Why would my psychologist ask me if I am depressed?

[Guest_1211]

I have been seeing her for about 2 years now... but I mean, why would she ask me? I don’t know. It feels like a trick question. I want to disappear. She asked me two weeks in a row, and I just looked down and shrugged my shoulders. I don’t know what to say.

[monkey_magic]

Hi fernwehr,

I can empathize with life feeling too hard. It really is sometimes.

I haven't read all replys but wanted to add my bit if that's ok.

I'm also a fraud and imposter. I think we all are to some extent. " How are you feeling? "Good" is most people's response even though they're not truely feeling that way.

The truth will set you free. I think it's crucial to be real and honest with others. That way they can support you. Those you trust of course.

Sounds like you're going through a difficult time. U don't have to do it alone. Never be ashamed of asking loved ones for help.

Wishing you lots of rest and recuperation. Your healing/ health must come first now.

💜

[Guest_1211]

I just don’t know how else to help myself. It’s all feeling beyond me. I just feel like I fail at every turn.

I can’t even succeed in therapy.

i feel out of options

[Sophie_M]

Hey fernwehr, we're glad you've reached out to the forums tonight. We think it's great that you're so proactive in seeking help and that you are willing to examine your own feelings and behaviour.

We recognise how overwhelmed you feel right now, so we just wanted to let you know that if you find yourself feeling particularly overwhelmed before receiving further mental health support, please know that there is help available to you. 

The Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636 or our friends at Lifeline on 13 11 14 are available to provide support and advice 24/7. Please do feel free to use these services to talk through what's on your mind when it's feeling like too much to cope with.

Thank you for keeping us updated fernwehr. 

[TheBigBlue]

Hi fernwehr & welcome.

Perhaps the psychologist has an idea you may have depression but is trying to prompt you to think about it & possibly recognise it yourself? Just a thought, so don’t read too much into it.

i experienced that caused trauma when I was young & to this day it still affects my life severely. I had many appointments with the psychologist before I was brave enough to open up & tell someone. It was around 35 years after the event & I had kept it secret inside all that time. It was a a relief to get it out. But then it’s like I relived the experience again & had a massive struggle with depression, nightmares, physical feelings of anxiety when in certain locations that triggered my memory of the event ie fear, racing heart, shortness of breath, sweaty palms, nausea.

Anyway, I started writing stuff down about how I was feeling & would email it to the psychologist a few days ahead of our appointment so I was able to describe what I was going through without having to actually speak it aloud. And then we could discuss it in the appointment. Would something like that be of any help to you? Just something to consider.

Take care

[smallwolf]

Hi again - I have been seeing my psychologist for over 2 years. When I feel good and I see here, I feel like a fraud. And then something happens that makes me realise why I do. Like you, I am on this journey of staying afloat. It also sounds like you are really hurting as well. Whether you want to tell your psych and unable to because of the emotional pain or not finding the right words **

** this was something my father has difficulties with. Very smart man but unable to express how he felt.

Perhaps if you were able to write down your thoughts on paper as a way of communcating with your psych? A way of opening doors you cannot verbalise. For myself, when I first spoke to my psych about suicide I froze and said nothing. It was a fear of weakness, not coping or whatever other word you want to use.

Just know we are here for you and will support you,

Peace, Tim

[Guest_1211]

I keep feeling like I’m making it up. That there is nothing wrong, that I’m just trying to illicit sympathy I don’t deserve. A drama queen who just wants attention.

I spend so much time helping others. Listening to them, giving advice. Who am I to do that, when I feel hollow inside.

What right do I have to complain when I have two amazing children, a loving husband, a beautiful house, financial security, a great job and plenty of friends.

How can I feel like this when I have every reason to be happy?

Why can’t I silence the past. Why does it have to keep intruding... how does it have the ability to invalidate every good thing I have around me and make me feel like I can’t do anything positive?

[geoff]

Hello Fernwehr, you could be the richest person in the world, everything is done not only for you but for your family in the way that pleases you, but this will not stop depression of any type from looming and attaching itself on you and maybe for no apparent reason.

If you can't move at your normal pace, everything seems to go wrong, getting out of bed is much harder than usual, carrying on with a conversion seems to be impossible, impending doom, agitated and the list goes on, then write these down and give the list to your psychologist.

Ask the psych why they would they ask if you're depressed, put the ball back into their court, you are allowed to ask them questions.

Take care.

Geoff.

[Guest_1211]

I’ve seen my lovely psychologist tonight. I probably didn’t say how difficult I have found this past week.

I didn’t ask about her questions the last few weeks. I just feel so self conscious.

I tried so so hard to stay grounded tonight. I didn’t quite manage to. But she did say that I had done really well tonight, that I had communicated a lot more. I still feel like I’ve failed. I talked a fair bit about the intrusions, my sleep (or lack of) since I was very young. Hyper-vigilance. My constant sense of foreboding. Not that you would know any of this from the outside.

I find the first 24-48 hours after quite difficult. I just want to fade into oblivion, but I can’t because everything just keeps going, and I have to pull the game face back on.