Dealing with ANXIETY During Therapy
Vložit
- čas přidán 6. 07. 2016
- I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
#katimorton #therapist #therapy
MY BOOKS (in stores now)
Traumatized geni.us/Bfak0j
Are u ok? bit.ly/2s0mULy
ONLINE THERAPY
While I do not currently offer online therapy, BetterHelp can connect you with a licensed, online therapist, please visit: betterhelp.com/kati
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @katimorton
PATREON www.katimorton.com/kati-morto...
YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CHANNEL BY SHOPPING WITH OUR AFFILIATE LINKS
Instacart: www.instacart.oloiyb.net/y2j2GB
Amazon: www.amazon.com/shop/katimorton
PARTNERSHIP
Linnea Toney linnea@underscoretalent.com
PLEASE READ
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call a local emergency telephone number or go immediately to the nearest emergency room.
I have a lot of issues with social anxiety, so talking to anyone, even a professional, is so hard!
I bring my journals to therapy and literally read them out loud.. Even the deepest, darkest thoughts. My therapist loves it. And it really helps to get to the root of things.
Brittany Rae Stengel Im considering doing that but how do you let it out without worrying about the emotions you'll release
tifah boyd my therapist reads my journal and picks up on stuff. If there is something I want to highlight I can etc
I bring mine because I forget a lot of stuff and my brain stops giving me information.
Excellent Video! Sorry for the intrusion, I would appreciate your opinion. Have you considered - Franaar Over Anxiety Formula (do a search on google)? It is a good one of a kind product for getting rid of anxiety minus the hard work. Ive heard some pretty good things about it and my buddy at very last got excellent results with it.
See I wish I could read it aloud! I get her to read it. She does then talks to me about it.
I have selective mutism and my therapist just lets me text her from another room. Slowly we were able to text sitting face to face :) 3 months later, I spoke to my therapist for the first time ever!!!
I'm not "pro-medication", but medication has helped me quite a lot.
Thanks for the video, Kati :)
I had SM when I was little. I know how much it sucks. I didn't have a therapist when I was little because 10-15 years ago, they didn't know what to do with me. I'm glad that you have access to support. I'm also glad that you've improved with speaking(:
What a kind and understanding therapist!!!
thanks for sharing...i don't suffer from this but good for you for sticking with it!!! and cheers to your therapist for taking it slow!! ❤❤❤❤
I'm the same. Medication has helped a little with this, which is good. It's tough with Aspergers to explain and voice these issues
Thank you so much for sharing!! I love that you were able to slowly work through that with your therapist and that they were open to trying other ways to overcome the anxiety :) xoxo
You said it exactly. I was going to a school counsellor sessions and I turn into a statue. Ever single day I play scenarios of me being in a therapy session and telling them everything on my mind and then I realize it's all in my head. This happens dozens of times a day. The counsellor stop seeing me because she could not help me. I want to be able to do something about my health but I cant reach out for help right now. It's been to long
Sarah Lyver I do the playing the scenarios in my head too!
Why cant you go on a walk for your therapy session with your therapist. The walking and the environmental distractions may or will help lower how intense your anxiety is. You are not being stared at from across the room and trying to find the right words if there is silence in the conversation or session then it is also not as awkward as being in a small room with someone trying to read your mind and failing and trying to get words from you that you don't know howto explain or describe. Your therapist could record at the client/patients discretion parts of the conversation session to write up later.
Where are you going to walk that will maintain HIPAA-level privacy protection?
I LOVE that idea!!
This is just superb, I have been researching "natural ways to cure social anxiety disorder" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Ever heard of - Telaavar Anxious Amanita - (do a search on google )?
It is an awesome one off product for removing the root cause of social anxiety minus the hard work. Ive heard some awesome things about it and my mate at last got amazing results with it.
@@pipersecretp3 can't a patient waive HIPAA if they want to do something like this?
@@anonymousstormchaser Sure, but would the therapist allow it? Maybe, maybe not.
Thanks for making this ..I just started therapy I've been to 2 sessions, but it is for social anxiety, so telling a person how I'm feeling is so hard, and feeling like they're going to judge me. I got lucky with my therapist though and she's told me she won't judge me but still, days before I go in I worry about what I'm going to say, what she's going to think of me, if it will ever work etc etc... Ugh. Nice to know people experience these fears though.
