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First Counselling Session

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Written by Sophie on Thursday, June 28, 2007

I had my first counselling session today. It was really good. The lady that I am seeing seems to be the type of person who can remain both impartial and supportive when I talk to her about my problems. After a few minutes of talking, and hinting to her that I had a bigger problem than what was merely written on my referral I felt I was able to open up to her. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t share my “problem” with just anyone. I am always analysing someone almost to the extreme before I make a decision. She admitted she didn’t quite understand as much as someone in my position would, but she seemed to have a really good grasp of the problem.

I explained BIID to her in the usual way, comparing it to GID. I assured her I didn’t want to be a guy and I wasn’t about to run out and make an attempt. She made some really good observations in the hour that I spent talking to her.

  1. I’m an introvert – I tend to take in information, process it privately, and then produce a nice package at the end that I can show people.
  2. I’m fairly intelligent and have good goals to keep me going in life.
  3. I need to move away from my parents and live independently as the person I feel I’m meant to be. Including the wheelchair. She agreed that me using my wheelchair is not only a good form of therapy, it gives me a greater amount of mobility compared to when I’m trying to be “normal. I am a lot more active, and I have more interest in life when I am living it from my wheelchair.
  4. Having people try to “cure” me from “the eliminate the whole problem” standpoint simply wouldn’t work because they are trying to take away a part of who I am. Losing a part of me is scary, and I already have a vague grasp on that given that my parents are trying to take away that part of me.

I shared with her several of my life experiences, things that happened in the past. I told her about my parents. A lot was discussed in the hour that we spent talking, and in a way I’m surprised I opened up that much. She could see the immense toll BIID has on my life from the perspective of having to hide a part of who I am to the people I love most. We also discussed aspects of my life like work (or lack of), my family etc.

We agreed I didn’t really need any help from the work point of view. I know what I am meant to do and I am essentially getting “my A into G”. We are going to spend the next five or so sessions discussing who I am as a person, how I’ve grown that sort of thing. It was such a relief today to be able to talk to someone in real life as the real me, and not feel condemned for it.

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9 Comments

1 On 28 June, 2007, Sean said:

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Thank you for letting us know about your therapy experience. I’m *so* glad you finally went and that you found good value in your meeting.

I’m very glad she agrees about the wheelchair as a therapeutic tool.

Points #1 and #2, well, yeah… Doh. Surely you knew that about yourself? :)

Point #3, what the heck have I been telling you for all these months? :)

Point #4, is a very good insight.

So now the question is, how are you going to handle your parents with that support you are getting from your therapist? :) No need to answer at this point, just something for you to think of.

 

2 On 28 June, 2007, Sophie said:

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LOL

1, yes
2, yes u have been telling me that…I don’t see any way of financially making that happen right now

In a way it all felt like at counselling was able to be myself, and then I got thrust back home (mum came home while I was out and is in the WORST mood).

 

3 On 28 June, 2007, Brice said:

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Oh, Sophie, whatever it takes, you need to get out from under Mum’s thumb and be your own woman!

 

4 On 29 June, 2007, Rorschach said:

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I’m sleepy so this is short. It’s really cool to see you’re trying therapy.

 

5 On 30 June, 2007, inVivo said:

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This seems good, I hope for something like this, I have been seeing a counsellor for the past 3 weeks, and will tell about it at some piont, hopefully I get a similar reaction

 

6 On 30 June, 2007, Lucien said:

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Hi there. I found an interesting thing that may be of interest to you or your councellor from the DSM IV. Here is the link to it: http://psyweb.com/Mdisord/jsp/somatization.jsp

It is on somatization disorder. Could somatization disorder be a bi-product of biid? Talk it over.

 

7 On 30 June, 2007, Sophie said:

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I only glossed over it but I personally think it couldn’t be a bi product of biid as transabled people tend to know exactly what they “need”, even when a person doesn’t have a specific disability in mind will have researched these thinks extensively. We also don’t seek treatment for fake illnesses.

 

8 On 30 June, 2007, Sean said:

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Considering that Dr. First is an editor of the DSM, and that he hasn’t made the links between BIID and somatisation, I suspect that there is no such link :)

 

9 On 2 July, 2007, Lucien said:

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Oh yeah, kinda off topic, but I remember something that has me a little worried. I was at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and was talking to a friend why I hate the infra-red camera, and I showed him why: if blue is cold, and white is hot, then why was I blue and green on the extremities?

 

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About Sophie

Sophie is transabled. She has been using a wheelchair more and more, and has wheeled "full time" for several months. She is now stuck back at her parents house without a wheelchair and having to suppress her transabledness. She looks forward to the day where she will be a para (Complete T12).