Finally seeing a therapist
Hi everyone,
Today I finally scheduled an appointment with a therapist (woohoo!) and I was wondering if anyone had any tips? On monday it will be my first time seeing someone. I'm pretty shy and normally I don't like to talk about feelings or anything personal, but I realize I have to to make a change. I'm mostly seeing them for managing my depression and anxiety. I've had 2 anxiety attacks this summer and school hasn't even started yet. (My heart is still beating fast from the phone call lol)
First, I'm pretty sure I have avoidant personality disorder, but I'm not sure if I should bring it up or not, but I seem to fit most of the criteria from what I've seen online. I don't know if they could even officially diagnose me.
I'm trying to be proactive and write a list of what I want to talk about. I assume the first appointment will start with talking about my background a little bit but I want to be prepared. But yeah, I was just wondering if anyone can tell me their experiences and what to expect :) thanks
@HelloItsMel Congratulaitons on taking a big step by making an appointment. My tip is that if you are anything like me, it's really hard to open up to a stranger. Therapist sure, but also a stranger. So try to be pateint and not beat yourself up if the first couple sessions are harder than you expected. Good luck!
@HelloItsMel
So wonderful to hear that you have made this move. As a therapist I would say that all the things you have listed are good ideas. If you are afraid that you will miss something keeping a journal handy is a good step, that way you can write down things you may forget and bring it with you. Just remember that it is a relationship and the most important thing is to allow the relationship to form. I know that it may seem difficult or akward at first, but it is this relationship that you have with your therapist that becomes the most important thing to healing.
That's awesome :) Let us know how everything went!
I'm glad for you! Sometimes it takes some time for the therapist to get to know us, just try to work things out between you and your therapist!
@HelloItsMel
i am so glad that you have decided to get some help! i am happy for you!!
hope your session goes fine!:D
hey all,
Its about a month after I took the leap. My therapist is super nice and understanding :) I have been doing CBT and it does help. I'm also upping my meds to combat the biological aspect of my depression.
Most days I feel more confident and like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders after my appointments. Today was hard though. We talked mostly about my parents. I told her my dad is probably bipolar and has fits of anger. I guess i'm just now realizing how traumatic it was growing up and I can't help but feel mad at my dad.
But yeah... on top of that i've been feeling manic... and its just been tough. I'm reminding myself that I'm healing and its gonna be a long and difficult process, but so worth it!
@HelloItsMel
Good for you for continuing to do the hard work. I am glad you are sharing about the process, I know it is helpful for others to hear.
Another update!
I feel a lot better now. My therapist has helped me figure out major sources of my anxiety and how to deal wth intrusive thoughts. Also, upping my meds has helped so much. I feel like I actually have self worth now, which is huge <3 I have improved so much in just one semester of school, I didnt know it was possible. I still have bad days but they are a lot less frequent & I feel like I can handle things better.
Also... I have recently had a crush on someone and I have accepted what I am... that I did not figure out until recently... that I am bisexual.
I'm in a good place now where I can understand and accept myself. This is a huge step for me. I grew up somewhere that was not LGBT friendly, so i didn't know or even think about liking someone of the same gender. Well, now I know!