Interpretation please!

[Mumble]

I'd be interested in others' interpretations of part of a conversation I had today in my disability department; in particular I want / need to know if I'm over-reacting or being far too sensitive (it wouldn't surprise me! ).

 

This conversation came following several meetings that have been had concerning me, my disability/health issues and course adjustments. These are not meetings that I have generally attended.

 

The conversation went thus:

 

Them: "Well, when the adults got together to discuss you..."

 

Me: "Erm, adults? Does that make me a child then?" (yes, I was already in a very bad mood by this point and feeling ever so slightly sarcastic )

 

Them: "Well you know what I mean, the professionals."

 

Now the thing is, this has been going round in my mind since it was said. Was it just a slip to label them the adults and any resultant implication of what that means about how I'm being thought about? Was I right to pick up and query this? How am I being thought about?

 

[trekster]

That bugs me when so called understanding NTs say "you know what i mean" how the hell do they know what you mean?

[Kathryn]

A Freudian slip if ever there was one! I don't think you're overreacting - it would have bugged me too., especially if there was no apology for the mistake. It's probably not worth making a big issue of it, but I think you were right to draw attention to it.

 

K x

 

 

[Tally]

It may just have been a slip of the tongue, but the implication does seem to be that they do not see you as an adult. It's a pretty hurtful thing to say. I certainly think you were right to pick them up on this. Maybe it has made them think twice about the way they are thinking.

[baranigirl]

I see why you were frustrated, TBH I would not have worried about it myself. As someone said a freudian slip. I am often asked if my Mum is in when I answer the phone, I usually reply with something along the lines of she lives 6000 miles away if you really want to call her I can get you the number.

[Mumble]

Thanks for all your replies.

 

I'm not going to follow it up further, I kinda just wanted to know that it was okay to be slightly irked by it. I did mention it to my therapist today as she was one of the 'professionals' who had attended the meetings and she said that it was some type of psychotherapeutic terminology coming from the background of the person who had said it, but she also agreed that it was pretty unhelpful given that they're trying to get me to trust these people!

 

[Gordie]

Having been an adult yourself for over 13 years, of course you were right to pick up on it - end of ... The terminology needs changing sharpish.

 

James

[Tally]

I think that is the right approach. You do want to keep these people on side if they are in a position to be offering you support, however, it is good that you were able to get your point across.