Please help with what counselling has worked for you

[Runner_Matt]

I am new here and am putting off getting help for my depression and anxiety. As a child I suffered severe physical abuse and it was not until August last year that I realised that what I feel everyday is not 'normal'. I have seen my doctor and am currently taking medication each day. Medication has helped me get through the days without feeling terriable and it seems to be giving me some of my life back.

Still I suffer from anxiety in situations where I have conflict with older males that resenbale my father. At these times I feel so angry and have real troubles expressing myself. Often I verbaly lash out at the other person when they do not deserve it and feel terriable afterwards. I also then get anxious about what happened for the next week and cannot stop thinking about what happened. It totaly consumes me and is an awful feeling.

Sometimes I feel like I just want to breath and let all the tension go but it remains.

Whilst the medication has helped I was wondering wether phsycalogical counselling is worthwhile. I appreciate everyones circumstances are different and would really value any thoughts, experiances or learnings that you can share that will help me make a decision of what to do next.

I just want to live a day without feeling like this.

[HA1]

Hi Runner Matt

Thanks for joining us here on beyondblue!  

It is sad to hear what you went through as a child and I can really feel what you are going through now as a consequence.

In a not too dissimilar situation, I dealt with constant bullying and exclusion as a child, along with being beaten.  I never dealt with my experience as a should have, and left it for too long.  But it did catch up with me eventually.  

I have experienced counselling from a psychologist and spoken to psychiatrists on a regular basis for a long time now.  The clinical physiologist that I now see is very very good.  When I started with her it was a lot of getting to know you sessions, along with touching on various types of therapies to assist me.  She then decided to try me on Schema Therapy (google it).  This was really a light bulb movement for me, and I must say it helped me so much.  We have now backed off exploring it together in more detail, because it gave her what she needed to know about what my triggers were, plus much more.  

I have also used meditation and calming music in my treatment - both of these also help me a lot.

I would suggest that you do talk to a psychologists (clinical or otherwise).  Medication settles your chemistry issues, but a physiologists will help you desalt with the issues that have been troubling you. 

Hopefully I have been able to assist in a small way.

Take care, and please post again.

K

[Runner_Matt]

Thank you, your reply helps a lot. I am concerned about the expense of various counselling options and I know that this is the pathway for me to begin dealing with the indrrlying issues.

once again thanks for taking the time to respond. I really appreciate it.

[HA1]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I am not sure what situation your are in, but the best care I have received is through the Community Health centres of public hospitals (NSW).  They all have a mental health facility, with psychiatrists and physiologists available to talk to you.  The cost is negligible.

Take care

K

[Pounce]

Hi Matt, I would definitely recommend talk therapy. Sometimes just getting things off your chest is a huge relief. A trained Psychologist is best. They can offer helpful advice and methods for dealing with both anger, fear and anxiety when they crop up. Counselors or untrained people can sometimes say the wrong thing and make you feel worse. That's my experience anyway. Cheers and good luck!

[Desperately_seeking_Susan]

Dear Runner Matt,

I will be watching this thread keenly.

My teenage son has anger issues after being bullied at school, let down by his Dad who has his own mental health issues but promised him a car and then didn't deliver (too busy drinking trying to avoid his own pain and current wife) etc - you know what, I'm angry as well - I'm so angry that I have enrolled in a Law Degree so that next time someone tries to hurt my son or myself, I will nail them.

sooooo, enough about me! LOL, I dunno man, but like I said, Im gonna watch this thread for ideas. Schema therapy looks worth a google.

[HA1]

Hi Runner Matt

It has been a while since you posted - how are you going?  I would b ereally keen to hear back from you, as would the others that have responded to you.

DesperatelySeeking Susan - hi, I too had anger issues for the same reason as your son.   I would be keen to hear more from you.  Also, good on you for enrolling in Law!! Great effort,

K

[Narniakid]

Dear Runner Matt,

I am sorry to hear that you are going through such a difficult time, I sincerely hope you are feeling better soon.

As for your counselling dilemma, I have tried a number of different types, and I find talk therapy the most helpful by far. In saying this, I strongly recommend taking the time to find a psychologist that you work well with. I went through about 4 or 5 before I found one I was most comfortable with, and it was well worth it - I've been seeing her regularly for about 5 years, and I am well on my way to recovery.

Take care and stay positive!

[Technogurl]

Hi Runner Matt

I hope you have managed to find some strategies that are working for you to help you through your difficult time.

People are diverse, and it seems different things work for different people.

Find what resonates with you and makes sense to you, and if you are struggling to find the right thing, just keep looking. Eventually you will find it.

Hang in there 🙂