Therapist issue

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I have been seeing a therapist. She is very helpful. However, she does not seem comfortable with me.

One time I was talking and kind of staring into space, and she turns her head to look where I was looking as if something was wrong with me. I took that to mean that she was not entirely comfortable with me. This bothered me because as a pyschiatric patient I should be able to climb the walls like spider man and she should not be phased.

But I don't want to stop seeing her because she is helpful. At the same time, I don't want to continue to see someone who isn't comfortable with me.

Not sure what to do.

I hate that.

Mine was scared because her daughter had Aut and I am an adult with it. She was always saying about her daughter her daughter.

She was terrified that she would end up like me.

Perhaps you misunderstood the fact that she wanted to see where you were looking at. Staring into space when someone is talking is kinda disrespectful, this should be common sense, regardless if you have aspergers or not. Next time you see her, ask if anything you do makes her uncomfortable.

I used to do it all the time with my other psychiatrist and it didn't bother her. I am a patient wih numerous mental conditions. I am not a friend.

I agree that she might just have been trying to figure out what you were looking at. When I am not making eye contact, people often will either look in the same direction I am (presumably to figure out what I am looking at), or they will actually ask me what I'm looking at, or make a reference to what they *think* I am looking at (for example, "I see you looking at my calendar"). They don't realize that when I am not making eye contact, that my brain is ignoring my eyes, and I'm actually not looking at anything.

It's interesting because I usually look up and to the right, which is supposedly where people look while they are "constructing visual images." I really don't picture visual images in my head at all though, so it's like my brain is sending visual information into a black hole in my brain at those times so that I can concentrate on the conversation.

It's actually *not* common sense for many people on the spectrum. I didn't realize I was supposed to make eye contact with people until my brother told me (in high school), and I know this experience is a common one, because I've heard similar stories from many people. Additionally, looking into someone's eyes can be super difficult for people on the spectrum, or with other conditions such as social anxiety, so it's not even just a matter of knowing you are supposed to do it. When I was first learning to make eye contact, if I was looking into someone's eyes, I couldn't understand what they were saying at all. Now, I still usually find it difficult to speak coherently without losing my train of thought while I am making sustained eye contact, and when I am anxious, I will still experience difficulties with eye contact to the same extreme I did when I was younger. Making eye contact just takes up too many of my mental resources, so I only do it when I really need to (i.e. job interview).

Listen , i have aspergers, so i know all about eye contact difficulties, but staring into space when someone is talking is something social skills learning is supposed to work on, because it alleviates a lot of the misconceptions if your eyes wander, that those of us on the spectrum experience. I am not discounting what he said, rather just trying to understand the situation and hopefully prevent overreactions. I too experience the problem with eye contact and sustaining it, but i have come to learn as well about how people on the other end experience what i do, so i make it a purpose to show interest in conversation and make sure i am engaged in it.

No one in this thread get it. I am a PATIENT with a social disorder. She shouldn't act uncomfortable around me.

I believe what others are stating, however, is that she perhaps is not uncomfortable with you. She could have simply been curious as to what you were looking at. I have tried to follow other's line of sight when they are staring into space to see if there was anything relevent or interesting in the direction they were looking. Were there other things that she did that made you think this way or was this the only action? If it was the only action, it may just be a misunderstanding, if there were more... then there may be an issue that perhaps you should bring up with her to see whether you should stick with her or not.

You are 100% correct. You are her patient and she should understand. You should not worry about faking and being socially lubricated around your therapist!

I agree.......she shold know better.