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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 17:30:41
It was the weirdest thing. My therapist greeted me today by asking me how I was and saying he had tried to return my phone call. I was confident he had me confused with another client again. But he showed me my number on his phone's call log, and I had called. At midnight. I looked at my phone, and sure enough I had called. At the stroke of midnight.
He said that he hadn't responded at first, although he'd been awake, because he knows that sometimes I just like to call to hear his message, and that's ok with him. But then he thought again and realized that I rarely called outside office hours, and never in the middle of the middle of the night. So he got worried and called back.
I didn't answer the phone of course. It was in my purse in another room. And I'd forgotten to turn my ringer back on (again).
My phone once called my husband one time, without my direct help. But my purse had been on my shoulder where it was likely to have been squeezed. And both my husband and my therapist are on picture speed dial. (My therapist smiled when he found out. He's one of my fave four. I don't have fave five.) If the phone gets hit right, it could easily dial him.
But my phone was in its holder in my purse. And my purse was sitting quietly in another room. None of the dogs had access to that room.
I told my therapist I hadn't called him. I knew I hadn't because I'd woken up at 11:30 pulling my hair, literally. I'm not sure if I pulled my own hair in my dream, or if I just clenched my fist while it was in my hair and accidentally yanked it. But I woke up, looked at the clock, and went back to sleep. It had been a really rough night. I had had one hysterical burst of crying, and I was way overstimulated. My therapist thought I might have sleep called him. I didn't think it was overly likely because if I did sleep call him, I think I'd have used the phone by my bed, not my cell phone in the other room in my purse.
It really scared me.
I think I've decided that something must have shifted in my purse and pressed his face. Or maybe my phone knew what a rough night I had, and thought I needed to speak to my therapist. It should have made it a conference call, so I could have been there.
He was really nice about it. He believed me completely when I said I didn't remember calling him. I offered to take him off my speed dial, and he assured me that wasn't necessary. It had only happened once, and he didn't want me to be hasty. He understands that it soothes me to see his face on my phone. And he told me that of course he wasn't angry. That if anyone had earned the right to call him at midnight if I needed him, it was me.
We moved on to talk about the puppy.
At the end of every session, he tells me to call him if I need him. I think I started the tradition by asking, and he started offering it, and now it's a ritual. If he forgets, I've been known to hail him from down the hall, and he'll laugh and add it. Today he told me to call him if I need him, even if it's at midnight. I wonder if he doesn't quite believe my purse called him.
You know, he really is a sweet therapist sometimes.
Posted by Dory on September 7, 2007, at 18:01:30
In reply to My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 17:30:41
i know some of it disturbs you, but the way you have written it makes it sound pretty funny. i snickered through most of it.
the sleep calling though... it's a dream/sleep/wake combo, you don't do things the way you would when awake. i do a LOT of weird things that don't make sense. So, it is completely possible that you went to the other room and either dialed him or rummaged in your purse or whatever other thing that may have activated the phone.
it doesn't mean you'll do it ever again, or anything else like that. But having a lot of stress is a big factor in making that stuff happen. Our poor brains can't shut down completely for sleep.
i'm more than jealous at his willingness to talk afterhours and let you have a picture.
Posted by TherapyGirl on September 7, 2007, at 18:24:06
In reply to My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 17:30:41
Indeed he is sweet, Dinah. I'm so glad he's there for you.
Weirdness about your phone, though. Freaky Friday!!!
Posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 18:59:06
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think. » Dinah, posted by TherapyGirl on September 7, 2007, at 18:24:06
I just listened to his voicemail. He was businesslike, but also concerned. I need to figure out how to save it for longer than forty days.
I'm really glad he's here for me too.
I'm also glad that you're feeling connected with your therapist as well. I knew there had to be something still there after all these years. Even if you can't feel it sometimes.
Posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 19:05:10
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by Dory on September 7, 2007, at 18:01:30
It was kind of funny. Even when I was close to hyperventilating and lost my words to speak. Because of my therapist I think. He was so calm and matter of fact, and made it sound perfectly ok if I called him without remembering it. It's what I like best about him. He can be so calm and soothing and unflappable.
Because my therapist's first choice of diagnosis for me would be DD-NOS, the idea that I could have called him without knowing it was terrifying to me. I've always been so reassured that I've never lost time. He calmed me down and talked about doing things when we're half asleep that we won't remember later.
Don't be too jealous. :) I asked him if I could take a picture when he took a job that would have him out of town a week or more a month. And he agreed because I was also pressing for a backup therapist, and he didn't like that idea. And he wasn't always so cheerful about calls either, never mind midnight ones. It took years and a lot of work to build this relationship.
Posted by seldomseen on September 7, 2007, at 19:42:34
In reply to My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 17:30:41
Actually, my purse calls people all the time, although my pocket usually calls more.
I've also done some pretty weird things in my sleep to my hair. I've also woken up crying, laughing and sometimes just gnawing.
I think everything is okay and you didn't lose time.
Seldom.
Posted by Honore on September 7, 2007, at 20:41:05
In reply to My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 17:30:41
Maybe penelope called your T, or maybe you do have a highly intuitive purse. Whatever it was-- it's great that you were able to talk about it, and feel his concern. I hope that helps a little in the circumstances.
Are you doing any better today than the last few days? I hope so.
Thanks for your good thoughts. I'll write about things later, if I can, but I appreciate your thinking about me.
Honore
Posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 20:44:16
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by seldomseen on September 7, 2007, at 19:42:34
Thanks. :)
By the time he got through reassuring me and telling me funny sleep stories I felt better, even if my purse didn't call him. But I'm pretty sure it did.
I activated keylock. I don't think it affects the touchscreen though. So I really hope it's not something to do with his picture.
Posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 20:50:35
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think. » Dinah, posted by Honore on September 7, 2007, at 20:41:05
I'm sure she would if she could. :) He's totally on her side.
The puppy has definitely quit trying to kill one of the two, so only Pen's still a problem. Today was reasonably quiet actually, because I gave both of us a break and kept her away. I don't think it's fair to her to do that indefinitely though. He needs to stop hurting her.
Posted by Dory on September 8, 2007, at 18:51:17
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think. » Dory, posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 19:05:10
i had no idea about your dx... no wonder you were upset, the fear of losing time. But you know, he's right, losing time or memory during any time closely related to sleep is not ususally something to worry about. i have gotten up with grass on my feet...wonder where i went? i've also locked myself out, fallen down and beaten myself up badly. No memory until i woke up with a mouthfull of floor. Sleep is a wacky thing.
i am still jealous. i'm not jealous of the time it took you to get what you have, but i am jealous of what you have now. There is no way i will be able to afford to see my T for a long time.. no chance. i shouldn't be seeing him now honestly.
Posted by annierose on September 8, 2007, at 23:15:08
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think. » Dory, posted by Dinah on September 7, 2007, at 19:05:10
My friends that use blackberries or especially treos (trios?) complain all the time about their phone randomly calling people when their phone is idling. It's like the computer gets a jolt and it wakes up and hits a wire and before you know it, your t is on the other line.
Posted by Dinah on September 8, 2007, at 23:29:57
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by annierose on September 8, 2007, at 23:15:08
Yes! It's a Treo!
Thank you Annierose. The accidental face hitting was unlikely under the circumstances, and that worried me. But a computer burp makes perfect sense.
Posted by Dinah on September 8, 2007, at 23:32:46
In reply to Re: My purse called my therapist, I think., posted by Dory on September 8, 2007, at 18:51:17
I do like what we have now. Not as much as I liked what we had a couple of years ago. But I do like it.
I'm wound up tight as a string again tonight. Positively vibrating. While I don't think I sleep called him, sleep yanking out my hair doesn't seem unreasonable to fear.
This is the end of the thread.
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