Meet Burwell! He is the definition of a “gentle soul.” Burwell has goals in life that he wants to achieve such as getting his GED and to find a part time job. While Burwell seems very polite and inquisitive, he has debilitating hallucinations of ghosts every day, especially during classes. These ghosts seemed incredibly vivid and lifelike. The ghosts said the same thing each time, “I want to hurt you and steal from you.”
I have been working with for close to two years. Also, to note about Burwell is that he has an Intellectual Disability Disorder and answers questions in one or two words. Over the past two years, sessions seemed to be a repeating the exact same items each week.
I would suggest to the client ways to cope such as trying to talk to his hallucinations or to keep a journal about what he sees and hears each day. None of these ways to cope would stick him. Every time I asked Burwell what he does to cope he says “I ignore them.”
Our sessions began to change when I asked Burwell when he starts to see these hallucinations. The answer is, “after breakfast when class begins.” Over time I began to see how Burwell is prone to anxiety, especially when he is around a large group of people.
Burwell has come to accept that he is always going to have some form of hallucinations for the rest of his life. What has given the client hope and confidence is knowing what triggers his hallucinations and thinking ahead of when he can expect them and how to contain them. I still see Burwell on a weekly basis and he is now talking about the good grades he is getting and anticipating his GED!
If you are looking for a therapist near you and a Google search is a great way of finding one. I happen to be a therapist in Charlotte, NC but am licensed to counsel anyone in the state of North Carolina. In Google, try looking for “psychotherapist,” “find therapist,” “therapy near me,” or even “counseling charlotte, nc.” If you feel like you have hit a wall you are not able to get past, call me at (704) 458-6298 or email me at jeffhelms@clearerthoughtspllc.com.
Learn more about Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Faith Based Therapy or Family Therapy.
Follow Clearer Thoughts on Facebook. Click here.
Clearer Thoughts is on Instagram. Click here.
You can set up an appointment for your free 20-minute consultation by clicking here.
