Need Some Advice

[awthedude]

I've got two questions.
First: Me and my friend were talking the other day and he said that I had told him something I didn't remember telling him. I would of brushed this off but it seems to happen to me a lot. I tell people things and don't remember them. Is this normal?

Second: I keep wanting to see a therapist and then, when I get up the courage to finally see one it fails me and I bail on the plain. How can I overcome this? Any advice is appreciated!

 

[David Baxter PhD]

First: Me and my friend were talking the other day and he said that I had told him something I didn't remember telling him. I would of brushed this off but it seems to happen to me a lot. I tell people things and don't remember them. Is this normal?

It isn't necessarily abnormal -- many people have this experience. Most "memory problems" are actually problems with attention or distraction -- if you aren't paying close attention to what is being said, it's likely you won't fully remember it later. If there are a lot of things going on at the time where the statement is made; if you are stressed or tired or under the influence of alcohol or another drug; or even if the information isn't all that important to you, your attention to the conversation is reduced and in turn so is the likihood you won't recall it later,

On the other hand, it can also be a symptom of certain conditions like ADHD, depression, or an anxiety disorder...

Second: I keep wanting to see a therapist and then, when I get up the courage to finally see one it fails me and I bail on the plain. How can I overcome this? Any advice is appreciated!

Daniel just posted this in another thread:

What happens when I see a psychologist

A lot of the anxiety about seeing your therapist for the first time comes from misunderstandings about what will happen in a session, and especially what will happen at that first session. Remember, that your therapist is there to support and to help you, not to criticize or judge you. In some respects, this will probably feel more like having a conversation with a trusted friend than a conversation with the principal of your high school or a stern parent.

 

[awthedude]

Thanks for the advice. It's a lot of help. I had another question about the first one I asked before. It's actually a little different than I wrote. I didn't want to tell the whole thing cuz I thought it was wierd. I remember a lot of the abuse but there's somethings I don't. Things that I didn't even think had happened. But sometimes, to my trusted friends I'll tell them things and then forget the things ive told them about the abuse. But it's more like when you wake up from a dream and try to retain it but you can't and it fades away. It's more like that. I try hard to remember what I've told them when they tell me later but I can't recall. I can recall moments before I told them anything about the abuse but the actual stuff about it I can't. I was wondering how I can stop this from happening? Thanks for all your help.