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MRivers Some questions about psychologists and counseling
  • replies: 7

1.How many is too many? I have been to 5 different counselors/psychiatrists over the past 10 years or so. The worst of them (who I was able to get a partial Medicare rebate for) seemed to be a narcissist and I stopped seeing after about four sessions... View more

1.How many is too many? I have been to 5 different counselors/psychiatrists over the past 10 years or so. The worst of them (who I was able to get a partial Medicare rebate for) seemed to be a narcissist and I stopped seeing after about four sessions. The best two the most expensive. One of them who would have been my first choice is no longer in practice, the second choice I would be happy to revisit, but I would be limited in the number and frequency of appointments due to the cost. The other two were bulk billed which leads to my next question: 2.Bulk billing psychologists: Do you get what you pay for? The two I saw were not particularly inspiring and hard to connect with. One I found to to be too confrontational and the other seemed to stick to a routine or plan so to speak and continually went over the same ground. 3.Can the (depressed) state of mental health we are in influence our view of the professional's ability, and also distort our expectations of the healing process? I realize there is no silver bullet, and there is a lot of hard work to be done. To be fair 4/5 of the above professionals has given me good advice in one way or another. I have tried to apply these ideas in short bursts but each time I feel I have come out of the hole I seem fall back in. Will there ever be a time when I can climb out and plug the hole for good?

Baileybasil What does my psychologist want me to gain from writing down everything I like?
  • replies: 11

I just had my first session with a new psychologist, she left me with a note on things to work on, one of them being writing down everything I like. My question is, what does she want me to gain from writing this down? I’m not sure what to do afterwa... View more

I just had my first session with a new psychologist, she left me with a note on things to work on, one of them being writing down everything I like. My question is, what does she want me to gain from writing this down? I’m not sure what to do afterwards?

PMilne Feeling worse after visit with psychologist
  • replies: 9

First time in therapy and I came out of the second session feeling so much worse. My therapist told me “It sounds like you want your cake and eat it”, amongst other conclusions of a similar nature they shared with me. I cancelled the remainder of my ... View more

First time in therapy and I came out of the second session feeling so much worse. My therapist told me “It sounds like you want your cake and eat it”, amongst other conclusions of a similar nature they shared with me. I cancelled the remainder of my appointments and don't feel able to go back to therapy but need help with anxiety, low self-esteem and depression. Is this how a therapy session would normally run, and it is common to feel this way after therapy?

stueyb memory problems on medication for anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi guys and girl, Lately i been really struggling with my memory i been forgetting peoples names , where i am , trouble concentrating on anything , not enjoying the things i used to love , forgetting what im doing , depressed and even more anxious th... View more

Hi guys and girl, Lately i been really struggling with my memory i been forgetting peoples names , where i am , trouble concentrating on anything , not enjoying the things i used to love , forgetting what im doing , depressed and even more anxious than before. Im really worried that i could be dealing with early onset alzheimer's disease im only 32 (33 this year) so im hoping thats im too early in life to get that. I've been on medication for years now for my anxiety so im hoping that other people on here have had the same problem to put my mind a little at ease.

kayla_lou Help with adult ADHD and Bipolar
  • replies: 2

Hi, I was diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar 1 early to mid 2020. I have been taking medication which has absolutely changed my life, but I feel like I really need to just talk to someone about my issues. Anyone with ADHD and/or Bipolar will understand ... View more

Hi, I was diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar 1 early to mid 2020. I have been taking medication which has absolutely changed my life, but I feel like I really need to just talk to someone about my issues. Anyone with ADHD and/or Bipolar will understand what I mean when I say the need to talk is like word vomit - you feel like if you don't let it out, you will explode. I don't want to waste anyone's time by talking to someone who is there to help people in a crisis, because I'm not depressed or anything more severe then that, I'm just struggling with issues from these conditions like self esteem, bad behaviours like negative thoughts about self worth etc. I also have a binge eating disorder which just makes everything feel so much more unmanageable for my already crowded brain. So here I am rambling as I often do, but basically my situation is: I need to talk to someone who is genuinely interested in my life story, someone who will give me strategies to cope with the issues ADHD and Bipolar have created for me from a very young age, someone who won't just google the answers as I've already done all that in desperate attempts to help myself. I still feel like I can't even find the words to express what I feel like I need, and I have absolutely no idea where to start. My GP sent me to a psychologist, which is why I'm looking for maybe an alternative. Reason being, without even working out what my issues were stemming from, she just focused on my eating problem. When I tried to talk about WHY this was happening, I was told that there's not enough time in the sessions, and I should just do these things and they will help. Obviously that did not work. I already have to fork out upwards of $400 on psychiatrists for my medication scripts, I'll definitely struggle to afford another $200+ for another service which may not be what I need. First things first is I want someone to tell me what to do. Everywhere I look the answer is 'See your GP', all the GPs I've seen seem to not take me seriously, and to be honest I don't really want to go back to one, just out of embarrassment. Welcome to my wandering, leaping, incoherent, frustrating 25 year old brain. I apologise in advance for the novel. HELP.