Wizard Nipples same! I've only been to 1 session but the problem was already so visible to me! I keep worrying and regretting all I said and how I said it (or how I couldn't say it), but I guess that's something therapy should help me with in the future. Hope it's going very well for you x
Same! I can’t stop thinking about what I says after. And during season I get so anxious I can’t think and answer simple questions. If you know anything that helps let me know
I've experienced something similar to this but instead of not being able to communicate, my anxiety always causes me to lie and say everything is fine even when it's not.
I've experienced something kind of similar. when I first started seeing my psychologist, I would get so anxious whenever she asked me questions that I couldn't bring myself to answer them verbally but I would answer them in my head. eventually I was able to tell her that I was comfortable writing down my thoughts and since then, I've relied on the pen and paper whenever there's something important I need to get out but just feel too anxious to say out loud. I know it's not exactly the same but I though I'd share my experience :)
Well, I don't know if it's anxiety (it probably is) but I also struggle with speaking in therapy because sometimes my mind just goes blank and I can't find any words... I force myself to speak. usually I won't be able to finish a sentence at first (I'll start and then stop after a few words) but I just try to get through it and it usually gets better during session.
It helps me to look away from my therapist and it also helps me to remind myself that he is not going to judge me and that it's okay if I can't find the right words or if I'm quiet for a minute before I talk.
Sometimes I write things down before session which helps but it's still difficult.
i have the same problem and it's so hard to actaully talk to my therapist because of my anxiety (i also dont know if its anxiety but maybe it is). I also get so embarassed when i cant/dont say anything for a while (i know its stupid and that my therapist is okay if i take a minute to think but i end up going home and worrying about it more). i haven't been able to find anyone else who feels like this so its kinda nice to know that somebody is going through the same thing! I just realized your comment is from 5 years ago and that youre probably not going to respond but I hope youre doing better with your anxiety!! :)
I was quite anxious when I started therapy and there were occasions when I really had no idea what to say, but it became easier to talk about stuff which is good
I have the issue of having anxiety when I start discussing what I have been dealing with, to the point that I have to change the subject to prevent an attack.
This is me all the time. Your not alone
I'm going to therapy for anxiety and talking about anxiety gives me anxiety! HELP
same have you gotten better?
you have nailed it on the head. I wasted ten years of my life going to therapy without medication, jumping from one therapist to another, not getting anywhere. Once I got a psychiatrist, therapy was extremely effective. Don't feel ashamed. Thanks for bringing this less talked about issue into the open!
there have been a number of sessions that i've had anxiety bring everything to a halt, and as terrible as that feels, i also now see the positive in it. taking the time in session with my therapist to work through the anxiety has helped me to know what to do outside of session when i have an attack. and i'm not one for meds but finally decided it was time to go see someone to prescribe meds for depression and anxiety and went last week for the first time, which is a HUGE step for me. it's been a pretty tough week, i'm not gonna lie. i knew it could be difficult finding the right meds and the first round didn't go so well, but after processing it today with my therapist i'm still willing to see this through and get back on the right track again. i know i can't give up now, i've come too far. so i'm extending this to all of you who are unsure and want to give up: don't give up, keep pushing. it will all be worth the hard work.
Kati,I just want to thank you for all you do for our community. It's so refreshing to watch and listen to someone as upbeat and positive as you.
My social anxiety makes my psychiatry sessions difficult
Your voice calms my anxiety disorder, and I don’t know why ❤️
This video was so helpful! I get very anxious in my therapy sessions and struggle with the exact same thing. so nice to know that this does happen and that I'm not the only one who has experienced this. I am on medication now and it has helped, but I do still clam up.
That's got to be the best explanation of medication and therapy combined will do for you!
Katie you are great,being watching your vids for a few weeks now,and i subbed straight away!
Beautiful inside and out,is a very rare commodity!
loving your channel,from across the pond UK.
Awe I am so glad you are finding them helpful!! Welcome to the community!! xoxo
This video helped me SOOOOOO much today. Thank you Kati!!!!!!
This helped a lot. Thank you
Thank you so much for this video. I'm actually going to show it to my psychologist to explain because he's getting frustrated that I'm not improving when I simple cannot get the words out of my mouth and when asked a question my mind stops, sometimes I can't even think of what month it is. This video is so accurate for me right now
This is something I'm still working on and it really helps to have a therapist that you click with. I know Kati has said this, but if you don't feel comfortable talking to your therapist there's not a whole lot they can do for you.
thank you so much for this.
