Hi Donna,
It does sound like there is a deep underlying unconscious impediment that is
serving as a maintaining cause in this case. Hard to say without knowing the
case details and the prescriptions, but I'll offer these general comments.
My feeling is, it is the life experience itself that ultimately moves a
person from one "stuck place" or "cycle of repetition" to another
destination in themselves. I think if you try to speed people up out of
their own timing, you simply create more havoc and that really is about
trying to prove something to yourself, or remove your own discomfort about
what you see happening in the other person, than it is about offering
genuine assistance. It is possible that these other therapists are
unwittingly being manipulated by the force of her psychological patterns.
But sometimes what that person needs more than anything is the
non-judgemental patience from another trusted person. I guess you're caught
between a rock and a hard place because you can see that her psychological
therapy might possibly be counter-productive but you can't very well insist
she stops therapy, that's her choice, and frankly, why would you? It is
obviously serving some purpose even though it may appear to be a very very
slow progress.
At least, that's what I always come back to when these situations arise with
patients, not only hypochondriacs, in my practice. I've seen several cases
where the women got so deep into their sense of 'victimization' from child
abuse that it became an overriding element in their self-identification.
They'd go to victim support groups and the whole ordeal would be reinforced
rather than reduced. You can't ever really know for sure what purpose lies
behind another person's life experience. Sure, we have opinions and even
judgements about the life-choices they make, but it would be extraordinarily
arrogant to assume what is a waste of time for one, is a similar waste of
time for another.
It seems we're all destined to keep "re-visiting" personal experiences until
enough understanding is reached to allow us to let things go, or to make
better choices which lead to positive change in behaviours. I often hear
people say they don't feel anything ever really changes, but of course,
that's not true, life goes on and we accrue more perspectives and experience
over time and we can make different choices and decisions from the past.
When we're in the thick of things it's hard to see, so I follow the advice
in the desiderata that its best to nurture strength of spirit in the good
times
I would hold fast to the knowledge that if she keeps returning to
you for treatment then what you offer is something she considers very
worthwhile and useful. On the other hand, if you feel you're just being
manipulated, then the only thing to do in integrity is to tell her the
treatments are not serving any useful purpose and let her go on her way.
That's what I do.
Hope useful,
Chris.