I feel like my therapist has been inconsiderate and dismissive recently, but maybe I’m just too sensitive?
So I want to start by saying that I’ve been seeing this therapist for over 4 years and I really do have a lot of respect for them and they’ve helped me through a lot of trauma/ hard times. I can think of multiple occasions where they’ve gone above and beyond what is required of them as my therapist to ensure I am safe and feel supported and cared for. Additionally, I’ve always thought we got along well. They aren’t one to sugarcoat things which I typically appreciate as I don’t want a therapist that’s a yes man. I don’t mind them calling me out when it’s truly necessary. However, recently they’ve made a few small comments that have really gotten under my skin.
Just over a month ago I was talking through my social anxiety and how I’ve been trying to kind of do exposure therapy for myself. I was talking about a social setting where I’m around teenagers and how I get in my head that they’re judging me (while laughing it off bc I know it’s silly bc like, why do I care what some random teens think of me?) and as I’m talking they cut me off to say “you know that’s a you problem right, not them.” The abrupt interruption, aggressive delivery, and shit eating grin really caught me off guard. Being that I was talking about how I’m trying to force myself into feeling more comfortable in social situations I thought it was a given that I know it’s a me problem, I didn’t need to be reminded in that way. This interaction left a bad taste in my mouth so I didn’t schedule an appointment for a month.
My first appointment back last week I was discussing my frustration with a family member who constantly tries to tell me it’s unhealthy to eat at night because it causes weight gain. And I argue back that that’s a myth (which is true) because the only thing that matters is calories in vs calories out, and I stay up late and don’t have a typical meal schedule. As I’m explaining this to my therapist and bring up that it’s a myth, once again they interrupt me for an “um actually ☝️🤓” moment to tell that that eating at night can cause issues with sleep and digestion. This annoyed me because I already know that and that wasn’t the point I was trying to make. I usually eat between 10-11 pm and then I don’t go to bed until like 1-3 am so I’m not concerned about my sleep or digestion. My point was I’m sick of a family member who has body image issues and tries to project them onto me, especially since I’ve made a ton of healthy lifestyle changes and I’ve lost 35 lbs since January. Idk maybe my therapist just misunderstood what I was saying, but if that’s the case then maybe they should have let me finish what I was saying before they interrupted me.
So yeah I don’t know, maybe I’m just extra sensitive rn as the past few months have honestly been the most difficult time of my life with the deaths of multiple close family members, and getting sober. But these interactions with them have me questioning if they dislike me or if I’ve done something to get on their nerves.