For those receiving professional help: Does your therapist know you visit this forum?

[Breakfast0fChampions]

Well, do they know? If you've told them, did you tell them very much about it? Have they expressed any opinions about it? Do you think or do you know if they've visited the site?

I have not told my therapist. I'm not sure what she would think about it, honestly.

[Canadian Brotha]

I've not been to a session in a few months now but when I went I mentioned I was using an anxiety forum. My psychiatrist didn't really say anything about it at all. I'm sure some would but it was like saying the weather is nice you acknowledge it & move on in the conversation

[LostPancake]

i did, i was kind of surprised that she didn't seem to be aware of these sites. maybe she doesn't treat too many people with SA? and i was a bit paranoid at first that she would stalk me or something, but later i thought, why would she even want to do that? although i could see her checking out some of the sites just to get a general idea of what they're like.

[rcapo89]

Originally Posted by Breakfast0fChampions

Well, do they know? If you've told them, did you tell them very much about it? Have they expressed any opinions about it? Do you think or do you know if they've visited the site?

I have not told my therapist. I'm not sure what she would think about it, honestly.

Interesting question... It has been 3 months since I went to therapy but I suspect I know what she would say. She would first ask me if it helps me cope. Then she would infer that I'm spending too much time on this site and not enough time in the real world making friendships.

[serolf]

Originally Posted by rcapo89

Interesting question... It has been 3 months since I went to therapy but I suspect I know what she would say. She would first ask me if it helps me cope. Then she would infer that I'm spending too much time on this site and not enough time in the real world making friendships.

And then what would you say? (if I may ask)

[Haydsmom2007]

I wouldn't tell my therapist if I had one. I would be so embarassed =\. I haven't told anyone that I have an account on here. If my mom comes in the room I quickly minimize the window lol.

[Larkspur]

I haven't specifically told my therapist about this forum (I'm pretty new here), but I have mentioned that I was looking at online support group-type things before. I didn't go into many details [usernames or actual site names] because I knew it would make me anxious in the long run.

My therapist was actually really supportive of it all. She actually encourages me to use Facebook and different sites (such as this) to get in contact with people that I used to know, as well as new people. I suffered from agoraphobia, so she is supportive of me trying to interact with other people again be it online or in person. Of course, she does tell me to be very careful when talking to/thinking about meeting up with people that I meet on the internet - which is understandable.

[redtogo72]

Do you think your doctor would see one of your posts and know it's you? Most just don't have the time or desire to do so. They spend a lot of time with patients and rather separate their work from their home/social life.

I think one of my doctors wouldn't want me to use the internet much to socialize when I could be doing it outside instead. I remember telling him him that I liked to play the piano. He said I didn't really like it, and that I was just using it to avoid people. I still think of it as a ridiculous thing to say.

A big part of getting better is just being confident and satisfied with what you are doing. Now it's a lot more socially acceptable to use computers. When I was growing up the "cool" kids wouldn't touch them. Now everyone wants to be on your Facebook.

I just think it's natural at a mental health site we have to question so much about what we do. I go to a basketball forum and I've never contemplated that the forum was affecting my 3 point shot. All I mean by this is that my life might not be going as well as I'd like it to, but I don't think reading and posting at this site is much of a problem. Sometimes when I'm depressed or upset, I'll go to the extreme by eliminating things in my life that I generally like. I find doing that to be a much more self-destructive behavior.

[pixies]

Originally Posted by Breakfast0fChampions

Well, do they know? If you've told them, did you tell them very much about it? Have they expressed any opinions about it? Do you think or do you know if they've visited the site?

I have not told my therapist. I'm not sure what she would think about it, honestly.

I know what mine would say. She would be supportive of it, but she would try to encourage me to interact with real people instead of people over the internet. In fact that's pretty much ALL she talks about. She just wants me to get out and do stuff with real people, and she sees that as the solution to all my problems.

I agree with her.

[clandestine]

I've mentioned it once or twice, just saying how I found this site and took comfort in the fact that there are other people out there going through the same thing. Yeah, I felt lame admitting it out-loud.

[millenniumman75]

Yes. He approves of it and my mad moderational skillz.

[Prakas]

Originally Posted by Haydsmom2007

I wouldn't tell my therapist if I had one. I would be so embarassed =\. I haven't told anyone that I have an account on here. If my mom comes in the room I quickly minimize the window lol.

+1

[Iced Soul]

Not one person knows anything about this site and it will be staying that way. Not really because I'm ashamed of it or anything, because I'm really not.
With my family, they probably wouldn't care and would probably tease me about it. I'm tired of being teased about SA and depression. I don't need to give them something else to tease me about.
With my friends. They know me, but they don't know anything about my SA or depression. They probably wouldn't believe it because none of that shows up around them. I told one friend and she didn't believe it at all.
My therapist would be all, 'That's so great! You're reaching out to people! How is it? Who do you talk to? What do you talk about? Do you share anything on there? Do you start topics?' and on and on. I'd rather not go into all of that.

[Alys]

my therapist doesn't know, but I've only seen her once so she doesn't know much of anything else about me either...don't know if i'm going to tell her ever..

[Breakfast0fChampions]

Originally Posted by redtogo72

Do you think your doctor would see one of your posts and know it's you? Most just don't have the time or desire to do so. They spend a lot of time with patients and rather separate their work from their home/social life.

It never crossed my mind that my therapist might look for my posts or know it was me. I was just wondering if anyone's therapist has come onto the site to see what it's like.

To be honest I think some therapists might discourage spending too much time on here because of the negativity. I imagine my therapist might suggest so. If I told her I went on here she'd probably ask me for an estimate of daily time spent, and that's when she'd be concerned and encourage me to spend less time here and on the internet in general. But as others have experienced with their therapists, she might not ask me anything more about it or care at all.

What I don't think she would do is express encouragement. She really wants me to expand my socializing beyond a support group setting, which I agree is the best idea.

[Breakfast0fChampions]

Originally Posted by Haydsmom2007

I wouldn't tell my therapist if I had one. I would be so embarassed =\. I haven't told anyone that I have an account on here. If my mom comes in the room I quickly minimize the window lol.

Why would you be embarrassed to tell a therapist? Therapists are there to help.

And, well, if they made fun of you or anything you could just stop visiting them and then they get less dinero.

[rcapo89]

Originally Posted by serolf

And then what would you say? (if I may ask)

Well I would have to agree with her about not interacting with people in the "real" world.
I have a fear bordering on paranoia that she will visit this site and may even become a member so she can spy on me.

[mind_games]

Originally Posted by rcapo89

Well I would have to agree with her about not interacting with people in the "real" world.
I have a fear bordering on paranoia that she will visit this site and may even become a member so she can spy on me.

Hah, I did have that fear, but nah, she was so busy, sometimes she didn't even have time to read through all my emails. She was great though; and I mean it.

She was very supportive of me visitng this site (with moderation of course). I was just beginning to get to grips with SA and she felt like SAS was important as a source of acceptance for me. Where I didn't have to feel so odd. I finished my uni courses and then wasn't eligible to see her.

My current doc doesn't know about this site. I only got so far as saying I have 'online' support and he won't have any more of it lol. He is firmly of the opinion that I need to mix with outgoing people in order to get improve.

[Indigo Flow]

Originally Posted by Haydsmom2007

I wouldn't tell my therapist if I had one. I would be so embarassed =\. I haven't told anyone that I have an account on here. If my mom comes in the room I quickly minimize the window lol.

I do exactly the same, but i'm pretty sure they know i'm doing it

[XxArmyofOnexX]

She knows, but its not specific. I told her its "an anxiety forum", no other details were told