I know this is an old video, but I had something that worked for my last therapy session I wanted to share. With the holidays, so much craziness was going on with my schedule, that I had to space out my therapy appointments more than usual. I became overwhelmed worrying if I would forget something I needed to talk about. So on my lunch break a couple days before, I wrote a bulleted list with all of the facts of what I have going on with sub bullets with more details when necessary. When it was time for my appointment I read it out loud to my therapist and felt much better knowing all the details were written in advance, especially since I get very forgetful on my high anxiety days. I hope someone finds this helpful! Thank you Kati for all your awesome videos!
before going when I am starting to freak, breathing fast, sweaty hands,.pulse is through the roof..I remind myself why I am going, how good it feels to get it off my chest. If I have time I write a letter to myself. Yes I still get anxious but it isn't so bad as before. then after I can write to myself how it went and in detail so before I go again it's a bit of a reminder of how much better I felt afterwards . I wish I was as good as you are when it comes to words Kati! thanks for another valuable video ♡ #Kinion
I can totally relate to that. I have gad and so I start having an anxiety attack before my sessions. Having a motivational goal to get yourself to your session can be helpful (like how you remind yourself how relieving it can be ) Take care
When I first started a group CBT program for GAD I was really struggling to be able to put into action any of the techniques we were learning. My anxiety had gone on for so long without being treated (despite seeing my GP several times) that I had become depressed as well. Every week at group I was "triggering a risk" on the questionnaires we had to complete because I was indicating that I had thoughts of self harm. One week when I was having a one to one chat with one of the therapists running the group she said that she felt my depression was holding back my progress. She gave me the option to leave the group or carry on but we agreed that I should see my GP again. I managed to get in with a different doctor at my surgery and she is just amazing! it sounds daft and obvious but she actually read through my history, looked at what I had said on previous visits and how long I had been struggling. She is an awesome doctor so I now only see her for everything. She was the first doctor I felt took me seriously, she started me on Citalopram (which I still take, just over a year later) and that combined with her care really helped and I am now on the whole doing really well.
I so needed this video. Thank you for making it, ive been questioning whether to stay on my medication Its been helping, but ive been doing really well, so i thought itd be a good stress free time to try and get on lower dosages. but it is what i need when things get worse, so maybe i should just stay true.
Thank you for that reminder. Another great video Kati
I love what you said about medication - I had that exact experience of having high anxiety/depression due to my C-PTSD, and it was getting me to a point where I was kind of drowning. My therapist sent me to a psychiatrist and I was scared and also angry that she thought I needed meds. Its now almost two years later, and I can honestly say that meds changed my life. I'm really lucky in the sense that my meds don't have any side effects - and what they do is take the edge off and kind of level things out. I don't feel like meds turned me into a different person or anything - and almost instantaneously after I started taking my meds, I was a completely different person inside and outside of therapy.
I really love all over your videos :) keep up the awesome work
To me talking about those insecurities was a game changer to me. Even talking about how I sometimes worry that I annoy my therapist was hard for me but now I trust her so much more and bringing stuff up gets easier every time. Although I still practice what I want to say for hours
Thank you, hope more videos re mental health , it help me a lot..
I'm so glad you did a video about this. I struggle with this a lot. I mostly worry so much about being a good patient and saying what I think my therapist wants to hear that I get too scared to actually talk. My therapist does notice this too though and she tries to get me to relax. And I've decided next session I'm going to ask her if it's okay to email her if there is something I want to talk about beforehand. Just for a little while until I'm confident enough to bring it up myself.
Way to go deciding to ask about the emailing! That's not easy
totally relatable &the reason i stopped therapy lol. Thank you for the video kati, makes all of us feel not so alone xxx
I didn't ask this question but I honestly could have done, I'm going through exactly the same thing in therapy at the moment. I'm glad I'm not alone. I'm glad you mentioned medication Kati as I'm actually seeing my doctor tomorrow for that very reason. Thanks for making this video, it's made me feel a little better.
Me too!!glad neither of us are alone :)
Awe I am so glad it made you feel a little better :) I hope your appt went well!! xoxo
Thanks Kati, it did! I have some new medication to try so hopefully it will work xxx
K Golight Definitely don't seem to be! :) xxx
Great video Kati!
