Idle Thoughts
Hello, my name is Liz. I went to a dorm high school and am going to a college away from home. I do love the fact that during the summer I don't need to stress about homework, but I do not have any of my current friends who live within my city. Even when I am with my friends, I struggle to find the energy to talk about my hardships. I need to open up to keep from facing all of my problems on my own, especially since I have 5 mental health diagnoses and a mother whose mental illnesses cause me even more stress, but I have no idea how to start. I am also trying to get more work hours so that I do not have too much down time which has often left me to horrendous thoughts about myself, but I also worry that my stress might become too much for me to handle. Any advice?
@anxietygirl01
Hello Liz. Have you considered or do you have a therapist or school counselor that you are able to open up with to start out with to set aside time and schedule meetings with? Is this an option or something that might help navigate some of this for you at first? It sounds like you are actively thinking about strategies and ways to stay ahead of the stress, which really shows strength and foresight on your part. Do you think having a scheduled meeting time with someone like that at first might help navigate some of these feelings and situations, while also ensure you setting time aside to handle them? Are there other things that might help stay in front of some of this, perhaps scheduling self-care days and things that help take care of you and help you destress?
Take care 
@FlourishingDimensions Thanks for responding. I do have a counselor that I've opened up to so much compared to other counselors in the past. The problem is that he is going to a new place that my insurance wouldn't cover. So, I need to somehow find someone new to connect with which is stressful. Any advise on transitioning to new therapists?
@anxietygirl01 Hi there. Good to hear from you. How are things going today? I can understand that would be stressful to go through. Would you mind if I ask a few things to better understand? How were things going with your therapist? Was this your first experience with one?
@FlourishingDimensions Hey. Today was rough in all honesty. My mother has a delusional disorder along with other mental illnesses. The past two weeks, she has been acting out worse. So, I hardly ever get to open up to my family. My current therapist is my fourth one that I've had. He is the first one that I felt comfortable being honest with. That's why this is making me more anxious because I've had therapists that I have not been able to connect to.
@anxietygirl01
I am sorry to hear about your mother. It is understandable why you had a rough day. You mention that it has gotten worse in the past two weeks, it sounds like this is a fairly new development, on top of the other things that you are already dealing with and going through, am I understanding that correctly?
I can also understand why it can be a difficult thing to find someone new to connect with, as far as a new therapist goes, especially since it sounds like this one was the first one that made you feel comfortable. I have a bunch of brainstorming ideas... have you considered checking the following:
If you have a plan that pays for it through an insurance plan, that first step could be to look through your plan’s provider network? That might be something that could help ease the search of looking for one?
Do you have a doctor, friend, teacher, etc. someone you trust that might have a referral or recommendation for you on a good fit?
Another consideration possibly, have you looked at reliable online databases? Some examples of those could be: the American Psychological Association or some other reliable source? This might allow you to search for a specific specialist if that is something that might be a benefit for you in your search? With that said, if there is a specific organization that addresses specific mental health topics, maybe looking through that national association network or helpline could be a good place to start?
Another option is if you are a student, does your school provide access to a counseling center?
Oh and additionally, would it help you to think about your goals ahead of time? For example, What do you want to accomplish in therapy, that way when you are looking for or preparing to work with a therapist/counselor, you might have an idea if you are working towards the same goals? That might also help you identify what type of therapist, psychiatrist, or counselor would best fit what types of support and/or possible treatment you are looking for?
@FlourishingDimensions Sorry it's taken me so long to respond! My mom has been having issues with trust and narcissism that have become noticeable since 6 years ago. She just has weeks where she can turn from copeable to screaming at us for hours. She has been to the psychiatric hospital back in December when she hit her lowest point when she screamed at me, my dad, and my brother for over 5 hours after she saw my brother receive a new computer. I am currently seeing counselors provided by my school, but thank you so many ch for your advice. I think I will try setting up my goals for my new therapist.