Jesse Y Getting help for bipolar/ depresssion
  • replies: 5

Howdy everyone so basically I was diagnosed with ADD at 19 and ever since being put on medication I have experienced bouts of depression, social anxiety and addiction. I’m now 28 and have tried so many different techniques for helping my depression b... View more

Howdy everyone so basically I was diagnosed with ADD at 19 and ever since being put on medication I have experienced bouts of depression, social anxiety and addiction. I’m now 28 and have tried so many different techniques for helping my depression but I have been told by my psychiatrist that I most likely have bipolar. Does anyone have some good techniques or podcasts that will definitely help reduce the affect of my depression and Bipolar symptoms? Any help would be absolutely wonderful. I hope everyone is doing well. Much love

Anzee Finding safety within
  • replies: 7

Hi all, So I have PTSD, severe anxiety, and right now my symptoms are chronic as I have recently escaped an abusive relationship of over 10 years and am still dealing with the aftermath and fall out from that as we share 2 children together but he ha... View more

Hi all, So I have PTSD, severe anxiety, and right now my symptoms are chronic as I have recently escaped an abusive relationship of over 10 years and am still dealing with the aftermath and fall out from that as we share 2 children together but he has not had any form of contact with his two daughters since January as it was the safest way to leave as he is very very manipulative and would have scared them into wanting to go home. I experienced a lot of trauma as a child including SA, have been in unsafe and abusive relationships ever since. I have been working as hard as I can (whilst having 100% care of two daughters and being in and out of crisis accommodation, refuge and homelessness) with my therapist on trying to find a safe place ANYWHERE in my mind and body but have not yet been successful. We’ve even tried rewording ‘safe place’ as we wondered if it was too triggering but I still cannot find any place in my body or imagination where I feel safe, nowhere at all. The closest I can get to is sleeping! The thought of sleeping makes me feel comfortable enough to possibly feel safety, but in saying that my nightmares are so intense right now, and flashbacks, I’m just been flooded with all types of memories and feelings and I just want to have a break, I want to find a place in my mind where I can have a time out and feel somewhat calm and relaxed. Has anyone else out there had trouble finding a place inside yourself you could feel safety/ comfort/ calm?? What helped you access this place?? I really want to be able to have that space I can go to when things are feeling too overwhelming and too much. I’ve tried meditating but that caused chronic flashbacks as I guess I try to keep my mind busy at all times subconsciously, so when I give my mind a chance to relax, memories and thoughts I’ve been actively trying to block out flood in. Any similar experiences very much welcome.

H-c Finally taking a step but I’m scared
  • replies: 16

So long story short I’m going to the gp to talk about my mental health and I’m so scared. In a way a part of me feels relieved that I’m getting help but a big part of me don’t want to go. So many what if’s and so many things that could go wrong. Anot... View more

So long story short I’m going to the gp to talk about my mental health and I’m so scared. In a way a part of me feels relieved that I’m getting help but a big part of me don’t want to go. So many what if’s and so many things that could go wrong. Another thing is there will be someone that’s going to be right there during the appointment so I can’t really say I want to. What if I finally get help and i get told there are a ton of things wrong with me.(I’m not making sense but what I’m trying to say is what if i already know somewhere deep inside me I need help for ONE thing but after talking to the doctor I get told there are multiple things wrong with me?). To be honest I’m split, I don’t wanna go but i know I need to. What if I feel even more worse after the appointment? I don’t know what to do.. I’ve already had bad past experience with my previous gp, and I’m really scared it’s going to be a repeat of that whole experience. Them telling me that there’s nothing physically wrong with me and I should just “relax and exercise”

BK13 Anxiety, depression and adult adhd diagnosis
  • replies: 2

Hey friends, well my last posts on here were in 2015, it was actually quite insightful reading back on my posts and comments. Dunno if you can read them, but feel free if you want some background. So what’s happened in the past 7 years? I left my tox... View more

