Is seeing a psychiatrist or counselor really worth it?

[Zysoclaplem]

When dealing with depression and anxiety. Not super interested in just eating medications for the rest of my life. A lot of people tell me I should see someone but I just don't really think there is anything that can be done. Stories or advice?

 

[rudder]

A counselor cannot prescribe meds... but they be able to work you out of a funk without them. Lots of things to do for depression besides resorting to meds.

Just like anything in life, research who you are planning on seeing. There are good shrinks out there and there are some that probably just read a script like they were answering a helpdesk phone. Sometimes there are just chemical issues in the brain that require medication. realize that not everyone in the same and sometimes it takes a few weeks for your body to adjust and see a benefit.

 

[Atreus21]

When dealing with depression and anxiety. Not super interested in just eating medications for the rest of my life. A lot of people tell me I should see someone but I just don't really think there is anything that can be done. Stories or advice?

Counseling, in my experience, is worth it. I tend to avoid medications, as I'm a reasonably boring, unanxious person.

What do you mean by depression and anxiety?

 

[destrekor]

The act of talking to someone can help your brain relax a little, and help give you some added strength just through the thought of having help.
Medications treat the physical causes, of which is neurotransmitter imbalances. But those imbalances vary in everybody, and sometimes the mental symptoms and their degree of expression aren't always 1:1 in terms of cause and effect with the NTs. And environmental variables can cause the various NTs to temporarily change in ratios, but aren't a permanent imbalance. Thus, medication isn't perfect for everyone, because some people just need a little help in figuring out WHY they might be the way they are. If medication is given to someone who is only depressed due to an environmental trigger (various things, won't go there) enabling the depression, once that trigger isn't present the NTs might balance out again, but the medication is then once again playing with the balances. Oddly enough, this can unintentionally create a case of exaggerated depression that are more like short intense bursts.

Talking is the best solution at first, because the psychiatrist can help talk you into the right mental attitude, and believe it or not, just a little convincing discussion from someone who your brain interrupts as being knowledgeable, can have a very noticeable impact. And they can help cater the treatment options to the individual based on the discussions. It might just be more 1on1 time, it might be medication. They might encourage you, and/or do it themselves, to create a plan of action that might help get control of the mental problems.

 

[tk149]

Counseling can help, but:
1. You have to want help
2. You have to be willing to take advice
3. Drugs may help, but should be supplemental to psychological counseling, not the primary treatment.

Good luck! It worked for me.

 

[Zysoclaplem]

Counseling, in my experience, is worth it. I tend to avoid medications, as I'm a reasonably boring, unanxious person.

What do you mean by depression and anxiety?

It's hard to explain. The depression is just the lack of feeling. I'm just empty and numb. Nothing ever makes me happy or excited. Im always very anxious though about doing anything I just would rather never leave the house.

 

[Alienwho]

I remember you. I guess homosexuality just isn't all gummy bears and lollipops? Maybe some boobs will cheer you up.

 

[Platypus]

Honest answer from my personal experience... counseling is bullshit unless you don't already know what's wrong with you. No good really comes from someone telling you to change/fix something you already know is broken/wrong but feel you can't change it no matter how hard you try.

That's me though. I have a feeling I know exactly how you're feeling. YGPM.

 

[Specop 007]

I remember you. I guess homosexuality just isn't all gummy bears and lollipops? Maybe some boobs will cheer you up.

Shit I felt the heat from that burn over here.

To the OP, yes it can help. Depends on the person though I guess. Look at it this way, it sure as hell wont hurt anything.

 

[Platypus]

I remember you. I guess homosexuality just isn't all gummy bears and lollipops? Maybe some boobs will cheer you up.

Don't talk shit about something you can't possibly begin to understand.

 

[yhelothar]

Sorry to hear about your frustrations Zysoclaplem.
I don't like medications either.
If you have a neurotransmitter imbalance, there are many alternatives of regulating your neurotransmitter levels. In fact, neurotransmitter imbalance may often be due to poor lifestyle habits.
The most important thing to keeping your NTs in balance is proper nutrition. Food, especially amino acids in protein are the building blocks for your NTs. Carbs are your energy reserves and can also help facilitate neurotransmitter transport(especially serotonin).
This guy gives a good presentation on the lifestyle essentials for healthy mental functioning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQd0McIPgmA

Then on top of that, see a counselor to work issues out.
Good luck!

 

[yhelothar]

Honest answer from my personal experience... counseling is bullshit unless you don't already know what's wrong with you. No good really comes from someone telling you to change/fix something you already know is broken/wrong but feel you can't change it no matter how hard you try.

That's me though. I have a feeling I know exactly how you're feeling. YGPM.

Well if you're depressed and anxious, chances are that you feel a bit lost in how to get yourself out of a bad situation that you're in.

While counseling often can't help you find a solution to your problems, they can help you develop the right attitudes to help you work out your own issues.

