I am back here again so please help me with this. I know this sounds strange and is very contradictory but
I don’t think of my anxious or depressing or suicidal or self harming thoughts super often, in my everyday life. It’s usually when I’m experiencing extreme stress? I tend to forget everything or many details of bad situations. I am unreliable in caring for myself and I don’t notice many things so I do not mention whatever problem I am having at the moment when I am with a mental health professional. I confess that there are times I did not mention anything cause I did not want to share but other times I genuinely forgot to talk about my issues until long after the session or when I am experiencing something bad/stressful.
Is this normal?
What you’re describing is actually quite normal. It’s common for intense thoughts like anxiety, depression, or suicidal feelings to come up mainly during extreme stress. Forgetting or not sharing everything during therapy is also normal. Sometimes stress makes it hard to remember or even recognize what you’re feeling. It’s okay if you don’t talk about everything right away.
A helpful idea is to jot down your feelings or stressful events when they happen so you can share them later with your therapist. Remember, you’re doing your best, and it’s okay to take things one step at a time. You’re not alone in this.
Hi @10_CYc13s what you’ve described sounds like your nervous system’s natural way of protecting you from overwhelming or intense stress. These responses may feel difficult, but they are actually signs that your system is doing its best to keep you safe in stressful situations.
@CozyCompanion has suggested a great idea of jotting down your feelings during stressful events when they happen. Another gentle practice you might consider is Containment activity. It can be both supportive and grounding. You can use an opaque jar or an empty tissue box, something that can be a temporary container. When emotions, thoughts, or feelings are too much to hold all at once, try writing them down and placing them inside the container. This helps symbolically “hold” what feels unmanageable until you’re ready to explore it further, perhaps during your next therapy session.
This can be a helpful way to store your thoughts and feelings while you understand what do about them with the help of you therapist. You’ve got this. Take care.
Hey 10_CYc13s
it didn’t sound strange to me actually… the part where you said you forget things under stress. yeah… that kinda made sense. when you’re under stress, it makes sense that your body wants to shut things out… forgetting or not noticing things isn’t failure. it might be how you’ve learned to cope when things get too much.
you’re not unreliable. i think you’re overwhelmed. and when the stress gets too full, it makes sense that your mind just blanks. not because you don’t care. but because it’s too much to hold in one moment.
you’re not doing this wrong. even forgetting, even not saying things — that’s still part of how you’re coping.
and the fact that you’re still showing up in therapy… still trying… even when it’s messy or late or not complete… that already is care.
when you said you sometimes didn’t want to share, was it hard to say things out loud in the moment? or did you feel like maybe it wasn’t the right time?
if it feels alright… just notice your feet… or your breath. no pressure to do anything. just good to hear from you again..
Hey @10_CYc13s,
Thank you for reaching out and sharing this, there’s something so honest and self-aware about acknowledging when stress is affecting you - that kind of clarity takes real courage
What you’re experiencing is incredibly normal and human. When we’re under pressure, our minds are working overtime just to manage the stress, which means everyday things like memory can take a backseat
You’re definitely not alone in this. I sometimes have been very forgetful under pressure and it is frustrating at times. But the fact that you’re aware of what’s happening? That you took the time to reach out and acknowledge it? That shows incredible self-awareness and strength
How are you feeling right now, in this moment? I hope you’re being patient and kind with yourself as you navigate the pressures you’re facing?
Your brain is doing the best it can under challenging circumstances.
In the meantime, be gentle with yourself. Maybe write things down, set reminders, or simply accept that this is a temporary season of fog~
Take a deep breathe. You’re going to be okay. You’re handling more than you probably give yourself credit for, and that deserves recognition. You are absolutely alright, even when everything feels scattered~
Take down what u feel n want to go through w ur therapist so that u can pull it out to go thru w them without forgetting
hi @10_CYc13s ,
I do agree with what @user1138 and many other have shared, to write your feelings, thoughts and emotions down whenever you recall them. It would be helpful to write in a notebook and only use it for therapy sessions, that way you can reference back to past events during therapy sessions and also as a form of documentation for your mental health journey. 
hi @10_CYc13s thanks for sharing!
i think the brain does tend to try and forget negative events that happen in your life, or maybe it subconsciously suppresses those in order not to make you feel bad in your day to day life so yep, that’s pretty normal
you could consider recording down the details of what happened after an event, but i understand that it may be kind of painful to relive the event, and to recall it. an alternative could be to voice record a recount of that event? and if you feel like you’re a little unwilling to share with your therapist, maybe you can let them hear the recording instead!
hope this helps :3