Anxiety Support Group
Anxiety is a physical condition marked by intense and persistent feelings of distress, fear, angst or dread. General anxiety caused by routine day-to-day stresses usually passes quickly and is experienced by almost everyone at one time or another. However, such feelings that linger over time and are very difficult to cope with, and which lack a clear cause, may indicate...
I'm a college student who's been dealing with anxiety, OCD, and an eating disorder. I go to school out-of-state, and have been seeing a therapist for the two semesters here while I am in school. However, I am going home this summer, and I am unsure what to do about therapy.
I was thinking about going back to the therapist I was seeing when I was back home (I took a semester off on medical leave because my issues got too severe). She was very nice and helpful, but I feel too nervous to even call and ask if she'd be willing to work with me again. Do people ever go back to previous therapists? I guess it just feels weird because I feel like we wrapped things up and everything. I also feel sort of ashamed to go back. I had hoped I'd have made more progress by now, but I have been struggling. I worry she might be disappointed with my lack of progress, and won't even want to work with me.
I also thought about doing phone sessions with my current therapist, but I honestly don't think that'd be helpful. I like the therapist I see now, but we once tried to do a phone session when she was away for a month on vacation, and it just didn't seem beneficial. However, I Skype my dietitian from home while I am at school, and it works great. I feel really comfortable with her and having Skype sessions doesn't feel awkward at all like it did with my therapist. I am worried about making my therapist feel bad, though, if I tell her I'd rather see someone in person while I am home, especially because she knows I Skype my dietitian. She might wonder why I don't want to do the same with therapy.
The other option is not to do therapy at all while I am home for the summer, but I don't know. I feel like I have so many things I want to work on, and while I could work on them without a therapist, I really like having that support.
Sorry that was so long and wordy. I am just really unsure what to do in this situation. If anyone has any advice for me, I would be so grateful! Thank you for reading this.
I was thinking about going back to the therapist I was seeing when I was back home (I took a semester off on medical leave because my issues got too severe). She was very nice and helpful, but I feel too nervous to even call and ask if she'd be willing to work with me again. Do people ever go back to previous therapists? I guess it just feels weird because I feel like we wrapped things up and everything. I also feel sort of ashamed to go back. I had hoped I'd have made more progress by now, but I have been struggling. I worry she might be disappointed with my lack of progress, and won't even want to work with me.
I also thought about doing phone sessions with my current therapist, but I honestly don't think that'd be helpful. I like the therapist I see now, but we once tried to do a phone session when she was away for a month on vacation, and it just didn't seem beneficial. However, I Skype my dietitian from home while I am at school, and it works great. I feel really comfortable with her and having Skype sessions doesn't feel awkward at all like it did with my therapist. I am worried about making my therapist feel bad, though, if I tell her I'd rather see someone in person while I am home, especially because she knows I Skype my dietitian. She might wonder why I don't want to do the same with therapy.
The other option is not to do therapy at all while I am home for the summer, but I don't know. I feel like I have so many things I want to work on, and while I could work on them without a therapist, I really like having that support.
Sorry that was so long and wordy. I am just really unsure what to do in this situation. If anyone has any advice for me, I would be so grateful! Thank you for reading this.
The only other recommendation I have is a book: Panic Attacks Workbook by David Carbonell. In the past, it helped me greatly.
Anyways, gentle hugs and I hope you feel better soon.
You may want to look at it this way: the therapist that was most effective for you should be the therapist you go to.
A lot of times there are relapses for patients and in my opinion any therapist that would grow impatient with relapses or shows impatience when that occurs is not really a good therapist.
McBri, I will certainly look into that book- thank you for the recommendation! I have never had panic attacks, but I wonder if it also addresses some other anxiety issues? I'll look into it.
Thanks again to both of you!