I've been seeing a psychologist since about August or so...and I don't think it's "working."
I don't feel happy. I don't feel any less anxious...I don't know what I am doing wrong? I know these things don't happen over night, but if I'm talking, taking meds, I would at least hope to see an improvement, you know?
*sigh* I just feel so hopeless about it right now...
I think it depends from person to person. I've been seeing therapists for eight years, and have been with one lady for five, and it still doesn't seem to be working, though she and I click.
Try to relax and give it time. Trying to get "better" on a deadline puts a lot of pressure on yourself.
i used to feel the exact same way.
i hated taking meds and seeing my shrink, she made me feel so much worse and didn't help me at all. but i switched and i love my new therapist and therapy is finally starting to make a difference... i think
maybe you could try switching therapists and find one who you like and get along with. the first psychiatrist isn't always the best one for you.
hang in there, i'm always here if you need to talk
I think you should address these issues with your therapist before making any decisions about moving to a new therapist. She could in fact feel the same way but did not want to bring up issues of abandonment and such. Also, she could be clueless and it will give her the wake up she needs to get into gear with you. I have had wonderful therapists and horrible therapists. Sometimes we cliques right away and sometimes it took months. If you have ever seen a therapist before try to figure out what that person did that made you feel like you were getting somewhere and let your therapist know what you need. I need the option of bringing things in written down. becuase when I am in a really bad way I write a lot about it but I will lie in person. So I would bring in my journal. One therapist asked to see my journal and realized I had been witholding a lot of information so he would ask me a question that he wanted a written response to the next session. Eventually I got comfortable enough to write down the issues I needed adddressed and bring them so we kne what needed to be worked on. There are options out there. Take a look.
listen and learn
the universe speaks
as we crawl and crave
as we love and weep
there is no fate
there is only what we make
The thing about therapy is that what might work at one time might not work at another time. What type of therapy are you getting if you don't mind me asking? If it's not working, you could try something else. There are many options for that and medication.
I've been seeing mental health professionals and trying different medications and therapies for 4 years and I still don't see much improvement other than I know a lot more about mental health. I really hope things improve for you though. Keep your options for help open and don't give up on it just yet.
Previous username: Miss-Ruby
R.I.P my budgie Bubbles 26/01/09...in my <3 forever.
Therapy can be very hit and miss. It can take a while to find the right therapist for you (someone you click with and trust) and to find the right therapy (CBT, DBT, CAT, Psychotherapy, Counselling etc etc).
Firstly, bring this up with your therapist. Tell her you're not getting anything out of it. Talk it through.
Then look into perhaps changing therapists, or changing the therapy to see if it helps.
If you're on medication also then maybe go back to your doctor and have a review. Medication is also very hit and miss and it could be you're not on the right dose yet.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
I think its really different for everyone. Its taken me 2 years to even trust someone so up to now its made little difference because they didn't know so much about me.
I think you should talk with your psychologist about how you are feeling and see what they suggest.
Take care of yourself love
xx
You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are.
i was the same, i had CBT for a few months but it didnt help at all, and in the end my psychologist decided it was useless and discharged me.
sorry that was quite pointless but i wanted you to know that its not just you!
'the pain you feel is real,
you're not asleep,
but its a nightmare,
but you cant wake up anytime.'
We're doing a CBT approach because of my terrible anxiety and negative thought patterns...But I am so sick of talking about my anxiety! I've told her that I feel like things "arent' working," and she just said that I can't expect these things to work over night, that they take time (duh!)...I get along with her and like her, but I think I am holding back as well...I am not good at expressing my emotions in general, but I write...I've always been tempted to bring in my journal and say, "Here! This is what I really think about myself and life!" lol...
As far as medications go...*sigh* I've tried so many, I've lost count. I'm on Effexor right now, and I don't see much of difference. We may try more SNRI's, then MAOI's, or Antipsychotics.
I'm trying, and no one seems to care...especially my parents. They expect me to be "better" by now or "grow out of it" (though I am 23.)
My RYL family:
I-used-to-be-positive is my big sister razorxkissedxwrists is my mommy alyssa.star is my sister phoenixflames_forever is my cousin concreteangel, helpmydeath, xxbeckyxx and queer fringe are my little sisters bob--says--hi is my twin
There´s one thing that I wanna say to you. If you´re in therapy it means that you have a problem and your therapist know that. Right? So you can act like a fool. Sometimes we don´t do certain things because we don´t wanna be 'a loser', but om therapy you can be anything that you wanna be.
So, don´t be afraid! Just talk about anything you want to. Talk about music or your favorite book. Shakespeare really seems with Freud!
I'm trying, and no one seems to care...especially my parents. They expect me to be "better" by now or "grow out of it" (though I am 23.)
It's the same with my mum so I understand how you feel. I just try to put what they think past me though, as worrying about it is only going to make me "grow out of it" (in their words) slower.
Trying is all you can do, it's all anyone can do and should be all anyone expects from anyone else. I guess the real world doesn't work like that though.
Previous username: Miss-Ruby
R.I.P my budgie Bubbles 26/01/09...in my <3 forever.
In therapy things can feel worse or harder before you begin to get improvement, because you are working on hard issues or challenging yourself - CBT is really challenging and becaus eyou do things in little steps it can feel like you aren't getting anywhere.
Maybe you could ask your therapist to dedicate a session to reflecting on how treatment has gone so far, things you feel you have achieved and things she feels you have achieved - maybe you have made progress in some ways you can't see because you are, you know, with yourself all the time.
From that you can talk together about how to move forward.
Writing stuff down is also really good - I do that a lot now because I can express so much more than trying to talk.
Personally especially during CBT I didn't realise how much I had acomplished and how much things had improved until some time after, sometimes when you are still depressed the depression just won't let you see the positives even if they are there.
