Is it normal to be mildly exhausted after talk therapy?

I've been to therapists on and off all my adult life. I've never felt tired afterwards, or at least never noticed. This time, though? Noticeably tired.

73 points · 13 comments · view on lemmy.world

13 Comments

watson387@sopuli.xyz · 28 pts · 189d

Yes. Talk therapy can bring up a lot of stress and emotion. That shit can wear you the fuck out.

TribblesBestFriend@startrek.website · 19 pts · 189d (1 reply)

It can. Disclosures: I don’t go to therapist actually but I have

Being in therapy is an highly emotional and intellectual work. There’s a saying in education : 1h of physical work is 1h of your battery, 1h of intellectual work(with intense concentration) is 3h on your battery and emotional work is 6h on your battery. That’s why a kid crying for 1h can fall asleep on you.

There’s no science behind this (IIRC) but the point is that emotional work is energy consuming

GrayBackgroundMusic@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 189d

Huh. Never heard of those ratios but it makes sense they'd exist. I'm a firm believer in spoon theory.

sem@piefed.blahaj.zone · 14 pts · 189d

Yes, or majorly exhausted. But you can tell your therapist if you need to be functional after and they will help u out.

southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 189d

Mildly?

My mental health homie, full on coma inducing exhaustion wouldn't be unusual (well, it's hyperbolic but you get the point).

There is very little more taxing than the kind of intensive wringer that a serious therapy session can be. Even less challenging sessions can leave people numb, wiped, or otherwise just burnt out.

If you're doing the work, therapy will at some point be stressful. At the very least, needing nap or a cuddle is totally normal

betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 189d

Happens to me too sometimes. Might be heavy topics that I'm still dwelling on or something I'm feeling better about (but maybe had been losing sleep over previously). Given the time of year, vitamin D deficiency is something else I'd consider but not as my first thought.

Strider@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 189d

Mildly?!?!?

HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club · 6 pts · 189d

I would assume so given the mental labor. I'd be more concerned if I wasn't exhausted after a session.

trashcroissant@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 189d

Yep, after therapy is usually a 1-2 hr cry followed by a 2-3 hr nap. Either that or I feel fantastic and lighter and super productive. There is no inbetween.

Nemo@midwest.social · 5 pts · 189d

Pretty normal, in my experience.

itkovian@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 189d

Yup. It is exhausting AF.

Pudutr0n@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 189d

yep

Fokeu@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 189d

Yes

Ryoae@piefed.social · 2 pts · 188d
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