Posted by mist on May 13, 2001, at 23:56:21
In reply to New here - questions about therapy, posted by Waterlily on May 13, 2001, at 21:02:09
I've never formed an emotional attachment with a therapist. I don't know why. I don't know if most people do or not. For me, it's kind of hard to think of the relationship as a personally meaningful one. They're just someone I pay for a service.
I also don't understand how they can justify charging so much on a weekly basis, especially since therapy sometimes lasts 1-3 years or more. (And $110 is low for some, amazingly enough.)
> I'm new to the board, but not to mental illness. My dad was an alcoholic who committed suicide when I was 14 years old. I'm now 32 years old, happily married 12 years, and a mother to two daughters. I suffered postpartum depression after the birth of my 6 year old. I got treatment with medication (Zoloft and later Wellbutrin) and was in remission with medication for a good 5 years. I was told by three psychiatrists that there was no need for therapy. I'm on my third because the first retired and the second took a fellowship in pediatric psychiatry. Anyway...last summer I suffered my first panic attacks and was put on Paxil and Ativan. I went off Paxil after only a few months but had no troubles and didn't take Ativan very often, until after September, when I had a tubal ligation. Now I'm on imipramine in addition to my Wellbutrin and take Ativan only on rare occasions. I asked my psychiatrist to refer me for some therapy. I've been going weekly or bi-weekly for about two months. Here's my questions:
> 1) My insurance will foot the bill for 20 sessions, minus my $25 copay. What do you guys do about footing the rest of the money? Not go to more than insurance will pay for? Or do you bite the bullet and pay the $110 per hour?
> 2) How long does therapy usually last and how often do you see your therapist?
> 3) I'm afraid of becoming too dependant on my therapist. I don't want to form an emotional attachment because I will not be spending years with her. I'm having trouble opening up to her without an emotional attachment and I do not want to look at her as a parent figure, although I would feel tons less nervous if I did. How do you deal with this issue?
poster:mist
thread:5976
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010511/msgs/5978.html