Stopping therapy as I've overshared.

[Primrose9999]

I don't think I can go to my next session. I am too embarrassed about something I have recently disclosed. I'm frustrated as the appointments were helping. I'm so used to keeping an aspect of my life quiet that it feels so alien to have spoken these words out loud. I've done nothing but beat myself up over it since.

The disclosure involves another person, too and if they knew I'd shared this information, they'd never speak to me again.

The irrational part of me thinks that the other person will find out. Then my life is over. Realistically, I know I'm protected by confidentiality.

It's so messy. How do I get past this? I thought I was progressing, but my depression and insomnia are terrible now. I think the easiest option is to quit therapy, but then I'm stuck here, which isn't a good place.

Sorry, I've not asked any questions really. I'm just using this to get thoughts out of my head.

Sounds like actually you’ve had a breakthrough, you shared exactly the thing you needed to - the most difficult thing - and your therapist is there to help support you with these feelings.

Go back to therapy and share all your feelings of fear and regret and keep going.

Go back and talk through these feelings with your therapist first.

Please believe me when I say there is NOTHING you can say to your therapist that will cause them to think badly of you. What's huge to you is very probably something they've heard - or a variation of - many times before. As others have said please have the courage to discuss this issue with your therapist; you will feel relief when you do.

This is what therapy is for. It is messy! Take these feelings to your therapist. They will not judge you. X

Go back with this to your therapist, and start off by talking about your huge reaction to whatever you disclosed. This suggests it’s important, and this could be a very good thing for you therapeutically.

Thanks for your advice. It's hard to sit with this feeling until the next session. I'm hopeful that writing this post will help me with that.

Sitting with your feelings until the next session is part of the therapy. Those times you feel uncomfortable after a session, find yourself reflecting & ruminating, all the difficult awkward feelings, is where you want to be.

It’s very difficult, but it means you’ve gone below surface level. Shame is a very strong & fundamental emotion, it’s what often (subconsciously) drives someone to enter therapy.

Your therapist will very likely have picked up on your feelings around your disclosure, this is where the real work happens. You’re doing the right thing, sitting with it. Don’t fight it, let the feelings & emotions come & notice them. You’ll be ok, & you won’t have shocked your therapist 💪.

OP -wrote down as many thoughts about how you feel and take that to your next session. I find I can minimise my own feelings over a period of time.

Thank you. I've just sat and wrote about what's bothering me. It's a lot to read, but it's cleared my mind slightly.

I have some very negative coping mechanisms which I've done well to rely less on. This has set me back, unfortunately. Hopefully it's just a temporary blip.

I really appreciate your responses.

I absolutely get how hard it is to sit with uncomfortable feelings, but one of the things therapy is helping me either is doing just that, and helping me to feel supported while I look at why I find it so hard.

Genuinely, I would see this as indicating progress rather than a blip. Good luck with it all.

Well done OP. Share your thoughts at your next session. Sounds like real progress to me.

It’s completely confidential OP and not at all the same as talking to a friend. Great that you’ve done it.

It’s not possible to overshare in therapy. Uncomfortable feelings though are very normal. Keep going and work through them. Best of luck.

Its okay to share information and reach a conclusion together with your therapist.

It sounds like you're developing some really good coping mechanisms OP. You're going to therapy which is great, and it sounds like it's really helping. Even though you have been worried about what you shared, we can see that you're trying to tell yourself (correctly) that it won't get back to anyone, and I think you came on here at least partly hoping for some reassurance you can go back, which was a great move. Writing things down is really healthy too!

And as to what you shared, I agree with everyone else. Don't worry at all. There is no such thing as oversharing in that room. Keep up the progress you've been working so hard to make and good luck x

Your therapist won't judge you. Discussing these feelings with your counsellor might be really helpful and help you make some really good progress. I'd probably start with sharing that you've been feeling really uncomfortable about what you shared last time and would like to talk about that.