Starting therapy can bring some relief simply because you’re finally getting support. But for some people, the first few sessions can also feel unexpectedly hard.
You may notice stronger emotions, more fatigue, or a temporary increase in distress as you begin talking about experiences you’ve avoided, paying closer attention to symptoms, or practicing unfamiliar coping skills. That doesn’t automatically mean treatment is going badly, but it is something your care team should know about.
If treatment is bringing up more distress than you expected, contact Vitalize Behavioral Health so the team can help you understand what you’re experiencing and what support may be needed.
Why Can Symptoms Feel Worse After Starting Therapy?
Therapy often asks you to pay attention to things you may have spent a long time trying not to think about.
That can be uncomfortable at first. Someone working through trauma, for example, may temporarily notice more anxiety or emotional activation when treatment begins addressing difficult memories.
Research on cognitive processing therapy for PTSD found that temporary symptom increases occurred for some participants during treatment, while very few still had elevated symptoms by the end of care. The researchers also found that these temporary increases did not mean treatment was ultimately unsuccessful.
Still, worsening symptoms shouldn’t simply be dismissed as “part of the process.” How intense they are, how long they last, and whether they’re affecting your safety or ability to function all matter.
How Does an IOP Team Respond When Distress Increases?
One benefit of a structured program is that your treatment team sees you more frequently than they would in traditional weekly therapy.
In Vitalize’s Virtual IOP, participants attend live group sessions multiple times each week and also have individual contact with a clinician. That gives the team more opportunities to notice changes, hear how you’re doing, and adjust treatment when needed.
Your team may ask about changes in your symptoms, sleep, ability to function, medication response, or safety. Depending on what’s happening, they may adjust your treatment plan, provide additional support, involve psychiatric care, or discuss whether a different level of care would be more appropriate.
Treatment plans aren’t meant to stay exactly the same when your needs change.
When Should You Tell Your Provider?
Don’t wait until symptoms become overwhelming. Bring it up if you notice a meaningful change in your mood, anxiety, sleep, thoughts, behavior, or ability to manage everyday life. It’s especially important to speak up if you’re beginning to feel unsafe or are having thoughts of harming yourself or someone else.
Vitalize’s approach to care is built around ongoing clinical support and individualized treatment rather than expecting everyone to respond to care in the same way.
Feeling worse for a period of time doesn’t tell you everything about whether therapy is working. What matters is communicating those changes so your care team can respond to what you need now.
You don’t have to sort through a change in symptoms by yourself. Contact Vitalize Behavioral Health to talk with the team about your current needs and next steps.
