[Standup2me]

Pdoc suggested that I try therapy. Why? What does it achieve? Any advice?

[venusss]

To understand yourself better. Develop coping strategies. Deal with issues of past and present. Help to shape your future. Learn how to get along with others, how to love yourself, how to treat yourself right.

You can learn many good things from a good therapist.

What is your biggest issue at the moment? As in... why you seeing a pdoc?

[Standup2me]

I am BP2, rapid cycling, high performing.
Still pretty new here, so pdoc means psychiatrist right?
When starting therapy, did you find someone who has worked with BPs?
I just need some advice

[venusss]

Still pretty new here, so pdoc means psychiatrist right?

Yes.

I am not in therapy (many reasons), but I think it would be good if your therapist had experience with the disorder. But you have to click in other ways too.

[wildflowerchild25]

Therapy can help anyone, even if you don't have mental illness, I feel. There's different types of therapy. I did best in group therapy. I don't know why but I guess I feel less alone with group therapy. Unfortunately that can only be had in an IOP or partial hospital setting around here so I can't go all the time. I stopped seeing an individual therapist for awhile Over the winter but I will be back with her in April, probably only once every couple of weeks, just to have an objective party to talk to.

Therapy can help a person with bipolar disorder identify triggers, develop coping skills, address past traumas if there are any, and understand the impact the dx Has on their life. It was useful for me when I was rediagnosed last year because I thought it was my fault the symptoms had returned so forcefully.

If you can afford it I would go.

[Victoria'smom]

Pdoc suggested that I try therapy. Why? What does it achieve? Any advice?

My T keep tracks my mood, psychosis, how much I take my PRN, sleep and things like that. She gives me advice on how to deal with my symptoms better. She's seen me psychotic, non responsive, manic, suicidal, and petrified because I couldn't understand English. Each time taking everything in complete stride like its completely normal. She helps me deal with the after effects of an episode and how to fix things. She calms me when I'm freaked out about my symptoms and tells my husband when to back off. Warns me when my husband is going into an episode.

She's the head of my team so she deals with all my doctors and works with the rest of my families teams to make a family treatment plan. She has me write her notes daily of everything going on in my head that day so she knows the things I won't say out loud. She double shreds it when she's done with it. Her vague notes go to my psychiatrist with med suggestions.

She and here worked 2 years on getting me to have a PRN. She helps me stay on my medication but points out the side effects and ways to deal with them. She helps me deal with my husbands and sons disorders. She helps me decide when I need a break and keeps me out of the hospital.

[PsychSurvey]

Therapy can help you work out your problems. Maybe give it one try and see how you feel after if you're unsure.

[Bipolarchic14]

I have learned a lot from psychotherapy. One really important example is knowing the signs of when you are relapsing. Psychotherapy has also helped me with fighting negative automatic thoughts. Very useful so far.

[Curiosity77]

Psychotherapy is helping me make sense of the things that have happened in my life, and particularly it is a way to process trauma. I have learned about my patterns, which makes me less likely to repeat the same mistakes (although i still do sometimes). It's a neutral person who is on my side, who I can talk to about whatever is going on for me. There have been times where I would just go see me T and cry the whole time, and other times where we plan out practical strategies and goals. He challenges me to look at the reasons and meaning behind the things I do, and he helps me examine and understand my relationships. My therapist is very unconventional in his approach, so it would not work for everyone, but it's a good fit for me and I find it beneficial. There are lots of different kinds of therapies and approaches. Can you get a referral to someone good?

[Standup2me]

So then, does psychiatry control the chemicals in our brains, and therapist control the emotions and the soul?

[Victoria'smom]

Originally Posted by Standup2me

So then, does psychiatry control the chemicals in our brains, and therapist control the emotions and the soul?

Yes the therapist deals with the emotional part of bipolar.

By changing or acknowledging the way you are thinking can also have an influence on the chemicals in your brain. Its not all medication, we can do things to give ourselves "happy chemicals". In therapy you can learn how to do this. Therapy can be hard at times, but in the end rewarding in the long term.

