Is the GGZ a bit like the RIAGG? I don't get treatment from an institution or hospital. I see a private psychotherapist (I pay) and I see a pdoc at his own practice, although this is fully covered by my insurance. I started by going to the local RIAGG - a kind of mental health organisation/clinic but they were not very helpful and the therapist I saw there (once or twice for an initial consult) didn't speak English. They were going to offer me EMDR/CBT once in 2 weeks, which wasn't what I really felt would help me (especially because we couldn't communicate!). I then looked for a psychoanalytic therapist and came up with my current T. He isn't covered by health insurance but gives me a reduced fee - he is very good though. I know I could have gotten free psychotherapy - even free analysis - had I gone to an institute but at the time I wasn't in a stable enough state to spend several months on a waiting list - I needed to get help urgently.

I've never thought about group therapy - or DBT. I wonder whether there are any English groups in Amsterdam - there's definitely a big English-speaking community there.

I'm not sure what exactly the pdoc thought when he mentioned BPD - if I recall, my T's words were "Dr. X thinks you have something of BPD" - the pdoc never said anything about it to me directly, and he hasn't asked me the questions he would need to in order to know whether or not I fulfilled the criteria. I think he was mostly going on the fact that I'd made a second suicide attempt. He's never asked if I have any addictions, for example, or if my relationships are unstable. At the time I think their discussion was mostly as to whether I was well enough to continue under ambulant care or should better be admitted to a hospital programme of some sort - it's not been brought up since.

Are you seeing a DBT/CBT therapist or do you do psychodynamic therapy?

Fijn weekend

Onzi