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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cubic_me on September 14, 2003, at 15:47:22
I was going to therapy for about 6 months up until June about once every 1 or 2 weeks. My therapist was attached to the university I go to so when I went home for the summer vacation I couldnt see her. Next week I go back to uni and I cant decide whether to see her again. She said that she wanted me to come back this term but she couldnt make me, so it is my decision.
I got on with her pretty well and quite liked her style - i kind of looked forward to a session, even though it sometimes made me feel like s**t. The trouble is that I hate becoming dependant on someone to talk to, I feel like if I go back it will be admitting that I cant cope without going to therapy.
The efexor I'm on isnt doing anything for me except keeping me on it because of the withdrawal effects. I've got an appointment with the pdoc when I go back to uni (i havent seen him for 3 monts either), he's useless too. He keeps asking me what dosage I should be on and what drugs he should try next- I know I'm a med student but surely he should know more than me. He also said he was going to refer me to a CBT therapist, I thought I might try that out before I go back to my old one.
I really need to talk to someone, I'm just confused about who - any suggestions?!
_me
Posted by ridesredhorses on September 14, 2003, at 21:24:41
In reply to Should I go back into therapy?, posted by cubic_me on September 14, 2003, at 15:47:22
Well, now, you need someone to talk to, but dont want to admit that to your therapist? Therapy is such a strange thing. Like finding a gyn or a dentist. It has to be a good match. One of the things I have learned is that if your therapist (his/herself) has not worked on the problems you have, they cannot help you as well as if they had.My therapist is 66, has seen everything, and has been in therapy himself, off and on, for 30 years. No, he is not a nut; he just believes in what he does. If you are on meds, you really must not leave therapy, and your gp does not sound as though he is up on the latest. I found, in that regard, I had to do my own reaserch and ASK for certain meds to try. After 40+ years of severe depression, I am now taking Wellbutrin, Prozac, and Provigil. I feel better than I have ever felt..I think. But the therapy has given me tools to use in dealing with the times the meds don't work. Good luck.
Posted by fallsfall on September 14, 2003, at 22:33:14
In reply to Should I go back into therapy?, posted by cubic_me on September 14, 2003, at 15:47:22
I would assume that you are depressed (because you are taking Effexor). Are there other issues that therapy would help you deal with? (Are you perfectionistic, anxious, suicidal? Were you abused or neglected as a child? Do you have trouble with work relationships or personal relationships?)
My personal opinion is that some people with depression need only meds. But I think that most people with depression have both the biological thing going on and also some psychological things happening. Or if you have been depressed for a long time, then your style of interaction has probably suffered, and your relationships with that, and your self esteem. Therapy can help with those kinds of things.
You are afraid of being dependent. Is that because you felt yourself getting dependent on your therapist? Or because you have gotten dependent on other people in the past? Or because you heard that people depend on their therapists?
The type of therapy that you need (CBT or Psychodynamic or Eclectic or Psychoanaysis) depends on both your personality and what problems you are trying to solve.
One possibility would be to schedule a session with your therapist and talk about these questions. If she is a good therapist, then if she thinks that CBT would be better for you she will say so and help you find a CBT therapist. She can also talk about the pluses and minuses of each type of therapy for someone like you. She can talk about the dependency issues, as well. Then after you have talked to her (because she knows you) you will have more information to make an informed decision.
Of course, we'd love to have you keep posting here and will help you as much as we can.
Posted by cubic_me on September 16, 2003, at 5:43:58
In reply to Re: Should I go back into therapy? » cubic_me, posted by fallsfall on September 14, 2003, at 22:33:14
Yeah, I've been depressed for 6 or 7 years, I'm only 20 now so its all I've ever known really. I didnt get any treatment until this year because I didnt want anything to go down on my record that might stop me getting a job, and it went in waves, so I'd always convince myself that I'd come out of it eventually. I only got help this year because a really close friend killed herself and everything got worse from there. My housemates at university practically marched me into therapy.
It helped at first because I was dealing mainly with the loss of my friend. I only told my therapist that I had been depressed before that when our sessions were about to end. I have been pretty suicidal at times, and she's the only person I've really talked to about that. I havent made an actual attempt but I've come very close. I also told her that I self harm, but I think I played it down abit too much so we havent really talked about it.
I did feel like I was getting abit dependant on her. I was thinking too deeply about how things I was doing between sessions would affect what went on in the sessions - like if I did a certain thing, what reaction would that provoke in her. I also thought that I was trying too hard to gain her acceptance. I didnt want to say certain things incase she thought I was stupid or too needy, or not in need of councelling. I was always wondering what she was thinking but too afraid to ask.
I think, compared to others people, I dont become that dependent on people, but I really value my independance. Because I felt so strongly that I wanted to see her, because she understood me etc, I felt that maybe it wasnt a good thing. I suppose I am ashamed to admit that I want to keep going to therapy with her because that will set it in stone that I cant cope on my own.
Maybe I will schedule a session with her to sort stuff out. But I dont want to disrupt the therapy that the psychiatrist is sorting out. I think writing this stuff down has helped me sort things out a little, but i'm still undecided (but indecisiveness is one of my problems!)
Oh well, thankyou for talking, _me
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