Hello lukeirl: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find the time you spend here to be of benefit. May I suggest you introduce yourself over on PC's New Member Introductions forum? Here's a link:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/new-...introductions/

I see you're in Ireland. I don't know how these sorts of things work there. I think that, when it comes to mental health issues, most people seem to feel that it's best to consult a psychiatrist rather than a general practitioner. Where I live, though, all psychiatrists do prescribe & monitor medications. When I see mine I'm in-&-out in about 10 minutes... that's it.

So while I think seeing a psychiatrist is probably preferable to seeing a GP, if things where you live work the way they do where I live, you probably can't expect a whole lot from seeing a psychiatrist other than to be prescribed medications... which is fine if that's what you're looking for. Otherwise, having the opportunity to talk what is going on with you through at length may be something that would be more appropriately handled with a psychologist or mental health therapist.

I know you wrote that you're seeing a counselor. I, of course, don't know what type of counselor you're seeing, or what that person's focus is. There are many different types of counselors & many of them are not trained to handle mental health issues nor is that the focus of their practice. I myself was a vocational rehabilitation counselor. But I did not have the expertise to provide mental health therapy services to my clients nor did I attempt to do so. So if the counselor you're seeing is not really trained to provide mental health therapy services, one option might be to first seek the services of a psychologist or mental health therapist before you see a psychiatrist.

There's a lot of support that can be available here on PC. The more you post, & reply to other members' posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are the chat rooms where you'll be able to interact with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) So please keep posting!