I totally relate to all of this. When i go to my therapist I usually answer what she is asking with sounds or movements. But when I have to actually talk I cant think and my brain shuts down. I just look at her bookshelf trying to think of anything to say. Half of the time I say somewhat what I feel and other times I say the totally wrong things. But she has been able to learn more about my movements I do like when i shrug my shoulders it either mean I don't know the answer or the question is too uncomfortable to answer. I also find it hard to put what I am feeling into words (I have Dyslexia). Thats just my experience.
Wow so many people feeling the same way like me in the comments made me feel much better about myself! I love this community! 💖
thank you so much
Thanks to whoever asked the question and thank you Kati for answering it. I've dealt with this a lot after not seeing a counselor for a few years. I highly recommend emailing a list of what you want to talk about or some of your journal entries anything that will give your counselor/therapist/social worker glimpses into what your world is like. If you don't want to take the medication route finding so sensory items that work for you like a stress ball, hand lotion, or magnets could help decrease anxiety in the moment. In love, Emily
thanks for the video
What works for me is bringing it up every time I feel it in therapy and then we work directly onthe anxiety. We can do things to bring awareness of it and how it feels in the body and what it might be protecting me from. Certain exercises help to kind of move it around in the body and even allow it to dissipate so I can speak more clearly.
I've had depressive symptoms since 2008 and was finally diagnosed and treated in 2012. However, I stopped treatment after a few months (I honestly can't remember why) and am just now getting back on medication. This time around I am having SO MANY side effects...but...I mentally am feeling better. Hopefully here within the next few weeks I'll be able to see a therapist but I'm extremely nervous. I find your videos to be very informative and actually quite comforting because they give me hope about treatment. thank you so much
Hi Kati! I found out about your channel today while I was browsing through CZcams. I love love how cheerful you are and your vibe! Here's a contradiction I've been dealing with:
I know I probably need someone to talk to so my problem doesn't snowball but I'm a really quiet person and I don't like to talk and am very bad at expressing myself. Also, when my friend (who knows I've been struggling and trying to help me) ask how I am, I tend to put on my happy self and forget all the depressive things. I'm really confused about these...
That is amazing you are talking about it. I stopped going to therapy because I was getting so anxious during sessions that I felt my whole body trembling while I was there. It was becoming the worst part of my week. But I am already taking medication. And she is a very good psychiatrist, in my opinion. After I stopped with the sessions, I worked on your Self Harm Workbook. It helped me a lot! Thank you very much for that. But now I don't know how to go back to therapy because I don't want to go back to that level of stress that I was experiencing during sessions. I would be great if you could talk a little more about this. Thank you!
For me the block starts with shame and all the stuff that then stems from that. I get angry about the shame, then I feel so bad for being angry, then I feel suffocated. Especially the CBT type "and why would that be upsetting to me", I either feel strangled or I just get this blank, like I am looking somewhere that's so scary my brain just forgot to store information on it, except the feeling. Have had years of therapy of many types, meds bla bla. Just can't get an answer to that question that feels "right".
I remember my first time in a therapy session, my voice was shaking so bad it was hard to talk. My therapist stopped and talked me through some breathing techniques and relaxation exercises which helped me a lot. After that we would usually end a session with an exercise which made me feel a lot better leaving the office and gave me something to look forward to at the end of a session even if it was a difficult one.
This is a great video (as always). I haven't had this problem personally, but as a person with high anxiety and as a pharmacy tech, medication isn't the end of the world. This isn't a "slippery slope", see it as it is: temporary. Be honest with yourself, your therapist, and your psychiatrist with regard to your goals and the purpose of the medication. I'm on anti-anxieties now because its become more difficult to manage, but I am very aware it's because of my circumstances. In 4 months when things change and I can get back in control the way I'd like to be my PCP and I know we're going to discuss taking me off. And I feel fine about that.
And if it's not temporary, it's also not the end of the world. You can (and should) still work toward less or no mediation, but regardless you deserve to manage your brain in the ways that work best and allow you to have a life. So do that.
i finally got an intake and at the session mine told me I was one of the most articulate 16-year-olds she's ever met haha I felt very proud. I'm a writer so I've had practice putting my thoughts to words. so I guess I don't have this problem but this video is informative as always
I've gone through a lot of therapy in my life and I can say, without a doubt, that I do best when I'm on meds. Therapy by itself gave me a ton of tools, but they didn't help nearly as much as when I also had meds in my tool bag. My panic disorder+agoraphobia are pretty much gone, and my GAD and depression are manageable. I have a life now! I know there's a lot of stigma and some people worry about meds changing them, but I can assure anyone thinking about whether or not they want meds that they can help so much. I am something other than an amalgamation of my current and past disorders. I'm myself, something I haven't been for most of my life.
