Help Does therapy help?

[AfraidofEverything]

I know the answers might be biased, if you're here then it probably doesn't help

I've been thinking of trying to get some sort of mental health help, I've never been and my problems have just gotten worse. I come from a parent that is one of those "Get over it" types. I remember discussing it and was told I would learn to get over it and that I didn't need help or medication.

Still haven't learned, if anything I'm worse than I've ever been.

I'm looking up therapists/psychiatrists/psychologists and my understanding is the latter 2 are able to help with diagnosing and medication so I was leaning toward that though they're harder to find in my state. So I have some other questions.

Which of them is better to look for?

What can I expect for a first visit?
I've never been and know nothing other than the stuff from movies lol

Is it a bad idea to bring up suicide ideation?
I know in my country you can be committed against your will and slapped with a bill when you get out. I figure tolerance will vary depending on the person so maybe better not to talk about it too much or at all?

is it difficult to get medication?
I'm very open to getting some since I currently self treat with stuff but it's dangerous to take daily so I don't. The days where I have to deal with problems without anything are so painful.

I don't know why it's so hard to ask for help. It's harder because of financial reasons and just a fear of unknown things. It would be amazing to get any possible diagnosis and treatment to make the rest of my time a little less miserable. I'm tired of being tired. And sad and alone.

 

[CuddleHug]

Therapy does help. Don't be afraid to try it. Sometimes it takes many tries to find the right one, but once you do it'll feel helpful. If it doesn't, you need to find someone else.

In general, a psychologist is who you go to for therapy and the psychiatrist for medication. They overlap, of course, but you won't get regular sessions with a psychiatrist as they are actual mental health doctors. A psychologist is not a doctor, so they can't write prescriptions. They will usually have some knowledge of medication and can coordinate with a doctor, though.

I don't know about your country, but I think getting anti-depressants will not be too hard. Even a GP can prescribe those sometimes.

As for mentioning suicidality, they usually can't do anything if you say that you want to die. It's when you mention plans or intent to hurt yourself in any way that you might run into trouble. I'm not an expert, but if this is one of the things you are scared of, then don't bring it up. If you find a good therapist and get a feeling for how they would react, then you can of course talk about it many sessions in. They will be used to that. One way you can softly hint on it is to say that you've lost the motivation to live.

Hope that helps. Many hugs~

 

[Fedrea]

I know the answers might be biased, if you're here then it probably doesn't help

I've been thinking of trying to get some sort of mental health help, I've never been and my problems have just gotten worse. I come from a parent that is one of those "Get over it" types. I remember discussing it and was told I would learn to get over it and that I didn't need help or medication.

Still haven't learned, if anything I'm worse than I've ever been.

I'm looking up therapists/psychiatrists/psychologists and my understanding is the latter 2 are able to help with diagnosing and medication so I was leaning toward that though they're harder to find in my state. So I have some other questions.

Which of them is better to look for?

What can I expect for a first visit?
I've never been and know nothing other than the stuff from movies lol

Is it a bad idea to bring up suicide ideation?
I know in my country you can be committed against your will and slapped with a bill when you get out. I figure tolerance will vary depending on the person so maybe better not to talk about it too much or at all?

is it difficult to get medication?
I'm very open to getting some since I currently self treat with stuff but it's dangerous to take daily so I don't. The days where I have to deal with problems without anything are so painful.

I don't know why it's so hard to ask for help. It's harder because of financial reasons and just a fear of unknown things. It would be amazing to get any possible diagnosis and treatment to make the rest of my time a little less miserable. I'm tired of being tired. And sad and alone.

If you've never tried therapy before and you can access it then yes it most definitely definitely is a good idea to try that thoroughly before even considering suicide

 

[VIBRITANNIA]

i can't tell you about psychiatrists or psychologists, but what i can say about therapy is that it isn't a magical cure-all (obviously). that being said, my therapist has helped me to sort my emotions and work through them, as well as process some of my trauma.

regarding telling a therapist about suicide - i don't know if the rules in your country are different than my country's rules, but my therapist always told me that everything is confidential, unless if i say i want to hurt myself or other people, or if other people are being hurt. so i wouldn't tell a therapist about being suicidal. that's just based on my experiences, though.

