nonjudgmental therapist, but it is a futile effort at times. Like today, for instance. Return of the emotional wreck that is Weepy Woman. She is the only client who truly tests my buttons and whom I honestly dread having to see once a month for the mandatory counseling session. It's always something with her, mostly full of 'blah, blah, blah. whine, whine, whine.' And cry, cry, cry from her...which makes me want to cry, cry, cry. Ugh. Today was just weird. Plus, she smelled like spoiled milk today. Her breath? I don't know.She goes off these tangents of things that happened years ago, living so lucidly in the past. It really confuses me how someone can still be stuck in the 1980's, talking about a trip she took to New York way back when, but talking as if it happened last week. I had to clarify when she went on this trip because she doesn't seem to live in the year 2008. And when I can redirect her to talk about what's going on in her life NOW, I get to hear about the consistency of her shit (literally, SHIT) versus the consistency of her mother's shit...because apparently they both have multiple health issues. Ok, I'm NOT a medical doctor. I'm not a psychiatrist. I'm especially not a doctor who specializes in gastrointestinal problems. I don't want to hear about bodily function routines. Help!
I think I would rather see the character of "Norman" from the movie "Psycho" in a session than this individual. What really got me trying to stifle laughter though was when she said that her high blood pressure and cholesterol medications have side effects of making her overly emotional. Ah, so this is why she cries EVERY time I see her? Does anyone else on these aforementioned meds cry all the time? I also got to hear about how she doesn't like to swim because her butt sticks out and she has to doggy paddle. Is this 'real' counseling folks?
Then, I go to collect her urine for a drug test and when she comes back into my office to give it to me, she says something about how the tape on the bottle is broken. I try explaining to her that it's broken because she opened the bottle to use it and that all bottles are taped shut before used, broken after they have been open. Common sense, but common doesn't work with an uncommon mind. I feel like a bad counselor when I have to interact with her. I wish I could refuse to work with those that I am unable to establish a therapeutic rapport with, despite all the patience and compassion I can muster with total wherewithal. But I can't.
But I CAN be totally happy the last day that I have to see this woman for counseling. February 22, 2008 to be exact. It will be a joyous, memorable day of celebration in my professional life as a substance abuse counselor. Is that so wrong of me?
2 comments:
I kept reading and reading and I never got to the money shot. At what point did she start crying?
The crying began when she started talking about how her blood pressure and cholesterol meds make her overly emotional...and cried more after that as she recalled a conversation she had with her mother a few weeks ago.
And after all I have to endure with her, she had the nerve to complain to my boss yesterday about something I won't give her (to come in to the clinic less often, even though I've told her before she's not eligible for that kind of thing).
My boss told me that apparently "Weepy Woman" also told him she feels 'closer' to Carol. WHAT? Carol says "Hi" to her and that's it. Purely delusional.
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