Tired after exposure and in general

[kel12347]

I'm currently working on step 2, the word vomit and several other common terms for it, and lately I've noticed that I'm tired after doing the exposure therapy. I don't think I'm retraumatizing myself or anything, because my anxiety levels are actually pretty low. Am I tired just because of the emotional work it requires to do exposure therapy? In addition, my psychiatrist just upped my Prozac dosage about a week ago, so maybe it has something do to with that, because I'm basically just tired all the time, but especially after therapy. Maybe therapy is just taking a lot more energy than I thought it would?


Also, I've got a triumph. My therapist also has me doing exposure to autopsy pictures, because I have to see them in my line of work, and I'm always worried that seeing gross stuff like that will make me vomit. I've got two sets of autopsy pictures, one of an older woman with two bullet wounds, and the other a child with severe damage to her brain (my murder case). Anyway, on the adult autopsy photos, my anxiety is less then 5 on a 100 point scale, even on the gross body cut open pictures. I still have a ways to go on the child one, mostly because it's more disturbing b/c it's a child, and the damage to her internal organs is more extensive, thus more disgusting. But I've never felt nauseous or vomited from looking at any of these pictures.


Still working hard!

[crystalmom]

Kel...good for you! Keep up the good work with your therapy!!!


As for the tiredness, my guess would be the increase in meds. I was out recently and went 5 days without them (horrible) and when I finally got them I was tired for a couple days, I think b/c of having them back in my body.


The autopsy of the murdered child would make anyone anxious. Even thinking about it makes my stomach churn. Please tell me the scum who did that is in jail???


Crystal

[kel12347]

She is currently in jail, and her bond is so high she'll never be able to post it. I'm defending her, and in a way I feel bad for her (I also feel horrible for the victim, too). My client is 21, no criminal record at all, and she's too upset about the whole thing to tell us what happened. My thought on this case is that there's a lot more going on than at first glance, but unfortunately my client is too upset to telll us.....makes it awfully hard to formulate a defense.

[crystalmom]

Kel...it must be very hard to be a defense lawyer and have to try to defend ppl who have done horrible things. I can understand that you feel bad for her, and that there is probably more than meets the eye, other than just a cold person who murders. Was it the child's mother??? That is so sad. I have to admit though, anyone who kills (and it sounds as though this child was not mearly taken easily and painlessly) should be put away and given help.


Crystal


PS...You are a very strong person to be able to do what you do....kudos!