Hey friends, well my last posts on here were in 2015, it was actually quite insightful reading back on my posts and comments. Dunno if you can read them, but feel free if you want some background. So what’s happened in the past 7 years? I left my toxic relationship in 2016 i moved house 4 more times, finally buying a house last year i have been with my ‘new’ partner for 5 years, and he’s wonderful my darling dog passed away i changed jobs a couple of times plus the whole pandemic thing haha. I also changed AD medication 2 more times. I didn’t get any other support for 6 years, just the medication, no psychologist or therapist (not a smart move on my part I think) and this year, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD. I’m a woman in my late 30s. I see a great psychiatrist, and he’s put me on medication. The first lot was slow release, however for some reason, I metabolize it quite quickly, like 4 hours quickly. So today he has switched me to quick release, but I’ll have to remember to take it 3 times a day. Good luck to me! anyways that’s brain dump, but what I want to know is, besides medication, how have you managed your ADHD/depression/anxiety symptoms? Motivation, focus, concentration, prioritization, organization all seem to be worse when I’m working from home. I can be reasonably productive when I’m in the office, but it’s like when I’m at home all the wheels fall off. My brain just won’t process information quickly enough, I get mind blanks, forget things, it takes me a long time to grasp concepts and tbh often have no idea what’s going on. I constantly feel confused and am reactive rather than proactive in just about everything I do. Im a highly empathetic person, however in situations requiring empathy, I say the words but I don’t actually feel the emotion, if that makes sense. I’ve been dissociating quite a bit and just feel like a pretty crap version of myself. I have so much potential but I JUST can’t seem to do literally anything. The ADHD paralysis is real. If I have 10 things on my to do list, I won’t be able to start any of them, as I won’t know which one to do first or how to get started. So I just do none of them 🤦🏼‍ Procrastination is my middle name. anyway if you have any particular types of therapy or strategies you can suggest to help me, I am all ears! What or who has helped you with these things? i am based in Brisbane if that helps. Thanks!

EeeDee A normal counselling session?
  • replies: 6

Hi, I am feeling very overwhelmed at the moment and can't stop crying. Some background my husband & I are seeing (skype) a marriage counsellor. I suffer with anxiety, had some traumatic experiences (with men mostly) which the counsellor is aware of b... View more

Hi, I am feeling very overwhelmed at the moment and can't stop crying. Some background my husband & I are seeing (skype) a marriage counsellor. I suffer with anxiety, had some traumatic experiences (with men mostly) which the counsellor is aware of but not discussed in any depth. I've had a loving but very strict, almost suffocating upbringing & witnessed domestic abuse, I still flinch even though my current situation is not abusive. Painfully shy I've worked hard at finding my voice and some confidence, but I'm still hyper sensitive & fragile. Today the counsellor focused entirely on my husbands feelings of frustration with me, as the session ended I was in tears, I feel completely invalidated, like a spoilt child for even daring to ask about my needs. As we signed out I heard the marriage counsellor say loudly a swear word. She phoned my husband to apologise, said we shouldn't of heard that but she was frustrated with herself & not at us or specifically me. I don't believe it, I feel silenced, I feel that to speak out & ask for something in return only ends in ugliness, I feel that I am the difficult one & should just learn to shut up & suck it up. I'm crying telling myself I'm horrible, selfish. unlovable and nothing is to be gained for asking for help. My husband says its not about blaming anyone & my turn will be next month, I know he is just trying to help in his way but it just feels that he was given the opportunity to communicate how he feels about me when we run into issues and I had no opportunity to give my side. I feel narcissistic or even like a spoiled brat for even thinking I should have had my turn to get heard & when I heard the counsellor swear at the end it confirmed everything I was feeling. Is it normal to focus on one partner for a session while the other is made to keep silent except to mirror back what they are hearing? I would of felt very uncomfortable if the roles were reversed and my hubby had to mirror back what I was feeling and experiencing without him having the opportunity to respond for an entire hour. Should we continue with these counselling sessions? I just don't know what's normal but something is telling me that I shouldn't be crying like this & feeling worse, its bringing up past traumas of 'keeping quiet'. But if I'm the one asking to pull the plug on these sessions then I will be seen as the difficult, selfish one. Any insight into what would be the healthiest course in this will be greatly appreciated. Thankyou.

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