I have anxiety in sessions but what helps me is that I tell my therapist to start the sessions and she askes me what I did today if its a later time of day or what I had for breakfast if its in the morning but she really helps like that
Amazing video Kati! Hope your having a wonderful day :) Your videos help a lot :D
Awe thanks!! I hope you are having a wonderful day too!! xoxo
:)
I could only open up fully by reading the poetry I wrote in my journal. My anxiety was too high to talk about feelings for many sessions. I could tell my tale but not the feelings nor especially difficult parts of my story. Eventually I have learned to sit with my anxiety until it feels safe to talk openly. It's been a long journey with a very patient and understanding therapist. Acknowledging anxiety is taking over helps lessen it so that I'm back in control.
I feel like this would be my problem also, but thankfully I'm able to write in my journal my feelings. So I just imagine going to see my future therapist with my journal and reading pages for it to her/him.
YESS! I felt this way for so long! Fortunately I'm better at it. It's always nice to hear I'm not alone. :)
You definitely are NOT alone!!! I hope this was helpful!! xoxo
I can't tell you how much I love your videos!! I have trouble getting out of the house and so I don't get to my therapist as much as I'd like. I SO appreciate you and all of your help!! Thank you so much!!
When I have anxiety I go into a dark room at work and listen to music for two minutes which helps me calm my anxiety down.
I had a very similar experience when I first started therapy. I didn't even know what to say because I was so overwhelmed. After too long a time, the therapist finally referred my to a psychiatrist because she "didn't know what else to do." I wish she had done it sooner and not just as an "I give up" type of move. Because starting psychiatric treatment turned out to be exactly the right thing to do. Now, many years later, I am able to successfully do therapy because I am on the right medication.
Actually that's what I started doing; emailing after when I calmed down...then we talk about it next time. Started to do meditation too, which hopefully will lower my anxiety.
When I couldn't identify my feelings or put words to them, my therapist gave me a list of emoticons with the face and the written emotion. That gave me the option to pick an emoticon that matched what I felt until I learned to identify them on my own. I've also written things down that I could not verbalize. I spent numerous sessions in therapy where there are few spoken words and lots of reading for my therapist. I'm now able to speak and answer questions. For the first month or so, I asked a trusted friend to accompany me to my sessions to help explain what I felt or thought. I texted her daily and she understood me so it helped to have her in my sessions. It also decreased my anxiety and kept me accountable to myself and my therapist.
Personally, i haven't had any trouble with anxiety in the midst of my sessions, but I have had trouble with disassociating. Disassociation is something I've noticed that I go through on the daily, I usually just ground myself and continue on with my day. While in the middle of my sessions though, I find myself to be a bit distracted by these thoughts and have to keep yelling at myself to stay focused on the task at hand.
What I find is that if you freeze, and grounding techniques haven't helped, I would look at bringing in something like a 'sqweezy ball' or a pillow that you could curl up and hug. Maybe you could then start describing what's going on inside your body (eg. heart is racing, shaking in feet etc) and then the therapist could help you by helping you walk through some sort of progressive relaxation or something.
I really needed this and love your videos it's because of you I realized what my dad is doing is not discipline it's emotional abuse with slight psychical abuse mixed in my friend has told her counselor what's happening to me and agreed what my parents are doing isn't right next week my friend is telling her counselor my address as well as some more information on what my parents do and I should be out of my home soon but I do know that I will likely have to talk to some kind of social worker or therapist and I get really anxious around new people and trying to explain what is happening at home
I just had a really intense session, I couldn't think straight, I couldn't describe my feelings properly, so we stopped what we were talking about and then she asked me to stretch my legs and arms and tell her the senses I feel in my hand and something else, which really helped me to feel less intense!
One could try grounding techniques before session, then write 1 to 3 goals u wants to discuss, or learn for that session. After session, jot down 1 to 3 key things u remember of the session. This has helped me 💚
I had an anxiety attack in therapy once and I couldn't talk and my therapist did a breathing exercise with me and I have never had anxiety in therapy again. In fact, I do those same breathing exercises at home and I haven't had anxiety in a very long time! I am off anxiety meds. It was like a small miracle in my opinion.
love this old style video!!x
Would love a video on your favorite books about anxiety and ones that may help
My therapist has been telling me to try medication for a while now and I refused many times but now I got to a point that it’s extremely difficult to talk about it and function on a daily bases so I’m gonna try but this video just motivated me to go for it. I’m a little scared but I think it’s worth it in the end
I'm a school counselor! I've been thinking about anxious students I meet a lot lately. Of course I should just have them text or mail me stuff that they've been thinking about, which they can't seem to express in session. Thanks!