Here are some essentials to building good attitudes that prevent you for becoming self defeating.
http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/davbur/part1.shtml

 

[Platypus]

Well if you're depressed and anxious, chances are that you feel a bit lost in how to get yourself out of a bad situation that you're in.

While counseling often can't help you find a solution to your problems, they can help you develop the right attitudes to help you work out your own issues.

Here are some essentials to building good attitudes that prevent you for becoming self defeating.
http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/davbur/part1.shtml

I just gave my personal experience with it. Obviously everyone is different and what they need is different. I'm not saying don't bother to the OP or anything. Getting out of those thinking patterns is paramount and something up to the individual to figure out.

 

[IGBT]

if it means getting off SSRI's which are extremely harmful over the long haul, do it.

 

[yhelothar]

I just gave my personal experience with it. Obviously everyone is different and what they need is different. I'm not saying don't bother to the OP or anything. Getting out of those thinking patterns is paramount and something up to the individual to figure out.

Well, honestly, I haven't had much results with counseling either. The attitude stuff helped somewhat. It felt like about 30% of the way to recovery.
But it's a good foundation to work with.
That reminds me, I need to set an appointment with my counselor today.

 

[oogabooga]

I don't know which my friends have used but I know a couple of them have seen a psychiatrist/counselor - basically talked to a professional.

They seem mixed about it. One or two of them claim it was a bad experience and it was worthless, but everyone else seemed to think it was useful in some way. Some thought it was just nice to talk to someone whereas others claim it really helped them work things out.

Most of them had the option to speak with counseling I think for free via their health insurance or work offered assistance program. If it's free, it's just your time and you can figure out if it's worth it or not?

 

[Modelworks]

There are good and bad counselors just like everything in life. Some counselors just listen and others get more involved. Something I think everyone could use is at least reading up on CBT. CBT is cognitive behavioral therapy. It is based on the idea that if you think or say something often enough you will begin to believe it even if it is not true.

http://www.abct.org/dHome/


The biggest one for me is testing and questioning what you are thinking. Over time you learn to catch yourself using things like absolutes. Things like getting a bad grade in one class then thinking "I'll never graduate" or failing in a job and thinking "I can't do anything right" leads to depression because if you keep telling yourself that, you will believe it. Words like never and anything are absolutes. Instead CBT teaches people to question what they are thinking for truth. Just because I can't do a job well does not mean I can't do anything right. I highly recommend CBT for everyone.


There is a quote by Elanor Roosevelt that I always remember "Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent"
When people say things like "You make me so mad", it isn't the person that is making them mad, it is what they are telling themselves about the situation. People cannot make you feel anything.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Do you know what your depression might stem from? Was it triggered by events or did you suddenly find yourself in this condition?

 

[GeekDrew]

My parents forced me to go to numerous psychologists and psychiatrists between ages 15 and 17. None of them were useful in the least bit... they just repeated the obvious. One put me on Zoloft, which then caused me to not give a rat's ass about life, love, or anything else on earth, until I stopped taking it when I turned 18.

I now hold a very deep-seated hatred for counselors and etc, that I can't imagine will ever lessen.

 

[nanette1985]

Gross oversimplification:

A psychiatrist is an MD. They prescribe medicine. If you don't want medicine, don't go to a psychiatrist.

A psychologist is a PhD. They don't prescribe meds. They talk.

A bartender, barber, pastor, person answering the phone from an infomercial, etc, will listen to you. In my experience this is more helpful than the above two.

Beware of group therapy. A bunch of anxious, depressed people all of whom want to convince everyone that they are the most anxious, depressed one in the group.

There probably are great psych's, therapists, etc out there - I've never met them. And I've never gotten a refund from a psych who messed me up even more than I was before I met them.

 

[Kadarin]

I have no personal experience with either depression as a mental state, or with drugs/meds as a mechanism for assisting with it. Therefore, I can merely pull shit out of my ass:

1. Approach it like a girl and get meds + counseling and support. Look for ways to emotionally work around the stress in your life to make you feel better about yourself. Engage your friends and family if possible so that they understand and empathize with what you're going through.

2. Approach it like a guy and look for specific causes for your state of mind, and attack those root causes head on. What outside forces impact your well being, and how can you make those outside forces more positive? Look for long term solutions.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Depends on you and the shrink/counselor.

The counseling sessions my wife has had in her past have all been entirely worthless (two way street on that one. She wants help, but has a hard time receiving it). Psychiatrists and counselors did wonders for my sister when she was suicidal.

They're not like normal docs. There's gonna be a lot more range in the quality and method of treatment. You really have to "interview" them to see if you can feel comfortable and truly be productive in your sessions.

 

[pontifex]

I've been thinking about seeing a psychiatrist/psychologist myself. I have been feeling the same way as the OP for awhile too.

 

[Regs]

Some times it's good to talk to people who seem to know how to deal with problems or at least know how they come about. It's a reality of life, and all people need some one who they can trust or relate too with their problems, stories, and what not.

 

[Ausm]

I saw a therapist when my mother got killed by a drunk driver and it helped me alot.