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wakewoke Resources for moving out of a bad home?
  • replies: 1

Hello, im not sure if this is the appropriate forum but Im looking into advice on how to get out of my home which is at minimum toxic? I'm poor and on a disability pension, what do i do?

Hello, im not sure if this is the appropriate forum but Im looking into advice on how to get out of my home which is at minimum toxic? I'm poor and on a disability pension, what do i do?

Maefire Feeling Disillusioned With Therapy
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone, I’m really in need of some advice and support. I’ve been attending counseling and therapy for years at this point but the last year I’ve had so many bad experiences that I feel on the verge of giving up on professional help. I’ve had ab... View more

Hey everyone, I’m really in need of some advice and support. I’ve been attending counseling and therapy for years at this point but the last year I’ve had so many bad experiences that I feel on the verge of giving up on professional help. I’ve had about 7 counselors or psychologists in the last year since the only program I have access to isn’t very consistent. I have been invalidated by some and am really struggling to cope. The others were great but I lost one due to him only being a student and another in a very traumatic event - an abusive exfriend if mine created a conflict of interest and while I was balling my eyes out at the therapist about my ptsd I was suddenly dropped because of this other persons actions. My current therapist is nice but I feel worse after each session. She doesn’t really understand my trauma or what I’m going through and it’s really wearing down on me. I feel so isolated right now and everything in my life is falling apart. I have only continued to go to therapy for other people - I know my boyfriend (who is my only real support through this atm) would be worried if I stopped going and I don’t want to hurt my therapists feelings. I want a long term therapist but I don’t know if that’s affordable. I want a therapist that doesn’t try and change how I feel about my trauma but rather supports me and offers advice and help like my former therapist did - I miss him a lot and I still get emotional over the therapists I’ve had to stop going to. I just feel so hopeless and after years of therapy and having multiple bad experiences I’ve never felt this miserable about therapy before. I’m sorry for rambling but I’m really stuck and I was wondering if there were types of therapists that are more long term or who you can contact outside of sessions for when things are really hard. Are there valid alternatives to therapy to deal with ptsd or grief? I’m at my breaking point and I feel so trapped and weak and I’m trying to help myself but I’m really lost and I honestly don’t know if there’s any other options for me. I would really appreciate any advice or anyone else who has gone through this - therapy is deeply hurt me in so many ways and I feel alone in this and pressured to keep going. Also I’m an indep adult with no family support I rely on myself my boyfriend and a few friends so please don’t suggest I consult my family they’re the biggest problem in my life sadly. Thanks

SilvaLady Letting go of regrets
  • replies: 4

Hello, I'm not sure if this fits in here, but I thought it might worth a try. Recently I was told that I should let go of my "regrets" from the past. I know that I had many regrets, but I can't remember most of them. There are only a few that I can r... View more

Hello, I'm not sure if this fits in here, but I thought it might worth a try. Recently I was told that I should let go of my "regrets" from the past. I know that I had many regrets, but I can't remember most of them. There are only a few that I can remember. I think that my anxiety/depression is part of this. I'm on the process of following that advice. The advice was to light a small tealight candle and stating what regret I wanted to release, to let it burn until it burned down or if it stopped by itself (if wax was still there to bury in soil). I only started that today. I was wondering if there was anybody else that could advise of different strategies of releasing any kind of regrets. I know that regret and self forgiveness work hand-in-hand. As I suffer from anxiety, I try to cover all my bases and am trying to help myself, in turn trying to help others by this. I have got a good support system, but I know that most of the hard work falls back unto myself. I'm still struggling to forgive myself, but I like to think that I'm getting there. So I was wondering if anyone else has some techniques or methods of dealing with letting go of regrets/forgiveness of self. SilvaLady

Lilly_olive SNRI or SSRI better for Anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi all hoping I can get some feedback and or peoples experiences with the above matter I was taking an SSRI for 15+ years for Anxiety and depression, it worked wonderfully and I really believe it changed my life as I’m sure people on here know how de... View more

Hi all hoping I can get some feedback and or peoples experiences with the above matter I was taking an SSRI for 15+ years for Anxiety and depression, it worked wonderfully and I really believe it changed my life as I’m sure people on here know how debilitating anxiety and depression can be,it suddenly stopped working like it had always done( nothing in my circumstances changed)and I became very anxious, my GP talked me into changing to an SNRI as she said this worked on an extra neurotransmitter to further help with symptom Control. the change to an SNRI was smooth and I felt normal and good for 3 months but then started getting very anxious and a little depressed again! Back to the GP and she’s increased the SNRI dose saying I was only on the minimal dose for anxiety although it still seemed high too me? I use other ways I’ve learned over the years to help my mood ie mindfulness, exercise, physiologist. Etc. Just really wondering as the GP is very young and maybe not very experienced are SSRI or SNRI better for chronic anxiety? Should she not have tried me on another type of SSRI before changing me altogether? i really don’t want too see a physiatrist as I genuinely manage my condition fairly well, and I know these are expensive with long wait times. Wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience and could shed some light thanks in advance

Hashimum13 SNRI confusion
  • replies: 2

Hi guys, just wanted to reach out and see if anyone has experienced anything similar... 3 weeks ago I switched from an SSRI to an SNRI after a post natal depression diagnosis ( been on SSRI for 10 years and it stopped working ) was super worried abou... View more

Hi guys, just wanted to reach out and see if anyone has experienced anything similar... 3 weeks ago I switched from an SSRI to an SNRI after a post natal depression diagnosis ( been on SSRI for 10 years and it stopped working ) was super worried about the switch, but seemed to get through it without to much drama. The past week I’ve been feeling almost myself again which has be so wonderful- that is until today woke up feeling depressed again and I have no idea why! Thi is so dis heartening and frustrating!!!! now I’m starting to question everything and am terrified I’m going to slip back... I’m trying to be positive and give it time, it just seems so cruel that it would work and then stop. has anyone experienced anything similar when starting SNRI’s? Does it pass and mood pick up? do you have down days that pass? worried ( if you can’t tell!) thanks

