New psychologist......

[PamelaR]

Hi all

Everyone welcome to have their input.

This week I'm off to see a new psychologist. My previous one retired and I've been trying to find a new one. The last two were pretty average and didn't help me at all in what I needed, i.e. to get through episodes of PTSD, anxiety and depression.

So, how am I feeling? While I've been waiting for my appointment, I've become very active in writing in BB. This has helped me to realise how - NOT ALONE I am. While it's not good for those of you who are experiencing these episodes, I do take comfort that help is at hand.

So, what am I afraid of? That I have to retell, relive, re-experience my trauma(s). Yuk, oh yuk. However!! When I started with my last (good) psychologist, she did not need me to retell, relive, re-experience my trauma. It was good enough for her that I had already opened up everything and explored all the hidden secrets with the previous psych! So it was easy for us to move on to 'identifying those things I was currently experience', 'what processes I needed to put in place to move on', 'get in touch with my inner child and give her the comfort she'd never had'.

So, what does this Thursday have install for me..... Hopefully, if he's worth his weight in gold, i'll not need to open up the scabs that have closed and healed. That we'll move on to how to proceed being retired, no longer working, suffering bouts of PTSD, anxiety and depression. So keep your fingers crossed for me.... Will let you know how I go (BTW, my GP says he's very good 🙂 ) Here's hoping!!

Kind regards

PR

[quirkywords]

I have just foun this thread.

I have never seen a pyschologist before but have a referral to one but not sire what to do.

I have found in the past talking to a counsellor makes me just dwell on problems more.

I am finding people's comments very thought provoking.

Thanks again Pamela and all the posters.

Quirky

[PamelaR]

Thank you Sez for your words of encouragement and support.

I must confess when I started the thread it was purely because I was somewhat anxious. When I'm anxious I sometimes open up a little too much. Anyway. All done now and I find interesting the differing view points.

Yes, I was a little confused at first, but no worries about that. All good. I'm just pleased you are around Sez.

[PamelaR]

Hi Quirky

My own experience a psychologist can be more active in moving you along rather than getting you to dwell on the past. They help identify underlying issues that you may not consciously be aware of an offer ways of dealing with the issues. It does not happen overnight. It can take a long time, especially if the person's history is long and involved.

So you're not sure what to do. Perhaps, before you go you could have a think about what some of the most pressing/unsettling matters you want help with. I find making a list helps, so i don't forget what i want to mention when in a session.

Generally the first visit, they will want to find out a little bit about you. So I'd be prepared to think about that before hand. What it is you want to disclose at your first appointment and what you will do as time progresses and you have built up trust. There are many comments in other threads about people's response to their appointments. They may not always be easy, but then life has obviously not been easy in the past. So to help move on, a little more pain is often necessary to achieve what you want ...... So maybe also think about what you want out of this before attending.Have you had any thoughts about that?

I hope this helps. Let me know if you want to know more. Willing to share my experiences.

[blondguy]

Hi Pamela

Thankyou for your accurate post where visiting a psychologist is concerned. You mentioned " It can take a long time, especially if the person's history is long and involved" This is absolutely spot on Pamela. It does take a lot of patience, determination and a strong desire to heal to find some peace...

Quirky (Im sorry to hijack your thread Pamela) ....Whether its a psychologist/psychiatrist/GP or a mental health worker you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Dwelling on our problems is what many people do by not seeking the help we really need.

Thankyou again for the great thread topic Pamela. As you know 70% of the 'hits' to Beyond Blue are people that choose only to read...which is fine. You have helped a lot of sufferers of anxiety/depression with your proactive focus 🙂

I hope you have a good weekend

My kind thoughts

Paul

[PamelaR]

Thank you Paul for your words of encouragement. Every little bit helps so much.

By no means have you hijacked my thread. I am very open for people to participate and to respond to others. I think it makes the support so much better. And support is what the forum is about - right?

