Do you feel worse after therapy? Ruining your MH?

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My therapist pushes her values on me. I did what she wanted and made friends in the community. But as for me specifically speaking, I’m too introverted and schizophrenic and anxious (GAD) to maintain friendships.

Therapist is of no help when I’m needing to maintain friendships. I don’t have much friend experience because: crazy.

So now I’m trying to just be left alone but friends have my phone number.

Therapist says to just keep socializing doesn’t say how, doesn’t offer help. Therapist just says to remember “my” values (aka her values). And I have a hard time saying “no” to a person even if it’s going to harm me somehow.

I’m in a really bad situation. I just want a new phone number. I really don’t want therapy anymore.

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I kind of think therapists are a mixed bag based on what I have heard both here, and in ‘real life’.

I have never been to a therapist.

I have been tempted to recently, mostly to vent out my problems, but I am having a hard time convincing myself its worth the money when you never know what kind of quality you are going to get.

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I dont wanna socialize either. I thinking having a couple people in your life is fine if thats what you want. Some people are happy in complete solitude. I need one or two people that i can rely on, but beyond that i dont have the energy to maintain friendships. And i dont like many people anyway

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I think if your therapist isn’t helping you, you should find a new therapist. Good therapists do exist and so do bad ones just like any other field. I have an excellent therapist now, although I’m in a one year program and when the year is over, I will no longer see her but will have to see someone else

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If does not work for me either

:person_shrugging:

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I find therapy pointless. I don’t need anybody analysing me. Auditing or assessing.

I’m content in life with a daily routine at home. And I don’t need to see friends or family to stay happy.

My voices can keep me company but I don’t care about them either.

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I’ve never had a good fit with a therapist, until maybe now. In fact, I have a virtual visit with her today. She’s very “real” and honest, easy to talk to, non-judgmental, and wise. Today will only be my third time seeing her. It can be a really long journey to find the right therapist, but I think that once you find them, it’s totally worth it.

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Having you socialize is not pushing values. It is encouraging you to engage in an activity that is important to your mental health. If she told you how to vote or or to cover up more when you dress, that is pushing values.

Suggest looking up videos for help with socializing on YouTube. There are many helpful ones for those of us who are introverted.

I’m not sure what her values are. I would think of the values to use as displaying good manners or politeness and kindness toward other.s

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I was abused and at one point had to attend therapy with roll of mother ond n her husband and the therapist was their personal friend .

Possibly sadist like them and they paid hwr lot and all three of them bullied and opressed me and i had no voice.

When j spoke truth they all three said im a liar.

It was horrible.

I lost faith in therapy for me personally after that n some other experiences.

Not help me but destroy me n take my voice n self from me.

I will try therapy again but jopefully eith caution n boundaroes n quit when i want.

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I had 6 zoom sessions with a therapist based in London. It brought up all kinds of thoughts and feallings. It was beneficial to my MH and am glad I did it.

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It’s very difficult to find a decent therapist

Most of them are quacks to say the least.

I’ve only had one dedicated and competent therapist in all these years.

The one I have now just checks up on me every week by phone for like 10 minutes.

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3 years of therapy. Never again. I’m sure good ones are out there.

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Thanks for all the input and advice and the shared experiences everyone. Appreciate it all.

Well I ended up agreeing to go to evening movie because friends invited and therapist pressured. Even though I’m not up to it and it isn’t something I want to do/value.

I socialize with family and hubby and I don’t have much free time or spare energy.

So I texted friends and canceled movie.

I hate that my therapist pressures me and that I’m so easily persuaded. I am so stupid.

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Maybe try exercises in therapy books?

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My current case manager/counselor is making me feel worse about myself.

Getting someone else soon.

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The person I’m doing video sessions is an OK guy, but the sessions are pushing my ‘I needed this and more 50 years ago’ button. It took till I was 60, and my daughter talking to mental health services,here in Wiltshire for it to be seen that I had genuine difficulties, and wasn’t an awkward sod with a character defect..

That’s hard to cope with psychologically, but not something I express to my current team, as they’re not to blame for what happened before. I’ve been here nearly 8 years, and there’s been no heated words exchanged. In Essex it was nowhere near as good.

:triangular_flag: Consequences of Non-Recognition

1. **Misinterpretation as Character Defects**

* Struggles with planning, prioritising, organisation, and spatial/motor tasks may be labelled as *“lazy,” “careless,” “unmotivated,” or “inattentive”* rather than understood as genuine cognitive difficulties.
* Slower processing speed may be perceived as *“not trying”* or *“intentionally difficult”*.
* Poor autobiographical memory may lead others to believe the person is *“lying” or “making excuses.”*

2. **Loss of Appropriate Support**

* Without recognition, no accommodations are provided (e.g., extra time, structured routines, external aids).
* The person has to constantly **mask weaknesses** and over-rely on their strengths, which is exhausting.
* Lack of targeted occupational/educational supports reduces opportunities for independence.

3. **Impact on Self-Esteem and Mental Health**

* Continuous negative feedback → internalisation of “I’m broken” or “I’m a failure.”
* High ability in some areas but repeated failures in daily life can create a painful mismatch between *potential* and *functioning*.
* Increased risk of **depression, anxiety, and burnout**.
* In schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, this can also exacerbate **cognitive decline** and social withdrawal.

4. **Social Consequences**

* Social communication = *classical autism level* → very clear social understanding difficulties.
* Social interaction = *Asperger’s level* → desire to connect, but frequent misunderstandings.
* Others may interpret bluntness, rigidity, or literalness as rudeness or arrogance, when it’s actually part of the neurodevelopmental profile.
* Adaptive functioning **well below IQ** leads others to assume *“he could do it if he wanted to”*, not realising the gap is neurologically based.

5. **Practical Life Impact**

* Difficulty maintaining work, education, or independent living without supports.
* High verbal/numerical reasoning may mask practical struggles → people assume competence in all areas, leading to a lack of reasonable accommodations.
* Risk of social isolation due to misunderstanding and stigma.

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