I’m facing a crisis in both physical & emotional health, intermingled, each worsening the other. -50,000/10, do not recommend. I’ve had therapists in the past, all long retired, and had to find a new one through one of those massive online lists for telehealth people. I chose a person who claimed to understand my issues and who had a conventionally Jewish name; I admit, the latter was because I thought familiarity would help.
After 3 Zoom sessions this person has sent up several, I’d say orange flags. Hurriedly diagnosing me in session 1, one of those diagnoses being of a purported medical syndrome not recognized by actual doctors, then supplying me with a lot of reading resources about that syndrome that were, by turns, scary, disgusting, and hopeless.
One of the very first questions they asked me was of my religious / spiritual background, I figured that was fair and we talked about it a little. But mostly I am talking about my health challenges and the confusion over knowing how to face them – which specialist, what medicine, what side effects to risk, how to feel better, how to hope for normality again. I cared very much about Judaism before all this started and I had other interests / hobbies too. Now all interest in everything else is gone, I am obsessed with my symptoms and if they’re worse / better / the same, I need hope and reassurance and a path to healing.
At the end of session 3 they made a strong pitch for me to get more attached to Jewish observance. To “return to Hashem” and start by lighting Shabbos candles tomorrow.
I am talking to this person because I am terrified of how I feel and need to get better, physically and emotionally. I would have understood urging exercise, meditation, yoga, breathing techniques. I kind of don’t understand “pray more” and don’t like the implication. I think I need to hunt for a better candidate but do you think that particular suggested approach was appropriate? Am I overreacting?
submitted by /u/Simbawitz
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Source: Reditt