Hope you have a good weekend too Paul.

It's raining here and has been solidly for the past couple of days.... I don't want to say I'd like it to stop. However, if it doesn't stop soon my feet will become webbed 🙂

Kind regards

PamelaR

[blondguy]

Hi Pamela

You are lucky to have all that rain. Its 30C here in southern vic and my gorgeous garden is a dust bowl

Webbed feet.....lol....you are funny Pamela 😉

Thankyou for putting the smile on my dial

Paul

[PamelaR]

Hi Paul

Yes we are lucky to be getting all this rain. So glad the temperatures have dropped. Can say our garden isn't a dust bowl, more like a swimming pool. LOL

Pleased to put a smile on your dial Paul. Makes me happy!

PamelaR

[blondguy]

Hello Pamela

Just a Clarification if thats okay

I understand that some people find seeing a psychologist difficult as they feel they are only dwelling on their problems more. If I can say just from my experience......if we dont provide our GP/Therapist with an honest history of our pain then we will find it very hard to heal as our counselor has little to work with.

To bury our 'pain' is futile and may even exacerbate our anxiety/depression

Seeing a psychologist/counselor/GP can be painful hard work for sure.......until we play ball and 'let go'. Then we will start to heal.....(just as per my experience that is)

Great thread Pamela

My kind thoughts

Paul

[PamelaR]

Hi Paul and everyone else

Thank you for that. You're right the more we bury our pain, the more difficult it becomes to release. From my personal experience, both my brothers who have chosen to bury their pain are both physically suffering - one has emphysema, back that's been operated on leaving him with a limp, heart condition, diabetes, eye sight loss, problem with his kidneys. He has narcissistic tendencies, shuts himself away from his siblings, cousins and aunts

- the other brother is 5 years younger in a nursing home because of physical capabilities (or should I say non capabilities).

I truly believe if they had addressed some of their personal traumas, no matter how much pain, their health would be so much better. They possibly would have started addressing their lifestyles, especially what they eat and how they eat. The result is they're are both in such pain now it makes me cry.

[PamelaR]

Hi everyone

It's been sometime since I've been here. My last visit to the psych was last week. He has given me some homework that is challenging.

One area I struggle with more than anything is identifying those triggers that spiral me downwards into a black abyss. So this is the what we're working on.

Each psychologist has there own style and methodology. Not everyone will find the work I'm doing is helpful for them, but some may so I'm sharing this for those who are interested.

I have to complete a thought diary that records -

activating event - this is an actual event or situation, a thought, mental picture or physical trigger. For me, it's a physical trigger that comes from a thought. It's getting to that thought that is hard.

consequences - I have to list words describing how I feel, underline the one I think activated the event, then rate the intensity of the feeling from 0 to 100.

beliefs - I have to ask myself what was i thinking, what was i saying to myself. Identify which thought was most distressing (hot), then rate it from 0 to 100.

unhelpful thinking styles - I have to see if I recognise unhelpful thinking e.g. mental filter, jumping to conclusions, personalisation, catastrophising, black and white thinking, shoulding and musting, overgeneralisation, labelling, emotional reasoning, disqualifying/ignoring positives.

detective work - I have to look at factual evidence FOR and AGAINST my HOT thought.

disputation - ask myself

• what other ways are there of viewing the situation?
• if i were not feeling this way, how would i view the situation?
• realistically, what is the likelihood of that happening?
• how might someone else view the situation?
• does it really help me to this the way?
• think of some helpful self-statements?.

It's actually the top two that are my main areas of work 'Activating Event' and 'consequences'. We did a sample one last week and it was such a relief once I got to the section on factual evidence FOR and AGAINST.

Acknowledgement to the Centre for Clinical Intervention, Psychology, Research, Training in Western Australia. The above work is part of the workbook related to depression. Their website is

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/resources/consumers.cfm

Hoping some of the above is useful for some of you.

Kind regards

🐝PamelaR