 

[BPD Barbie]

Therapy helps as much as you want it to. It's not a cure and it won't fix all the problems but it can help and can provide you with tools to manage some of your issues. But you have to be willing at least in my experience.

 

[Mr2005]

You get out what you put it

 

[dysfunctional]

It can definitely help especially if you haven't had it before. Can show you different ways to look at things that are much healthier.
In my case I've had alot of therapy so it doesn't really help anymore. Just makes me dwell on my proplems more.
Meds are really easy to get if you see a psychiatrist or nurse practicioner.

 

[valentine]

Therapy has been pretty helpful for me once I found someone I liked talking too. I found it really cathartic to just be able to talk to someone honestly and know they're listening. A lot of times I don't ask for advice or anything at this point, I just need someone to vent to and not feel like I'm being a burden. I think it's worth a try for everyone.

 

[mr.smileysad]

I know the answers might be biased, if you're here then it probably doesn't help

I've been thinking of trying to get some sort of mental health help, I've never been and my problems have just gotten worse. I come from a parent that is one of those "Get over it" types. I remember discussing it and was told I would learn to get over it and that I didn't need help or medication.

Still haven't learned, if anything I'm worse than I've ever been.

I'm looking up therapists/psychiatrists/psychologists and my understanding is the latter 2 are able to help with diagnosing and medication so I was leaning toward that though they're harder to find in my state. So I have some other questions.

Which of them is better to look for?

What can I expect for a first visit?
I've never been and know nothing other than the stuff from movies lol

Is it a bad idea to bring up suicide ideation?
I know in my country you can be committed against your will and slapped with a bill when you get out. I figure tolerance will vary depending on the person so maybe better not to talk about it too much or at all?

is it difficult to get medication?
I'm very open to getting some since I currently self treat with stuff but it's dangerous to take daily so I don't. The days where I have to deal with problems without anything are so painful.

I don't know why it's so hard to ask for help. It's harder because of financial reasons and just a fear of unknown things. It would be amazing to get any possible diagnosis and treatment to make the rest of my time a little less miserable. I'm tired of being tired. And sad and alone.

I found this site has helped me more than any counselor or psychiatrist but its different for everyone and unless you tell them you are actively thinking about committing suicide in the near future then you should be good

 

[massiveblackhole]

I found this site has helped me more than any counselor or psychiatrist but its different for everyone and unless you tell them you are actively thinking about committing suicide in the near future then you should be good

In my country unless you're loaded, you see a counsellor/mental health worker not a therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist. Counsellors tend to be well-meaning but not trained people. I found them totally useless and wanted to kill myself even more after talking to them. They really dont understand you at all and just say the same thing "try and find something you enjoy". I find this site really therapeutic cos its real people who understand the issue and dont try and downplay it. I was on a depression forum website before and that was rubbish cos there are lots of pro-lifers on there telling you you need to find god.

 

[Done at Fifty]

Personally I've found them useless. I know from all that I've seen that if you tell them you're suicidal they have to call the hospital and you're admitted for 72 hours. They say this up front. While they say this so you know the reason if they do call the hospital on you, it also makes you decide not to talk about suicidal thoughts for fear you'll be carted off.

Where I live its hard to get help. The good ones are off of the bus line and many require an email request first. Some require that you to sign a form saying you agree to work to get better. Not sure why and I feel this gives them the opening to say you aren't trying to get better if you don't do as they say, so you have to agree with their advice. What if I don't like their advice?

I had a therapist who said I just need to go out and mingle more and suggested that I don't want to get better if I don't. Apparently the cure for being depressed is to pretend you're not!

I had another who always had a fake grin and seemed to want to confirm for me that she was on my side rather than be an actual therapist. She'd always say things like "Oh yes I can relate, same thing happened to me" or "Happens to a lot of people you know?". It always felt like she was humoring me or trying to make my problems seem trivial.

