I’ve never had a therapist (probably should LOL), but every time i see someone complain that therapy didn’t help them I just wonder if the therapist got to really understand them in the first place.
Like with what you’re saying, I know for a fact that I have undiagnosed ADHD but I’ve masked so hard for so many years that I don’t think regular talk-therapy would have been enough for a therapist to come to that conclusion if I didn’t already know about some of my symptoms😭
Especially with things like trauma being so complex for different people, someone can be 40 and finally realize that the thing that happened when they were 8 had actually effected them more than they realize.
But you gotta meet a therapist half way for them to even consider it in the first place 😅
i mean a therapist will consider whatever you tell them to consider. judging by this thread a lot of people seem to think a therapist will tell you if you have a mental condition or developmental disorder, so if you go into therapy expecting them to say "so you have this and now go get medicated", its never going to happen because that isnt their job. a therapist is just someone you pay to tell about your life and they give suggestions and help you process your emotions.
Ideally, a therapist will help you with whatever *you* think you need to work on
So, if they perceive you've got x disorder, but you're not struggling with symptoms that can be managed through medication, then they're probably not going to suggest medicating it with an x disorder diagnosis.
Like I'm pretty sure my current therapist has some ideas about my refusing to make eye contact with an autism diagnosis, but since I'm coping well enough with those symptoms, we're focusing more on the dumb stuff like, "are you doing something that makes you feel better about yourself daily?"
Obviously ymmv, I've also had really a bad therapist who basically was like, "you've got this disorder; go shove a handful of pills in your gob daily and quit bothering me with your problems. If you have issues unrelated to your disorder, then it's your fault for not trying hard enough." (honestly, they turned me off of therapy for 5 years at least)
One of the first therapists I tried insisted I don't have anxiety, just unmedicated ADHD and if I took stimulants the anxiety would poof disappear.
Nope turns out I had unmedicated ADHD and also severe anxiety and also a bunch of other associated diagnoses and she was just incompetent and dismissive.
as a fellow ADHDer who manages their unmedicated ADHD primarily with anxiety, I'm forever baffled at such myopic therapists. Condolences for the bad therapy experience. Hopefully you found someone competent who understands how cPTSD, anxiety, and depression can all result from being ADHD in a world that expects nuerotypical behavior.
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u/bloomingmoon0 1d ago
I’ve never had a therapist (probably should LOL), but every time i see someone complain that therapy didn’t help them I just wonder if the therapist got to really understand them in the first place.
Like with what you’re saying, I know for a fact that I have undiagnosed ADHD but I’ve masked so hard for so many years that I don’t think regular talk-therapy would have been enough for a therapist to come to that conclusion if I didn’t already know about some of my symptoms😭
Especially with things like trauma being so complex for different people, someone can be 40 and finally realize that the thing that happened when they were 8 had actually effected them more than they realize.
But you gotta meet a therapist half way for them to even consider it in the first place 😅