just wouldn't be the same without you here!!! :) :) :)

Keep us updated on your progress, and we'll continue to cheer you on!

**Bakes caramel cheesecake with macadamia-coconut crust to celebrate**

S.C.
Posted 2/21/2016 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
Folks this is what i have shared many times, "face your mortality", then decide, i am going to live every day the best i
can and move forward in time! Or, i will continue it die every day dealing with this fear of death.

The choice is our's, personally i choose Life, Peace

Larry ***
Posted 2/22/2016 8:35 AM (GMT 0)
Waaah!! Caramel cheesecake... =^.^= hug
*eats cheesecake in a blink*

Larry you are right as always. Though, it is a very very hard to do thing.
I guess such exposure training are there for making us get use to the thought.
Posted 2/22/2016 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

I hope your new therapy goes well keep us posted.

I have also been told by a therapist to avoid self help forums but I also choose to ignore them.

Hibee
Posted 2/23/2016 12:12 AM (GMT 0)
having this form is the next best thing than actually going to the shrink
Posted 2/23/2016 2:35 AM (GMT 0)
I think I love your new doc turn

He's telling you that you're not "sick", you don't have an illness that requires medication to get better. You have a perception, or thought problem. It's a FAR more powerful place to be. If you don't have an illness, you don't have to wait to get better. If the source of the problem lays within you...then so does the solution, so YAY!!! :)

I understand where he's coming from with his thoughts on message boards. Unfortunately, even on this board, you see the pattern in terms of stimulus/reward. Someone posts here in a state of panic (stimulus) and they get all sorts of feedback & attention (reward), it can indeed reinforce the cycle of getting something positive for identifying as having an illness.

The point (i think) with his exposure therapy is that you do it over and over again until the idea bores you. It's hard to be terrified at something that you find boring.

Best of luck!! I'm excited for you to take this step.
Posted 2/23/2016 2:55 AM (GMT 0)
Accept,

I see this forum as more of a place to receive support. Maybe some message boards could reinforce the behavior you describe...

...but this is truly a family and community here...and we care for each other...often when friends and family don't understand what we are going through.

We gently but firmly push one another to get the help we need...to be proactive...go after recovery!

So I will politely challenge the second paragraph of your post..
with love of course! ;)

...but yes...I have seen the things you are talking about on other boards...and that is why HW is the only site I have stuck with for more than a brief time!!

hugs and high fives,

S.C.
Posted 2/23/2016 3:12 AM (GMT 0)

Scaredy Cat said...
Accept,

I see this forum as more of a place to receive support. Maybe some message boards could reinforce the behavior you describe...

...but this is truly a family and community here...and we care for each other...often when friends and family don't understand what we are going through.

We gently but firmly push one another to get the help we need...to be proactive...go after recovery!

So I will politely challenge the second paragraph of your post..
with love of course! ;)

...but yes...I have seen the things you are talking about on other boards...and that is why HW is the only site I have stuck with for more than a brief time!!

hugs and high fives,

S.C.


And I totally get the family aspect of it as well. I can tell how tight you guys are here, and that can be incredibly supportive. I know in my darkest times, I would have really appreciated a forum like this.

I can also see though how people can find comfort in staying "sick". When I was in the hospital over the summer, I was heartbroken to see all of these people on laundry lists of medications who weren't getting better. There was a mental shift that wasn't happening, even after very intensive therapy. It wasn't these short acute anxious or depressive phases, it was how they existed in the world. It was just hard to watch. Hard to think that might be my future.

And I gigggled at your post re: misspellings, I'm a horrendous speller and my laptop won't spell check, sorry :(

Post Edited (Accept) : 2/26/2016 2:28:00 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/23/2016 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
Well you are here now...and we are glad you are! :)

...no worries about the spelling...none of this will be on the test, lol!

S.C.
Posted 2/23/2016 8:32 AM (GMT 0)
I understand what you mean Accept. Before coming to HW I visited like a trillion of support(!) forums and their way of supporting is mostly giving reassurance or diagnosing you like a doctor.

Of course we have some members who only seek/give reassurance, which is not wrong in my opinion, but in HW we do remind others about coping skills and relaxation methods and let them do it by themselves.

I am agreeing with my new P.doctor in a way, that all support groups are source of trigger. In our forums we support many types of anxiety disorders not only Health Anxiety. So a person with PTSD for example, might not pay too much attention for HA triggers, naturally. One can never prevent this from happening.

The reason why I refuse to stop visiting HW is that I appreciate my friends' efforts here and secondly, I find my doctor's opinion a bit wrong since he asks me to create my own triggers to get used to the thought of dying and getting sick and in support forums such triggers actually "should" remind that such things happen in life.
So for me, it is a way of exposure.
Posted 2/23/2016 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
My therapist believes that most or all of anxiety is based in a fear of death. He suggested I read Staring into the Sun by Irvin Yalom. I strongly advise you read this easy to read book...it helped me alot. Good luck to you all.
Posted 2/24/2016 8:26 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you very much Andwes <3
Posted 2/24/2016 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
looney bin accept?
Posted 2/26/2016 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
edit: my last reply was a bit defensive. I understand that my term could be hurtful so I'll change it. I have to remember that just because "I" find something funny, doesn't mean others do. I apologize.

Post Edited (Accept) : 2/26/2016 2:26:42 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/28/2016 4:02 AM (GMT 0)
thanks for that. it means a lot, to this turtle anyway. 28 psychiatric admissions, 5 long term, one a inpatient program for 6 months. have seen it all, both private services and non private. kind regards.
Posted 2/28/2016 4:16 AM (GMT 0)
wink wink wink wink

Great resolution on both of your parts! Thank you so much...it makes my heart happy!

S.C.
Posted 2/28/2016 5:05 AM (GMT 0)
:-)
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