Why Therapy Can Make Us Feel Worse...

Why does therapy make us feel worse at first? If we have been stuffing things down for years and years, and finally decide to start talking about it, there can be a lot to go through, a lot to feel, and a lot to make sense of. I like to think of this process as me sorting through things and organizing them appropriately. Like if I am talking through a toxic relationship I had, in my mind it’s like I have one box that’s for the things connected directly to that person, another box for the things that are directly connected to me and my issues, and finally, another box for the things that I have attached to that relationship but really aren’t a part of it. My work in therapy is to dump out all of the stuff I have that I feel is in any way connected to that toxic relationship and sort through it. I have to figure out what’s mine to care for and what isn’t something I have any control over. But seeing all that emotional stuff just thrown out onto the floor of my mind can be hard and overwhelming at times, and, you guessed it, make me feel worse at first. Not to mention that it does take some time to dig through it all and put it into the appropriate box. So being patient with myself as I classify and categorize is important, even though it’s uncomfortable.

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
#katimorton #therapist #therapy

***ORDERING KATI'S BOOKS***

TRAUMATIZED
Available for preorder in print, ebook & audiobook

Are u ok?

******************************

JOURNALING CLUB

ONLINE THERAPY
I receive commissions on referrals and recommend services I know and trust.

PATREON

PODCASTS
Opinions That Don't Matter! & Ask Kati Anything!

Audio versions:



PO Box: 1223 Wilshire Blvd. #665 Santa Monica, CA 90403

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. MY BOOKS (in stores now)

ONLINE THERAPY

Join this channel to get access to perks:

YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CHANNEL BY SHOPPING WITH OUR AFFILIATE LINKS

PARTNERSHIP

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.

[ddlovogue]

not this being posted mere days after my first ever therapy session and before my second one scheduled for this weekend lmao 🤧

[LogicPsycho]

Sometimes constantly talking about the past can retraumatize us and keep us in a perpetual victimhood mentality. Sometimes being aware of our faults and just work through those is enough to make us better human beings and heal.

[jenniferpiper]

Sometimes Kati answers the perfect questions just at the right time when they are needed 💖

[reallifepsych]

Such an important discussion. Sometimes therapy causes us to face the traumas that we were suppressing. Self improvement begins with self awareness.

[jademorgan]

I can’t open up due to the fact that I’ve trusted the wrong people.

[claireemily]

The pain of feeling worse is what stopped me going. I wish I had someone tell me this at the time of therapy

[vnceigz]

Therapy can make you feel worse when you go into it with high hopes of getting "fixed" but end up with little to no improvement, resulting in depression of being stuck feeling this way. However, there are many, _many_ kinds of therapy and even more medications, so you just have to find a combination that works for you. The problem is that it might take a while and could cost a lot.

[claredorgan]

I started therapy 2 weeks ago and I’ve felt awful at times this week. Crying so much and feeling very fragile. My sister described talking therapy as picking at a scab and exposing an old wound.

[cetvideos]

I cried in my very first session last week because I had to admit I’ve been keeping all of my insecurities to myself. I felt so vulnerable and uncomfortable, but also feel a weight lifted being able to tell someone and have them understand and want to help me work through it. I’m glad I finally reached out for help!

[dogcatfint]

therapy is like opening a cabinet/closet that you throw everything in to (with the plan to one day go through it) and when you open the door everything falls out.

[melissafigueiraferreira]

It makes us feel worse because basically we are opening up to a complete stranger, (which is already tough in itself), who we think will make us feel better, when in reality he just stays there listening and not actually adding that much new advice or solutions to our problems. At the end of the day only we can do something for ourselves to feel better, not someone else.

[cosslogan]

I can't do zoom therapy, it just makes me feel even more isolated and depressed. So I'm stuck waiting for this mess to end.

[physicstutorials]

Love this! I'm feeling awful right now because 18 months of EMDR finally got me undissociated and now I'm stuck dealing with intense fight/flight :(

[kissedbyfireskye]

When I go to therapy I relate it to being to puking (I know not nice!) It horrible at first and your purging and feel weak from it but after resting and water you feel relived getting all the bad stuff out. I can relate to this and hope you’re all safe happy & well ❤️❤️

[twobeatheart]

Thank you for doing this. It hurts and you get frustrated. You don't walk out happy and refreshed

[Sewer.dwelling.rat.]

THANK YOU I thought I was fucking insane for not liking it

[tyraclay]

Let’s be honest this is the reason why we don’t go to therapy or the reason why we quit therapy 😬🤫

[toni]

Therapy can make us feel worse when it's not the right fit I guess. I have a lot of experience with feeling like going crazy when being in therapy. My therapist said things, and they didn't fit my views and reality. There seem to be words and phrases and techniques in therapy that trigger me which makes it scary to go to therapy again.

[wellingtonsboots]

Thank you Kati. I have experienced times when I've brought up some really hard stuff and then suddenly the session is over and I am left to deal with it. There are also those times when I realise that my therapist is only human and doesn't have a magic wand to take away the hurt.

[SlowMoBeam]

I just feel worse that I wasted $100 for an hour of me pouring out my feelings, and expressing that I desperately needed help and guidance; because nothing seems to be going right, I have no hope for the future, legitimately have no friends… and my therapist gave me the golden nugget of knowledge of “you seem fine, stop comparing yourself to others, and I’d maybe suggest branching out to more hobbies…”