Having second thoughts about therapy

[RosebyAnyName]

I recently decided to pursue therapy.

I've been booking consultations from various therapists, but now I'm having second thoughts about therapy altogether. Based on the consultations I've had so far, I'm not sure if it will be helpful. Not to mention, there's at least 2-3 topics I've sworn completely off of discussing out of fear of having the information used against me (given that we're posting on this forum, I'm sure you can imagine what those topics might be), even though those topics are the most important to me. Thinking about everything like this made me realize that maybe therapy wouldn't be helpful for me given these restrictions, but I'm not really sure what else I would do if I decided against therapy.

Not to mention that therapy is expensive. Even if therapy helps me start to feel better, will it feel like I'm getting my money's worth? It's hard to say.

 

[Kit1]

Therapy works for some people - not for everyone. Also finding a good therapist who is compatible with you and actually gives a damn about what they do is important. Personally I found therapy helpful and now I have stopped therapy, I can clearly see myself downhill till I fall off the planet. So my personal feeling is that as you are asking the question, it means that you are open to seeking therapy and it is worth trying it out - you can always black-out if you don't like it.

 

[needpeace18]

I believe - pending your diagnosis - that therapy is largely not helpful. For the severely mentally there's truly little hope for normalcy in the traditional sense in my opinion. To suggest otherwise is almost cruel.

 

[HereTomorrow]

Like what Kit1 said, therapy isn't for everyone. Depending on the reasoning, sometimes therapy can actually amplify symptoms and make you even worse off, or even worse, a misdiganosis. I personally found it a nightmare and even begin self harming to cope with post-sessions and made plans to CTB to just so I wouldn't see her again (Was a minor at the time, had no choice). Just the thought of it almost sends me into massive stress looking back.
However, therapy saved my friend's life, and I bless mental health professionals who are able to treat people without acting like they're a liability to their career. They very often do care about your mental health hence why they're in the field to begin with.

The reason why therapy is the standard encouragement is, depending on the therapy, it can help make you regonize yourself and create a plan of self-improvement. You have to put in the effort though. You can't walk in and expect to be instantly better walking out. This works extremely well for problems not caused by external factors and a motivation to fix it (if you have anger management problems, anxiety by basic things, feeling urges to CTB but can't explain why). If you have stuff like financial problems, a chronic physical illness, or any other sort of active unavoidable problem not caused by you, therapy can only help so much as to cope but you probably won't feel better.

Genuine therapy should give you a set goal, plans to achieve it, and plans to leave therapy once those goals are met. If you don't see yourself improving after a few sessions, I'd suggest looking for someone else or leaving for another treatment.

Therapists can only disclose what you say if you:
1. Are actively planning on hurting yourself. Just saying "I'm having these thoughts sometimes but not now" will hopefully not make them disclose.
2. Are actively planning on hurting someone else. They need to know to stop you for everyone's safety.
3. You are a minor (you shouldn't be anymore since this site is 18+) actively getting abused by parents or guardians.
4. You are in a domestic violence situation and are actively in danger.
5. By court order, if you commit a crime and want to find reasoning or they need to check if you are mentally fit to stand trial.

The choice is yours in the end, best of luck.

 

[barkbark]

I bless mental health professionals who are able to treat people without acting like they're a liability to their career.

you put into words an issue that i find so appalling. i think therapy is good, great even, but one of the biggest drawbacks to it is the legal liabilities involved. if your therapist thinks you're going to kill yourself, they have to give you a wellness check because they're liable if not. if your therapist thinks you're too high risk and don't want to deal with it? well, my therapist told me basically just that before.

otherwise though therapy is pretty good and can help you get an outside perspective on problems you're having, as well as helping you find solutions, find coping mechanisms, and give you emotional support to process.

edit: i should be clearer, therapy is 100% worth a shot. hell, you won't even necessarily be hospitalized for that stuff — just ask them and be clear where they stand on mandatory reporting / when they feel they have to hospitalize you, since the rule is pretty nuanced and varies across therapists. my therapist back when i had one had a policy that was basically 'if you tell me you're going to kill yourself / won't live to see the next session, i'll have to hospitalize you.'

 

[Ambivalent1]

Many TheRapists are not qualified to walk a snail.