You are . would u be able help me out I need it I want to know more about anxitey and this my 1st year having it so its really hard to deal with it i don't know to much . if u can call I would appreciate it so much
i feel like school counselors never help, at least where I am. glad that you care about your students
Thanks Kati for such a great video! It is a very good topic and one I have really thought about lately in my own situation.
I know this won't be the case for everyone but email has really helped me. I do take medication, but that never seemed to help enough in session, but does help in my daily life. I talk in session and then go home and think about it throughout the week. At the end of the week I email my therapist my thoughts. She never responds to my email other than to say that she received my email and to remind me of our next appointment. Then she brings up the things I emailed her. I have tried just taking notes but it made me nervous to bring something up or to just give her the paper. I have only started emailing this year and have been in therapy off and on with her for 3 years. I can definitely say I have made more progress with the addition of email than I ever made before. However if you are concerned about security email probably is not the best. I'm not concerned if strangers were to find out, and I know the people who are close to me won't see what I write without me telling them.
I see my therapist twice a week, and I tend to journal in between sessions. I have never been really good at expressing my feelings out loud, and I can get my point across better in writing. If I am having a rough week, I will give the journal to her at the end of session, she reads it then we discuss it next time. I am a rare case for her so we are learning from each other.
I love these analogies what I was thinking is medicine helps get your head above water and therapy is getting to the shore
Kati Morton ur really pretty & ur so super nice. Dont ever change, ur awesome the way u r :) :) :)
I had a really difficult time coming to terms with the fact that I rely on medication to deal with my anxiety (as well other things). But slowly, I've come to realize... and it's taken a long time... that medication is just another tool, like anything else, that is there to help you recover. When I suffer from medical conditions that are physical, I have no problem taking medication as prescribed by my doctor, so why do I have a double standard for myself when it comes to my mental health? When I came to that realization, it really helped me be more okay with taking psychiatric medication to help allow me to get the full benefit I can from therapy. I really see an improvement in my therapy sessions now. I look forward to seeing my therapist every week instead of dreading it and being too terrified to even even speak.
I have had 2 counseling sessions at the beginning of the semester and it only made my anxiety worse so we decided that we should take a break from it to see if it was the counseling that made it worse. My anxiety is currently not as bad so I never made another appointment I’d rather feel slightly better without getting help than feeling terrible while getting it.
I have conversion disorder in the form of spasms and talking about events and certain emotions (like anxiety) trigger this. Because of that I had trouble talking about how I felt because I would hesitate and spasm. I recently was enrolled in dbt and my therapist acknowledges my 'seizure' and helps me work back and see why I was anxious or what mood triggered it. Also, during session if I'm feeling anxious she lets me talk about something off topic and happy like a tv show and slowly go back to the issue instead of attacking it head on. Other tips I have for anxiety during therapy is having an 'escape route.' you will most likely never use it but it calms you down knowing your not stuck. have something to fidget with. Bracelets, headphones, or textured phone cases are my personal favorites. Finally try to think about what you want to say before you go in and how you want to explain it (I tend to talk fast and words are misinterpreted so this helps slow words down and make more sense
Thank you sooooo much for this. When I see my social worker, my heart will race. I always fear the questions "How are you feeling?" or "What's been going on?". In session I'll avoid eye contact, my legs are bouncy, and I'll move around in my seat often. She knows I'm anxious. I have to constantly remind myself that there is no judgement in the room and proceed in speaking. It's really hard to say things and she always tells me she knows I'm anxious. I don't know if it helps anyone but I force myself to speak. I do it in bits. Like "What's been going on?", I'll say "a lot of things." It's usually very vague but I think doing it in bits and then going into a specific part helps a lot. Kati, do you believe with the anxiety in session that we think we're being judged? I remember watching a video, can you tell your therapist too much?, you said you can't and it's that inner judgement in your head. Thank you again, Kati! Always loving your videos!
Haha! I love Grey's Anatomy, fell in love with Lexie. I literally had a crush on her for so long
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!!! xoxo I think that anxiety comes from a lot of places.. but if it only happens in therapy, then it could be due to feeling judged or even just anxious about the whole process. I honestly think it depends on the person and what triggers their anxiety most. xoxo
I bring my journal in and have her read the parts that I want to share. Usually it’s trauma memories.
