Spoke to my therapist today...

[Steph]

So I saw my therapist today and I got up the courage to mention this to her. She had heard of it before! I explained what I found online, and how I knew doctors didn't trust patients who researched their own stuff online, but she said this made a lot of sense. She said she's worked with other people who do this, and that it's quite common, especially in very smart people who get bored very easily. She didn't think there was anything wrong with it, except the part where I don't feel like I'm living in real life and the part where I get very anxious and depressed when daydreaming about certain stuff. She said the goal would be to reach the point where it starts to negatively affect me and learn to stop there. She wants me to try some exercises to stay in the present, like mindfulness techniques. I don't have this that bad - I have a social life, relationships, jobs - so I don't need medication and this is probably going to help me. I wouldn't take medication anyway. I try to do everything without it. I'm on birth control hormone therapy, but that's it, and that's only for depression, which has all but gone away. I use a sun lamp for light therapy too. My therapist recommended I try a small dose of medication for panic attacks, but I'm trying really hard not to need it. I think it's important to find a therapist who doesn't push medicine on you. It's better to try without first.

 

Another thing she said was that this is very normal "for me." It made me realize that there is no real definition of what's normal, that everyone just has their own standards of normal and whatever makes you feel happy and healthy is the best thing for you.

 

Good luck to everyone else!

[Steph]

Well we haven't worked on anything specific yet, I just told her about it. Basically, she wants me to try mindfullness techniques (which I've used to help me with my other problems). I do a lot of yoga and exercising and try to meditate, and those are the examples that work best for me. I read Buddhist literature, which talks a lot about staying in the present and that helps too. I made a list of things that bring me back to reality, sometimes as simple as making a cup of tea. I think it would be different for everyone, but it has to be something that consumes all your energies so that you're focused on one thing. I work at the restaurant as a hostess, and that's a great job for me because I'm so busy a rarely have time to daydream. There are other techniques to do when I'm out and about, like focusing on the senses: what I see, feel, smell and hear. Touch seems to work best for me. If I'm really getting out of it, I try to feel something like a wall or something with a distinct feeling and really focus on that. She recommended I read this book called "The Power of Now" which is all about stuff like that. I haven't picked it up yet, but I'll look into it. Hope this helps!

[Christina]

Would you please talk a bit more about the exercises she recommended please? I'd like to try them.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Not every therapist is all about drugs.  It sounds like this doc is focusing on helping her through therapy & that drugs are only a small part of it.  It's up to her what she does.  If the drugs don't work and/or she doesn't want to take them she doesn't have to.  I'm not a huge fan of therapy mostly because it doesn't usually work for me.......but that's just me.  I know a lot of people say it helps them, so if it does, great.

[David Phillips]

I've never liked medicine for the mind.  Using chemicals to alter receptors seems like it completely avoids the truth of the matter.  The fact that I'm at the beginning of a journey and need to keep moving forward to reach happiness.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

Exactly.  Other people think they're normal and that anyone else is defective.  That's why we have to speak up.  

I'm so glad you found a doc who's willing to accept something that's not in the DSM.  This is exactly the kind of doc I like.  If the doc is open-minded, it doesn't matter if they've heard of this or not because they'll work with you.  I'm glad.  I hope you have some success.  We're here for you and rooting for you.