[sweepy62]

Here it goes, lately i been thinking i can be the best therapist in the world i have also been thinking i have developed esp i even bought a book on becoming a therapist its very interesting, realistically i know i am dealing with issues in therapy but I just want to be a therapist minus all that schooling because i would not be able to focus in class lol seriously though i been having thoughts of wanting to be a volunteer crisis center call taker as well, those are big hopes and dreams but this is the way i am feeling right now

[hamster-bamster]

I think volunteering is a good compromise between hardly achievable dreams (therapist is a lot of schooling and a brutal number of unpaid hours in supervision for the total of several years of interning - it is possible but very rare to find paid internship and the pay would be low) and the reality. Go for it! You have empathy, you will be a great one.

[sweepy62]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

I think volunteering is a good compromise between hardly achievable dreams (therapist is a lot of schooling and a brutal number of unpaid hours in supervision for the total of several years of interning - it is possible but very rare to find paid internship and the pay would be low) and the reality. Go for it! You have empathy, you will be a great one.

thanks hambam yeah most of my friends believe that since i have bp disorder i wont be good for giving advice but i will talk to the t im seeing now because the program is part of the mental health community i attend

[hamster-bamster]

When I was on the locked unit on 51/50 (California 3-day hold for suicidal patients), there was a schizoaffective woman who shared the room with me. She had a PAID job educating the mental health clientele. She was much more symptomatic than you are now; she had odd beliefs (the schizo component was pronounced) and she was conserved - someone took care of her decisions. Before this hospitalization, dictated by her odd beliefs, she took all her family heirloom jewelry and put it in the front yard for anyone to take. The conservator arrived just in time to salvage the valuables. In comparison, you are quite normal. Everything is relative, after all.

[faerie_moon_x]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

thanks hambam yeah most of my friends believe that since i have bp disorder i wont be good for giving advice but i will talk to the t im seeing now because the program is part of the mental health community i attend

See, I think volunteering is a good idea, also. Being there in crisis is something important and won't require as much schooling. And just because you have bipolar doesn't mean you can't give good advice. We her on this forum all have bipolar and we all give each other good advice. I think the trick is true with anyone: You give better adive to others than you give yourself.

I think the trick would be knowing when you're not well or being triggered and being able to take that time off or walk away from something that is triggering you. That would be the only key I think you'd need to have.

As for me, I hear you about wondering if it is mania. Sometimes I get it in my head that I should be an advice columnist, like Dear Abby. Haha... that's one of my "I think I might be manic" dreams.

[sweepy62]

Originally Posted by dark_heart_x

See, I think volunteering is a good idea, also. Being there in crisis is something important and won't require as much schooling. And just because you have bipolar doesn't mean you can't give good advice. We her on this forum all have bipolar and we all give each other good advice. I think the trick is true with anyone: You give better adive to others than you give yourself.

I think the trick would be knowing when you're not well or being triggered and being able to take that time off or walk away from something that is triggering you. That would be the only key I think you'd need to have.

As for me, I hear you about wondering if it is mania. Sometimes I get it in my head that I should be an advice columnist, like Dear Abby. Haha... that's one of my "I think I might be manic" dreams.

thanks dark ur funny but advice taken yeah i like mania but the grandiosity is overwhelming at times i think im super woman lol

[faerie_moon_x]

Originally Posted by sweepy62

thanks dark ur funny but advice taken yeah i like mania but the grandiosity is overwhelming at times i think im super woman lol

Oh yeah, I have horrible grandiosity at times, which is quite the oposite of my normal humble self. Also very oposite from my total lack of self-esteem self, which is more the case.