I am not usually an anxious person but I'm a violinist and I suffer incredibly badly from performance anxiety (not just nervous feelings, but a physical reaction that inhibits by ability to play drastically). This is vey frustrating because I but so many hours and so much heartache into practising and in the end when I'm on stage I can't deliver what I have worked so hard on. I have seen psychologists who gave me techniques to try but nothing works. Would you say medication might be an option to help with this?
Kati, what to do if therapy is not available because your therapist's schedule is too busy? I don't have a lot of options because of my insurance but I need the help. I've had depression for the past few months.
i just saw a psychiatrist yesterday and they suggested a medication to kind of help with that as well, i fidget so much at my counselor, doctor, and therapist appointments so hoping that this medication might help a bit..
You could try making aromadough? It feels so nice and looks nice, it is supposed to be therapeutic and it really is! I'll try and find the recipe and post it in the comments
another thing that might help is for me tea calms me down so maybe see if you can take a certain type of tea with you to loosen up as well or something that you know can keep your nerves calm
maybe see if you can write down what you are feeling instead of saying it and if that doesnt work then maybe you have my problem where its impossible for me to know how i am feeling just because i have a problem with feelings in general (i have sever depression and refuse meds so i cant even tell when i am depressed and not i had it since i was 7)
thx for this ha bisky vid i hope peoples get the help that they need
Wanted to add a +1 for Recovery Record. I was using it very regularly and it really helped, but I fell off the wagon and am trying to get back on...but it's a GREAT app!
Awhile ago, I found myself unable to really express what I was feeling in therapy, and still struggle with it from time to time, but what has really helped me is writing. Every week, I write in sort of a journal like format, a log of the major events that happened in the week, how things are going, what I've been feeling etc. I give it to my therapist at the beginning of each session and she reads it and we kind of go through it, and that gets the ball rolling. So instead of just sitting there, silent, we at least have something to reference and talk about.
I am so glad you are finding Recovery Record helpful!! Yay!! Also, thanks for sharing the journal/log idea! I love it!! xoox
Thanks Kati! Keep doing what you do because you're great at it! I've been following you since you were doing a video everyday (kudos to that dedication) and your videos have been a great help!
I live in the U.K. So the process of therapy is obviously a bit different ,but when I started out with my therapist ,we only talked on the phone and didn't meet face to gave untill a few weeks in,and whilst I hate talking on the phone once I'd picked it up and stated talking it was actually a lot easier than sitting in a room with her because i didn't have the added pressure of knowing she was watching me ,meaning I could walk around and pace or go out for a cigarette (etc) whilst talking to her which eased my anxiety massively ,the other thing that was helpful for me personally was that my therapist never really asked me a direct question about the issue she's always lead into it with things like "so what is your relationship with your dad like" which would lead us to talking about men in general untill we got to the root of the problem ,I actually emailed her with the last thing that I couldn't bring myself to say ,so I don't know if any of these might be options for you guys .😘
I lie to my therapist all the time. How do I stop??
trippleblah you just stop....
Try writing it down, like you're writing them a letter or writing in your journal. I hope it helps and best of luck.
Trixie Mattel’s Scream Laugh You definitely should not lie about that.
trippleblah why you lie what scare you or make yourself in a state of anxiety?
trippleblah you gotta be honestly with you’re self if they tell you of you are feeling depressed don’t be afraid to tell them
loved this kati it was real helpful could u pls do a vid on how to cope with anxiety in school because mine is stopping me asking for help and just I feel anxious all the time at school scared of everyone .help .x
I think this question could really apply to school anxiety! If your anxiety is preventing you from getting the help I shook you need, maybe take the next step to seeing your doctor, a psychiatrist, or a therapist if you aren't already. Best of luck, I know it can be so hard.
Thanks so much I'm taking a step to tell my therapist .
I have a few videos on this.. just search "kati morton school" and they will come up. but here is the link to one I did with Ashley Elizabeth who also struggles with anxiety at school. xoxo czcams.com/video/5N7hlfwqS8M/video.html
***** thanks kati your awsome .
I've been having a alot of weird stuff happening to my body that others have experienced. It might be a mental thing but i need help I can't get it off my mind I'm worried i might end up in the hospital again though I'm improving. I still want to be 100 to 1000% healthy.