I then went to a free service in my city. It was this moron who used to be a nurse and no training otherwise. She would chat in the hall and be late by 15 minutes every single time and then sit there and say very little. Randomly, she'd inform me that her specialty was victims of child sexual abuse to which I'd respond that I wasn't a victim and had an okay childhood. I always felt that she wanted me to have more wrong with me - or more of an excuse for my anxiety and depression.

Many therapist want you to find the reason for your sadness while at the same time admitting that some people are just more susceptible to depression genetically.

All that aside, I would go to one again if I could find one who would just listen! As for medication prescriptions, my gp handles that for me.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

In my experience with therapy, I always feel really good just talking about what's been bothering me. Unfortunately I've never been able to take their advice when I'm outside of therapy because I'm lazy so I still tend to feel shitty.

Just realized my therapist from uni hasn't contacted me and we're three weeks into the semester. She's probably done with my shit lmao.

 

[BitterlyAlive]

Apparently the cure for being depressed is to pretend you're not!

Hey, I was reading your post and this stood out to me. Funnily enough, this is an actual treatment for depression. It's called behavioral activation therapy. The idea is: you force yourself to live your life and do things that are healthy for you (showering, old hobbies that brought joy, mingling, etc) and your mood will gradually lift as a result. It's been proven to help, but I haven't really been helped by it and I worked my ass off to be better for a few years. Maybe it was the anhedonia. But if anything, my depression has seemed to worsen.

Sorry, kind of rambled again. Your quote just really had me thinking.

In my country unless you're loaded, you see a counsellor/mental health worker not a therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist. Counsellors tend to be well-meaning but not trained people. I found them totally useless and wanted to kill myself even more after talking to them. They really dont understand you at all and just say the same thing "try and find something you enjoy". I find this site really therapeutic cos its real people who understand the issue and dont try and downplay it. I was on a depression forum website before and that was rubbish cos there are lots of pro-lifers on there telling you you need to find god.

I can't even browse Reddit anymore! People keep giving unwarranted advice and talk about what helped them, but to me it just feels condescending because I just can't make myself get better.

 

[Caspers]

Mine is brilliant for counselling, but barely opening up to him= little progression. If you can't open up, it doesn't matter whether they're a good therapist or a bad therapist. I have a brilliant, well qualified therapist but opening up terrifies me, although I'm doing my best to overcome it. It took me two and a half years to show him a glimpse of my weakness. So therapy only works if you have a good one and you are willing to show your weaknesses.

 

[Breadbfra]

Being very to excessively positive towards therapy may be "dangerous", so I'd say: it depends.

I've had plenty of terrible experiences with psychiatrists only thinking about that 200€ for two minutes talk - but at the same time I've recently found a psychiatrist who's also a psychologist that is true angel on earth.
I've also had little to none faith in psychologists until my parents found one that literally dragged me out of the depression mud along with medication.
My suggestion is: look for a psychologist first. Be sure to read reviews about their work, etc, then later they'll be the one to suggest you a psychiatrist if you'll need medication. But you have to be ABSOLOUTELY and truly honest about what you think. I've spoken with mine about my suicidal tendencies and they helped me a lot. You have to put all your motivation into therapy, otherwise it won't go anywhere, and besides that, be truly honest about what you think.

I don't think taking medication's difficult, I'd say somehow hard due to a whole variety of side effects but I can assure you they start working weeks after, so it just takes a little patience. I've been taking Vortioxetine (SMS) and it really helped me, besides from the variety of farts :^)

 

[mathieu]

I don't find it helpful but we are all different.

 

[almost_dead]

I dont think it does

 

[Life_and_Death]

unless you tell them you are actively thinking about committing suicide in the near future then you should be good

i dont completely agree with this. because of my personality disorder i do think about committing suicide but as long as you show that you are honestly trying to change things for yourself then you should be fine. i told my therapist and psychiatrist that im violent and will physically hurt myself and others with zero control over what i am doing. but i also told them that im working on changing that so i dont do it anymore. as long as you are making the change (and they arent all stuck up and only seeing the now) you should be fine.

