Small wins count. Walking to the mailbox is a data point.

It gets smaller. Not easy, smaller. That distinction kept me going.

Ask for the longer appointment slot. Ten minutes is not enough for a complex history and pretending otherwise wastes both your time.

Test one thing at a time. It feels slower and it is the only way to learn anything.

Bring a list. Embarrassment makes everyone forget things, including you.

Same. Currently on tolerance myself.

An inconclusive account is useful if it stops the next person mistaking a story for a controlled comparison.

You are not imagining it and you are not being difficult. Document it and take the document in.