I have had far less anxiety in therapy sessions than the average social circumstance but my nervousness can skyrocket due to being put on the spot. But anxiety is far less prominent because it's still a pretty safe area. There is no fear that me looking bad in a therapy session will make me look bad in the 'real world.' So social anxiety doesn't trigger but social nervousness definitely does. A therapy session is pretty much the only place where I get so nervous without much anxiety.
Something that really helps me during session and I'm feeling super anxious I grab a pillow and immediately hold onto it likes I'm on the titanic and it's my safety vest. Also, breathing really does help, I know it's cliche but it's cliche for a reason! :D xox
For two days before therapy I feel awful just contemplating it, the day of therapy is even worse and the two to three days afterwards I'm a mess. So that leaves just one to two days where I feel crap as opposed to totally broken. As for meds I don't take anything for anxiety/ depression as I've found the side effects just too much to tolerate. So I've accepted I'm unlikely to be cured and therefore I have just developed coping techniques to reduce the worse symptoms.
I have used/ use a variety of different techniques.
I find practising the session out in my head and what i want to say before i go in helpful.
Writing a list of what I want to talk about/cover , sometimes if its too hard for me to say out loud i have written my psychologist letters to read , other times given her diary entires , if it is something i want to say out loud but am struggling to I will write it out at home 2-4 times the first time what I want to say word for word slowly decreasing it till its in bullet points by this time I've gone over it so many time the anxiety/emotions are less.
I keep an online private diary (only i can access it) and use tags at the bottom with a special tag for my psychologist and before I go to my appointment i like to review these and organise them in my head similarly I also have the option during session to access this tag and read it straight to her.
Hey Katie :) if you see this, I had a question... I heard you mention in one of your other videos that people with anti-social personality disorder can sometimes become therapists... I don't mean to judge them but is there anything I can look for to know for sure if my therapist has that disorder?
when i first had therapy i couldnt talk at all so my therapist would ask me a question or bring up a subject and ask me to draw the answer or my feelings or the first thing that came to mind about the subject. I didnt have to draw pretty, just like stick figures or kid-quality stuff, but it gave us something to work with and she would ask me stuff about what i had drawn and it helped me to get started. obviously not for everyone but it might be worth a try.
oh and just remembered another thing she would do was ask me to choose music that described my feelings or like song lyrics, which helped me not only describe things but also evoke the feelings when i was in the room with her, because normally i would just shut them down and feel nothing
is there a video that talks about anxiety before a counseling session. specifically a family session.
My counselor and I have already made a plan etc. As its getting closer, I'm feeling more anxious. I don't even feel like doing many of my self care activities.
I have had family sessions in the past about different issues and the changes didn't last long. I feel like i'm going around in cricles
I appreciate any tips you can give me
i know i got to the point a few months ago where i stopped going to therapy because my anxiety did get in the way i knew i couldnt trust myself enough to open up so i just shut down it came to the point where my therapist did send me to see a psychiatrist though at first i may have been upset i know now that it did help alot at where im now we are still working together on my anxiety but im alot more stable now than i was before.
I'm just about to got to the doctors for an assessment to get a referral to get help with my anxiety im honestly so nervous because I've never said out loud how I'm feeling or what I'm struggling with. Any one from the uk know what i should be expecting. Thank you I think right now its the fear of the unknown scaring me (I've postponed my appointment twice now) 💗
I find writing a list really helpful. In an initial appointment for a referral I would write down what things anxiety is stopping you doing or making difficult to do and how not being able to do those things is making you feel.
make and go to the appt!
I agree with you! But what if you genuinely don’t know what you’re feeling.
I use to get so anxious in therapy and it use to affect my vision.. Like my sight would be all dark and splodgy and blochy, and my chest use to feel so tight!
Very informative, thanks Kati. I do not have a lot experience in therapy but 3 years ago when I was with my school psychologist trying to tell her about my thoughts, I felt like a was drowning too.
That was before I got in trouble with my mom.
At my new school, that isn't really new anymore I email my case manager a lot to tell her what's is going on witch is easier for me.
P.s. Do you have anything on chronic pain?
My shunt is still bothering me, I've been sleeping more this witch helps the pain but I know the pain will get worse when I start getting up early again for school.
I know everyone's pain if different and doesn't always cause depression but I know there had to be more people out there.
I also know that hydrocephalus is rare so not many people have shunts either but maybe pain for other reasons.