I need someone to talk to

I hope it went well and that you see it will be beneficial.

April, are you out there? You don't have to tell us anything you don't want to talk about... we'd just like to know you're okay.

April ....is everything ok?

PM me if you want to talk.

im here a little frustraited but here. Well looks like the person i saw yesterday pretty much just talks to you and decides who you should see there.

So she made me a appointment for next tuesday with the person ive seen there in the past. She also made a appointment for aug to see one of the dr's there that give out meds to see if meds will help.

I dint sleep but for 2 hours last night and i guess i wish they explained this when I called. I could have just made a appointment with her myself since ive seen her in the past.

She said it sounded like i have anxiety and ptsd (huh no big surprise there). I am not sure about seeing the same person as I did 10 years ago but I guess we will just see.

She seemed nice enough but no one explained anything till after the appointment. SHe told me I could try some over the counter sleep meds but she doubts they will help much Thats why she wants me to see the other person in aug.

Maybe you should seek another place/professional. Im sure your insurance company has a book of in-network practitioners (therapists, etc)... I would look through there... I hate the middle man, I like to go straight to the source (hence why I refuse to waste my time with primary physicians unless i have a cold... I usually go straight to a specialist and handle things on my own)... What insurance company do you have (just curious because if you have united healthcare, they have an awesome website of in-network mental physicians... giving their background of study, etc)? That is how I picked my lady!!! Im hoping things get better, and Im hoping they dont just plan to push meds on you without going over things to determine whether it is necessary (also another issue I have with primary physicians, they write perscriptions for anxiety and depression without making more than a 2 minute analysis)... Im not saying meds are bad, but usually a proper consultation, even a few visits would be in order... Maybe Im just against the fact that doctors are so quick to write perscriptions without making a full diagnosis first... Either way, at least you got the initial visit out of the way... It is in your hands, if you dont want to see your old therapist, then seek another professional!

You're right, that should have been explained to you. Do you like the person that you saw 10 years ago?

I dont know I have kind of mixed feelings. Never really thought we got anywhere.

Maybe im just haing a bad few days. last 2 night havent been wonderfull and only got a bout 2 hours last night. Kids are fighting already today. And now im feeling even more flustered.

Originally Posted by april31

I dont know I have kind of mixed feelings. Never really thought we got anywhere.

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Hmmm...well, I would still go to your appointment on Tuesday and then decide whether or not you want to stick with her.

Ok - that just really sucks. 1st you screw up the courage to go and then this. I am angry for you!

If you go on Tuesday and you aren't comfortable with the person you have seen before ask to see someone else there or go find someone else on your own. It will be difficult to advocate for yourself but I have faith that since you took this 1st step you can do it.

Good luck.

Then I probably wouldn't waste my time. Not to be blunt but in my experience If I feel Im not getting something out of it, I will seek what I am looking for elsewhere!

Oh, darlin, I'm so sorry! They should have been much more clear about what the plan was. I can imagine what a let-down that must be for you.

But please go ahead and keep this appointment, even if you don't feel she's the right therapist for you -- it's been a long while, and you've both changed... things might click this time. At the very least, it will be a chance to sit down and talk to someone, just say the words, y'know?

But I would go ahead and make an appointment today with another therapist somewhere else -- just to have it on the schedule as soon as possible, rather than waiting until after Tuesday to call. You can always cancel later if you decide to stay with the first therapist.

And about medications: with all due respect to others and their opinions, I want to say MEDICATIONS CAN BE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL to the success of treatment. Because it's not "all in your head" -- it's in your brain chemistry, too, and you can't just will that to change. What nearly everyone needs is a combination of medication to help balance the brain chemistry and therapy to put the past in its place and break old habitual ways of thinking.

So please don't take the Tom Cruise view that medication is just an "easy way out," a surface gloss-over. It can be that if it's misused or continued after it's no longer needed, but for most people, medication is an absolutely necessary tool of treatment.

Please try not to be discouraged. It's a shame the system is so slow to respond, a shame it takes so long to get appointments. But you can do this. Frustrated as you are, you're already in a more powerful place than you were yesterday -- you've started things rolling, and that was the hardest part. Slow and sloppy as the system may be, I promise there is help for you if you can just stick with it. Don't give up, okay?

And if you want to unload, rant, cry, scream, whatever... I'm a good listener, and I'd love to help if I can. And what happens in PM stays in PM.

Im not sure if that was directed towards me (considering I was one to give an opinion about meds)... I Never said medication was bad... I said I think the proper analysis should be made as to whether you need it or not. I went to a doc once and she asked if I was ever down in the dumps and I said "Isnt everybody now and then?" She wrote me a perscription for prozac after one simple question (she was a primary physician and by no means had she the right to write me script without further diagnosis... one question does not determine much). What I was saying is that I think the issues should be addressed before just writing off a script... I never said that medication was not necessary, because I know in some cases it is. What I was saying is that perscriptions are written without much thought these days as a cure all or a "try this method", and that I personally think that a visit perhaps more than one (consultation) is required before making such a notion that it is needed in all cases. By no means am I a scientologist (or have the Tom Cruise syndrome... that guy is a nut job) for saying that I think analysis should be thoroughly explored before putting patients on medication. Medication is no joke and in combination with other perscribed meds it can cause issues, that is why I think things should be explored thoroughly before making it a definite decision (with any meds... not just mental meds). In many situations in my life doctors are quicker to write me a perscription than to explore the initial issue (this goes for primary's and therapists)... So therefor that is why I suggest exploring the situation to make sure this is something that is right for you... Each individual is different and has different needs!

I am sorry the appointment wasn't more productive for you. Look what you did do, though. Got the intake done (I should have remembered the intake appointments!), have an appointment with a counselor and another with I assume, a phychiatrist because they usually prescribe the meds.

Meds do help. Never feel like a failure because you take them. Just educate yourself on them so you feel a part of the process. I had to try several before I found one that worked. Then it would stop working afte a year or so and would have to try another. Through all that I still felt so much better than when I first started.

I haven't taken any meds now for about 2 years. I am managing okay. They aren't miracle drugs but they do help. So many people seem to think willpower will fix anything in our brains, as though our brain is somehow seperate from the rest of our physical body. The brain is a biological organ just like any other part.

BTW, My diagnoses was midlevel depression, PTSD and anxiety. When they told me that, I cried for about 2 hours then went online to learn everything I possibly could about them all I felt more empowered with the knowing.

Way to Go doing all that yesterday

thank you all!!! Im gonna think things over for the weekend. I wont be home tomorrow and not sure about sunday so talk to u all monday

No, Trixie, I wasn't trying to direct anything at you -- a lot of people have expressed similar views in other threads, and I really was just referring to what has become known as the "Tom Cruise" attitude. I meant no offense...

But I was afraid that the negative experiences and comments some people have posted might discourage April from continuing with the effort she's working so hard to make on her own behalf... so I was trying to bring things back to a more supportive tone.

No worries I didnt want to be compared to Tom Cruise is all... It is all good!

Ha! No, cute and talented as he is, I guess I wouldn't want to be compared to him, either... he's not entirely in touch with the mothership anymore, I'm afraid.

Definitely not, Im not that closed minded. What happend to that guy? LOL sorry for the hijack!

I think it's the Scientology thing... the more you learn about that organization, the scarier it gets.

And we now return you to your originally scheduled thread!