Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Depression / Counseling

It is weird to tell a stranger stuff, but as Casey says, my experience has been that therapists warm you up with smaller stuff first. And they can't make you tell them anything you don't want to, so you can work up to the big stuff at your own speed. At some point you'll probably be asked, "What brings you here?" and that lets you set the tone. If you're not sure what to say, print off your post, bring it with you, and read it to the therapist - I think you say everything perfectly in there, including your concerns about therapy which the therapist can address, too.

I have found therapy very beneficial, both for "Family of Origin" issues and for situational depression. First and foremost, it's a place where you can talk very bluntly about stuff that is hard to address directly with your nearest and dearest either because you're afraid you'll hurt their feelings or because you're afraid they'll think less of you for what you're feeling. Beyond that, a therapist can help you look at your life circumstances differently, help you see patterns in what you do and feel, and help you understand feelings that puzzle you (like why "home" doesn't feel that way, for example).

Remember, too, that there are a lot of therapists in the sea, so if you're not comfortable with one, you can always try another. You might think about whether you'd be more at ease with a man or a woman and whether you'd prefer a psychiatrist, psychologist, or social worker. I'm a woman/social worker preferrer myself.

Finally - and I'm going to sound like a Neanderthal here - I'm not a fan of automatically prescribing anti-depressants for situational depression. My advice would be to see a counselor and decide with her if anti-depressants would be helpful. I know this goes against the current common practice, but I think I'm old enough to be firmly retro in this matter.

I hope you find some help for this *soon*. I know how miserable and scary it is to feel the way you do.

Take care.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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