A change for the worse?

[Dougie]

Hey all,

I'm new, and this will be my first time posting on any forum of any kind, so it does seem a bit strange.

I'm a university student, just about to turn 21.

I've had several injuries over the past year or so that have prevented me from exercising, and my girlfriend cheated on me as well. I don't really have any close friends; I've never really had any close friends.

I saw a psychologist for the first time this week as my feelings of hopelessness and loneliness were beginning to be unbearable. I struggle constantly to display my emotions or to even feel anything. I don't feel comfortable talking to any of my friends about how I'm feeling or anything like that. I've obviously never been formally diagnosed with anything, as I've only just started seeing this psychologist, so even now I feel I'm being overdramatic.

I thought going to the psychologist was going to make me feel better, but I feel far worse. I never talk about my fears or feelings to anyone and confronting them like that has made me feel even more hopeless and lonely over the past couple of days.

What's happened to everyone else on the forum once they start asking for help. I feel more isolated than ever.

Thanks for being out there whoever it is.

Dougie

[geoff]

Hello Dougie, welcome to the forums and I know it's not easy talking to people you don't know, but please remember you are communicating with people who have also struggled through with their own type of depression.

I'm sorry about your injury and definitely apologise with your girlfriend cheating on you.

Loneliness affects all of us at some point in our lives and normally this happens when we least expect it, catching us at unusual times, especially when we are looking forward for support.

It would be difficult to know what to do as you have been cheated on, and could leave your mind blank and then annoying you.

It takes a couple of sessions to become familiar with your psychologist because you can't expect either of you to understand each other at your first visit, but it then doesn't take long before you feel comfortable opening up to them.

If this doesn't happen then can I suggest you find someone else, but hopefully this won't happen.

Please let us know what's happening.

Take care.

Geoff.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Dougie,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for joining us. Hopefully it won't be too long until it starts feeling a little less strange being here!

I'm sorry to hear that you've been struggling with injuries and with your girlfriend cheating on you; that sounds really rough. I'm glad to hear though that you've started seeing a psychologist - it's not an easy decision to make, especially if you're not used to talking about feelings.

It sounds like you're experiencing what I personally call a 'therapy hangover'. It's when therapy brings up stuff that maybe you didn't expect, it felt uncomfortable and maybe even too vulnerable. Sharing intimate feelings with a stranger is no easy feat.

At the same time though, I am a believer in therapy and I do think that sometimes that short-term pain is worth it. Even now after a lot of therapy I sometimes have sessions where I feel hopeful and optimistic and sometimes I have sessions where I feel like crap afterwards. It's normal. If you were to think about never going back to your psychologist and look down the track, what might that look like for you? and what might it look like if you keep going?

RT

[Gettingthere98]

Hi Dougie,

I used to get the feeling of being overdramatic, like imposter syndrome feeling like you're "not sick enough" to be allowed to talk about it. This is an irrational thought and you need to allow yourself to accept that your emotions are real and valid and deserve to be recognised and worked through. Allow yourself to not be ok, so that you can work towards being ok again.

As for going to therapy, it's not an immediate cure, its something you have to stick to, like exercising, you don't get fit from going to the gym one time, but if you start to go regularly over a few weeks and months you'll start to see improvements

I'm sorry for your situation, but trust that it can get better