I need an empathetic ear 🫂

[Northwestern]

I am writing here, since I'm alone in a very complicated life situation with so much dread and anxiety and feeling like giving up.sometimes. I feel extremely lonely right now. I would like to sleep and to not face life for some time because I only get stress and worries, fears, I have nightmares at night, no proper rest, no pleasure, no meaning. I don't think it's possible to live without meaning or direction, actually.I also know that, if I did what I'm describing, I would be risking my job and I would also get even more depressed and hopeless and make everything way worse. I have been in therapy for years but I do not get to solve my issues.

Today the person who's been my therapist the last 10 months told me she feels like she can no longer help me. It has been devastating. That was after she asked me to explain to her, in a detailed way, why I did not feel connected or safe with her. I thought that was so that we could try to repair it somehow but, after that, she said she would have to fake her personality and she would not simply be comfortable doing so. She has however been dismissive of what I told her about sometimes feeling invalidated (she hasn't even mentioned it nor apologised). She said she would try find someone else for me but still, it felt horrible, as if this person was abandoning me after being vulnerable about me not feeling safe. Honestly I do not wish her well after that, it's adding to my story of failed therapies.

I feel very lost and alone and I think that simply being able to chat privately with people going through similar challenges ASAP would help me be stronger the next days.

Thanks for reading

🌿🌿🌿

[Northwestern]

❤️✨🙏

[Nothing_but_books]

Is this therapist the same one who told you "maybe your parents do not understand you because you haven't explained that to them?"

It seemed you were already feeling invalidated from what I read in that post.

I understand you're feeling abandoned, just when you reached out to fix things.

I hope this will be an opportunity to find someone better to work with.

[mizzou7016 in reply to Nothing_but_books]

that was/is my thinking....if she already feels invalidated.....that would be an even bigger part of it....I struggle with this one also.....but for me that goes back to having self esteem and self motivation issues..

[Nothing_but_books in reply to mizzou7016]

Self motivation issues. Oh boy I hear you.

[Rufus07 in reply to mizzou7016]

Oh I hear you too. Especially the self esteem issues

[mizzou7016]

my question to you is why do you feel it is a failed therapy...If you have even 1 positive interaction with her...then it has been successful....in my opinion part of a therapist's job is to make a person feel safe in their enviornment...if you don't feel safe around them.....they can't effectively do their jobs.....in my case....I feel comfortable around my current mental health professional...but I am looking to change to someone who has more experience in helping 1st responders. Change may be for the better.....

[b1b1b1]

You imply that you have had more than one failed therapy. What were the reasons for these other failures?

[CatPerson2]

I am sorry you are going through that. I was lucky to find a psychotherapist with whom I clicked right away. If there is any way you can find a different person, I hope you do so. You really need someone who understands you and with whom you feel compatible.

[Catt02]

So sorry it's been so rough going. Glad you're here. 🌿🌿🌿