Best mental health practitioner to consult about chronic procrastination, lack of self-discipline, and lack of motivation

[UsErivenIcITaIr]

Hello,

I've decided to consult a mental health practitioner to try to address some issues that have been causing me problems for years and are now really starting to affect my career (or lack thereof)--namely chronic procrastination, lack of self-discipline, and general lack of motivation--but I'm not sure what kind of mental health practitioner to consult--psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, counsellor, ... . I don't really want to go to a GP because I don't think my problems are bad enough and I would feel like a fraud, so I'd rather just make an appointment with whichever mental health practitioner would be most able to help me with my problem. Any suggestions?

Many thanks.

[MsPurple]

Hi UsErvenIcITalrs and welcome to the forums

The reason most forum users suggest seeing your GP is they can take a history and help you determine which one they think is best for you. They can also do a mental health care plan with you. This entitles you to 6-10 medicare rebated (if you want it to be bulk bill only some practisionsers do that so ask to see one), without this plan you have to pay to see whoever you choose to see completely out of your own pocket. This is because psychologist/mental health nurses etc need this plan to be able to get funding from medicare, otherwise they would be seeing you and make no money. Medicare works a bit differently for allied health than doctors.

Most people usually see a psychologist. They are professionals who can do talking therapy, cbt, mindfuleness and more. They are not doctors and can not prescribe medication, however they do have knowledge of medication so if you are on any they may be aware of it. I myself saw a mental health nurse while I was at headspace. I am not sure why they suggested I see one over a psychologist (maybe no psychologist had availablility at the time) either way he was amazing and a bit more practical I guess than a psychologist. I am not sure how you book to see one out of headspace I'm sorry. Also a psychiatrist is a doctor who specialises in mental health. Some people see these if they are considering medication or for a review. I've seen on a few times and found it helpful for myself as I was on medication and we needed to figure it out together.

Hope some of this was helpful. I know it is scary seeing the gp but I think it maybe a good idea to do first. If you have a sore throat for a few days and you see a them and it turns out to just be a cold, you probably wouldn't be embarrassed or concerned you weren't 'sick' enough. You saw them to make sure you didn't have tonsillitis because if you did you would probably need antibiotics. It is the same with mental health. If they think you are just generally stress or going through a rough patch they can still guide you in the right direction. They also generally have lists of local counselors and psychologists that have worked for their other clients.

[geoff]

hi UsErvenIcITalrs, thankfully the site is now back working after maintenance, but what MP has said is spot on and I agree with her.
You must realise that 'your conditions are serious', and to make them feel as though they are just something that's happened out of the blue is not what I deem as insufficient, any MI is important to see your doctor first of all, only because they need to give you a reference to a psych, therapist etc so never feel as though your a fraud, please. Geoff.

[UsErivenIcITaIr]

Thanks for all the help. I think I'll consult a general practitioner first and see what they have to say. Based on my research, it sounds like the best mental-health practitioner for my needs would be a psychologist. Here's a summary of my research so far, in case anyone else with similar problems finds it helpful:

Other mental-health practitioners (from most mentioned to least mentioned):

Counsellor;
Psychiatrist;
Social worker in mental health;
Psychotherapist;
Clinical psychologist;
Occupational therapist;
Mental health nurse;
Life coach;
BeyondBlue NewAccess program.

Self-help books:

Burns (1980) Feeling Good;
Lewisohn et al. (1986) Control Your Depression;
Tanner and Ball (1989) Beating the Blues.

Therapeutic strategies (from most mentioned to least mentioned):

Cognitive behaviour therapy;
Psychodynamic psychotherapy;
Interpersonal psychotherapy;
Mindfulness based cognitive therapy;
Psychoanalytic psychotherapy;
Hypnotherapy;
Acceptance and commitment therapy;
Relaxation training (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation-- see www.beyondblue.org.au/recovery-and-staying-well);
Cognitive restructuring;
Problem-solving therapy;
Rational emotive therapy;
General counselling and psychotherapy techniques;
Systematic desensitisation;
Stress inoculation training;
Behavioural activation;
Humanistic therapies;
Music therapy;
Dance therapy;
Massage therapy;
Supportive counselling;
Psychoeducation;
Dialectical behaviour therapy;
Positive psychology;
Narrative therapy;
Body-oriented psychotherapy;
Experiential therapy;
Integrative counselling and psychotherapy;
Cognitive analytic therapy;
Mindfulness;
Motivational interviewing;
Supportive psychotherapy.

[MsPurple]

Hi usErivenIcITalr and thanks for coming back to check in. You have summarised it very well 😉 I think discussing your options is also the best way to go. I even asked them to recommend me a psychologist as I was new to the area and with my history of ED and GAD I wanted someone who could work with both. You can also look up your own and ask to see them however I think a lot of the time GPs know who in the area seems to work with particular type of patients (e.g. I am an anxious person but not all are anxious people so they may not be suggested the same psychologist).

[UsErivenIcITaIr]

Thanks. I also found some useful e-therapy websites which I might try out.