Will I lose who I am?

GrimSavage · 24-02-2012, 06:35 PM

I think I'm living with schizophrenia. I hear a voice all the time, and it's very violent. I want it to stop so I'm going to go to our town's mental health center, but I'm worried I'll have go to therapy and talk to someone. I have a very hard time opening up to people, and if I have to talk to a therpist or psychiatrist I don't want to have to dredge up old issues I've already dealt with. I'm worried I'll start changing. Am I being unreasonable?

whirlpools · 24-02-2012, 06:46 PM

I think it's fair enough if you've truly dealt with old issues to not want to go back into it. Not everyone finds that sort of treatment helpful, and focussing on things in the 'here and now' can be more beneficial. You will probably need to discuss things with a psychiatrist/do a mental health history with them so they can establish whether the voice you hear is psychotic in nature or not and whether you'd benefit from medication. (Which should be up to you whether you take it or not - just make sure you're honest about your feelings).

Some forms of therapy focus more on challenging negative thought processes - therapy like CBT, which generally a more practical/skills-based therapy than going into the deep, dark stuff. Other forms of therapy involve helping with any social/relationship difficulties you may have which impinge on your current mental health/happiness in life.

GrimSavage · 24-02-2012, 06:55 PM

Ok. I do have some things I should deal with but I don't know that I want to. I feel like my anger defines me and helps me deal with things...that's probably irrational but some of the things that my anger comes from are just things I want to forget about entirely.

Ballerina123 · 24-02-2012, 09:26 PM

Unless you are a danger to your self or others then you will not be made to do anything you don't want to.
If you do get a diagnosis of schizophrenia then it is likely that you will be treat with medication first.
Schizophrenics tend to respond better to medication than theraphy.

I think you are very brave for going. I think that you should maybe wrote a list of what things you would like help with then they know what you can cope with right now.

Let us know how it goes x