Innocuous Getting the point across
  • replies: 2

Hey all, I've had a bit of bad luck with talking to psychs and counsellors recently. I have had a tough time recently and I'm working through it but I have been, I guess you would say 'rebuffed' by a few professionals. Each time they seem to minimise... View more

Hey all, I've had a bit of bad luck with talking to psychs and counsellors recently. I have had a tough time recently and I'm working through it but I have been, I guess you would say 'rebuffed' by a few professionals. Each time they seem to minimise my problems ("you seem stressed, but you can just do /this/ to improve it" or "are you friends at university also feeling like this? It's a stressful time for everyone"). It has gotten pretty disheartening to not have anyone properly listen to my problems and concerns for my own wellbeing. I was hoping for some advice from others in therapy as to how to properly communicate my problems. I do understand that I am the common denominator and there's a chance I haven't been expressing myself properly. So, I guess, how do you guys make sure your psych/counsellor understands when a problem is important? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

Truetomyself More of a female thing and would appreciate help.IUD and anxiety.
  • replies: 4

Hi I had an IUD inserted about 5 years ago. I believe it is coming to the end of it's life. I am curious to know if anyone has experienced higher anxiety when it does? It has been tricky lately as my anxiety is high and can only put it down to this a... View more

Hi I had an IUD inserted about 5 years ago. I believe it is coming to the end of it's life. I am curious to know if anyone has experienced higher anxiety when it does? It has been tricky lately as my anxiety is high and can only put it down to this as I am having no other major triggers. I have read it can increase the anxiety and cause mood swings etc when it does. But not sure as the internet is full off good but also non factual information. I have had some bleeding on and off. But I feel I already have issues with my period but this is different. I have had everything else like an ultra sound, pap smear done. I have a go appointment this Friday but just wanted to get some help if anyone else has had this issue. Thank you

Gemz Anxiety medication
  • replies: 2

Hello this is my first post. I have had health anxiety (heart) Tried everything in the past but had to go on medication. I have been taking this for years now. Does anyone else take long term med? Are you made to come off them or can you stay on them... View more

Hello this is my first post. I have had health anxiety (heart) Tried everything in the past but had to go on medication. I have been taking this for years now. Does anyone else take long term med? Are you made to come off them or can you stay on them for life? Thanks

Evie81 Terrible withdrawals from antipsychotic
  • replies: 3

I'm bipolar and prescribed a combination of an anticonvulsant with well-known antidepressant properties and a second generation antipsychotic. I know I'm not supposed to mention names here so I'm hoping this is allowed. I recently had a slight manic ... View more

I'm bipolar and prescribed a combination of an anticonvulsant with well-known antidepressant properties and a second generation antipsychotic. I know I'm not supposed to mention names here so I'm hoping this is allowed. I recently had a slight manic episode and, of course, the antipsychotic was pushed heavily again. I have no problem with this med other than it causes weight gain and massive withdrawal symptoms. In the past I quit this med because of these reasons but 'when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail' to a psychiatrist, so round again you go. I've now, unwittingly, missed two doses of the antipsychotic and I'm feeling like a junkie looking for a fix. So dizzy, nauseous, feelings of 'unrealness', difficulty focussing my gaze, motion sickness. The feeling can probably be best described as just stepping out of the fairground centrifuge, when your brain adjusts to its new reality of not being spun around and you're best off closing your eyes or you might vomit, but this 24 hours a day. This is just 2 doses! I've spoken to my pdoc about this in the past as one of my objections for going back onto this med but it seems these claims are not being taken very seriously. He shrugged it off saying it was very unusual and it was only a small dose. Well, the dose is as large as I allowed it to be (he pushed for much higher and I told him he as joking) and these accounts of withdrawal are found all over the internet, so I know it is not that unusual . Either way, large dose or not, the effects are just the same. Having these symptoms again makes me wonder if I should even be on this stuff. I recall the days when they said that benzos were not addictive. Oh oops, those were addictive. Wait, have some of these Z-class sleeping pills. Oh wait, those were addictive too. Now, here, have some second generation antipsychotics... only a matter of time you reckon. Do any of you experience withdrawals even at small doses and how did you approach this with your pdoc?

AlexH Should I get a new referral?
  • replies: 4

Hi, so. In my 20s here and trying to get an ADHD diagnosis. I have already been to my GP and got a referral to a doctor who could assess me. However, that was almost a year ago now. The delay was due to a) my anxiety at having to call up during work ... View more

Hi, so. In my 20s here and trying to get an ADHD diagnosis. I have already been to my GP and got a referral to a doctor who could assess me. However, that was almost a year ago now. The delay was due to a) my anxiety at having to call up during work hours, while at work, and then ask for time off, b) self-doubt overtaking again, c) anxiety over leaving it for so long, d) classic ADHD-style procrastination. Should I get a new referral, or will that one still work? I’m really worried it’s going to look like I don’t need a diagnosis since I left it for so long, and I’m really anxious now because I don’t know what I’d do if this avenue’s been messed up, too. I’ve already had bad experiences trying to get people to take me seriously, but over time by symptoms have only gotten worse and it’s becoming really clear that this IS impacting on my life a lot. It’s too late to do this part right but I don’t know if I should even try to set up an appointment today like this - I really don’t want to waste anyone’s time by trying if I need a new referral. Anyone have any ideas?

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