 

[massiveblackhole]

Hey, I was reading your post and this stood out to me. Funnily enough, this is an actual treatment for depression. It's called behavioral activation therapy. The idea is: you force yourself to live your life and do things that are healthy for you (showering, old hobbies that brought joy, mingling, etc) and your mood will gradually lift as a result. It's been proven to help, but I haven't really been helped by it and I worked my ass off to be better for a few years. Maybe it was the anhedonia. But if anything, my depression has seemed to worsen.

Sorry, kind of rambled again. Your quote just really had me thinking.

I can't even browse Reddit anymore! People keep giving unwarranted advice and talk about what helped them, but to me it just feels condescending because I just can't make myself get better.

Yea in response to the "keep doing things as normal till you feel better" therapy it does not work for me. There are many depressed people who know how to act normal, go to work, raise a family, socialise etc but these are the ones who will quietly kill themselves and everyone will be asking Why? Their life was perfect. Life ain't perfect, its bloody hard work and even harder when you're depressed. And eventually you run of energy/motivation to continue the farce.

Personally I've found them useless. I know from all that I've seen that if you tell them you're suicidal they have to call the hospital and you're admitted for 72 hours. They say this up front. While they say this so you know the reason if they do call the hospital on you, it also makes you decide not to talk about suicidal thoughts for fear you'll be carted off.

Where I live its hard to get help. The good ones are off of the bus line and many require an email request first. Some require that you to sign a form saying you agree to work to get better. Not sure why and I feel this gives them the opening to say you aren't trying to get better if you don't do as they say, so you have to agree with their advice. What if I don't like their advice?

I had a therapist who said I just need to go out and mingle more and suggested that I don't want to get better if I don't. Apparently the cure for being depressed is to pretend you're not!

I had another who always had a fake grin and seemed to want to confirm for me that she was on my side rather than be an actual therapist. She'd always say things like "Oh yes I can relate, same thing happened to me" or "Happens to a lot of people you know?". It always felt like she was humoring me or trying to make my problems seem trivial.

I then went to a free service in my city. It was this moron who used to be a nurse and no training otherwise. She would chat in the hall and be late by 15 minutes every single time and then sit there and say very little. Randomly, she'd inform me that her specialty was victims of child sexual abuse to which I'd respond that I wasn't a victim and had an okay childhood. I always felt that she wanted me to have more wrong with me - or more of an excuse for my anxiety and depression.

Many therapist want you to find the reason for your sadness while at the same time admitting that some people are just more susceptible to depression genetically.

All that aside, I would go to one again if I could find one who would just listen! As for medication prescriptions, my gp handles that for me.

Yea why do they have to make it so hard. When you're suicidal you need to talk to someone immediately - if you have to email first its too much of a barrier. A friend told me to go to Adult Mental Health services which involves physically going into a clinic and filling out a form then someone will call me back. I doubt suicidal people are gonna go to that effort. I don't want to go to that effort especially walking in and everyone seeing you and judging you.

I also had a counsellor who told me to "fake it" if I wasnt feeling happy - pretend you are happy and it will rub off. What a load of bull. Pretending you are happy when you are not is more exhausting and will lead to suicide when you realise your whole life was a farce.

And I hate how some therapists treat you like a Rubiks cube - a problem that needs to be solved like they're trying to put it down to childhood trauma or something. I just hate life ok? There is nothing "wrong", I have a good job, a loving partner, a family that brought me up well. So stop trying to blame it on other stuff. And that's when they say crap like "oh you should be grateful, a lot of people have it a lot worse off". Like F U don't belittle the way I feel by trying to make me feel bad.

So I gave up on counselling. This site helps though I'm glad I found it.

I found this site has helped me more than any counselor or psychiatrist but its different for everyone and unless you tell them you are actively thinking about committing suicide in the near future then you should be good

I agree this site is great and really cathartic. I have been to counsellors and they are utterly useless. Other depression forums iv been on have been useless too - you get spammed by annoying christian pro-lifers.