For many depressed and anxious people CBT has amazing results, the issue with this therapy is that many people do not fully commit to it, but if you are fully committed you can change the whole way you think and your outlook on life. Where I am CBT is standard treatment for depression and anxiety. You need to be in the right mindframe to take it all in and have it work for you. If you are too far either way you wont commit and you will not find it as effective.

There are also a boatload of coping skills you can learn in therapy, every one of them helping you so you can learn to cope with your difficulties instead of turning to dangerous medications for a quick fix every time. You'll learn to find your triggers and understand why you think the way you do.

I am absolutely shocked that therapy is not the first line of treatment where you are and you were medicated before seeing a therapist. That is just considered bad practice here (unless of course in severe cases of psychosis or suicide attempts).

[keywestuser]

I had boatloads of talk therapy for ten years. (couldn't afford it after that) and it helped immensely. Just so great to talk to someone you totally trust and can get that stuff OUT of your head. I highly recommend it. But it has to be a good therapist. I was fortunate enough to be directed to a great psychiatrist that did NOT prescribe meds. Just talk and lots of it. I heard once that what you are basically doing is paying someone to LISTEN to you. You are the focus of attention. Mine never told me what to do, but he certainly asked the right questions to get me to thinking outside the box.

[Standup2me]

This is why I love being here. I get such great advice, people who have "been there" can answer my questions, and it feels being a part of the team
Thanks for being here

[r010159]

I have experienced psychoanalysis, the neo-Freudian type, before Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) came into the picture in a big way. This took several years, and I stopped seeing a real benefit after the first couple of years. Now why did I continue going to this counselor once it ceased being a benefit? I am still trying to answer that question.

[Nightside of Eden]

I always found therapy to be the opposite of helpful. It worsened my depression and paranoia. I guess I'm weird in this.

[Standup2me]

NOE, why did it worsen?
Too much pulling bad toughts/things from the past?

[Nightside of Eden]

Part of it is definitely that they make my ruminating on the past worse. There are really no reasons why I get so depressed other than chemicals misfiring in my brain and being constantly asked WHY I feel this way is super-frustrating. Plus I have a medical phobia which was getting triggered by every appointment. The whole experience just made it more obvious that there was nothing I could do about how I felt, other than take medication.

[r010159]

Originally Posted by Nightside of Eden

Part of it is definitely that they make my ruminating on the past worse. There are really no reasons why I get so depressed other than chemicals misfiring in my brain and being constantly asked WHY I feel this way is super-frustrating. Plus I have a medical phobia which was getting triggered by every appointment. The whole experience just made it more obvious that there was nothing I could do about how I felt, other than take medication.

I think the same about my situation. I have been there and done that. No more therapy for me. And when meds are making me feel better to the point of having me think of getting a job, then I consider my med therapy to be successful. Now I need to start looking into the "Ticket to Work" program for those on SSDI. I see there can be a few possible pitfalls along the way.

[Theseus]

I've learned a lot about myself in therapy. I do almost all the talking, with my t-doc only occasionally interrupting me to make me think about something I said a little more. As I'm talking I have revelations. I haven't been there since last fall, but I am going back in two weeks. It's time for a booster shot. For me it's definitely a help.

[Trippin2.0]

My pdoc suggested therapy 2 years ago, after 4 sessions I ran away! Lol, incidentally I also ran away from meds.

This time around he and I had a good chat about why I didn't want therapy even though I know I could use it...

Turns out I tried out the wrong type of therapy last time. I don't want to be scratching open old wounds and talking about my childhood all day. It just undoes all the work I've put in to heal and grow over the years.

So he recommended CBT this time around because the only available DBT group is a fulltime commitment of daily IOP (Intensive Out Patient) sessions and I need to work. He has asked me to commit to therapy until the end of the year, working on correcting my distorted thought patterns. And even though my past will have to be referenced from time to time, it will in no way be a focal point of my therapy.

This to me is a much more appealing type of therapy than analyzing my brains out, I over analyze enough as it is... and hellz to the yeah I am ready to commit to this!

I meet my new T on Thursday, kinda nervous, but thankfully not anxious yet.

I know I need therapy because it will help me gain more effective coping skills and make me easier to live with as I also have BPD and give my bf hell quite regularly because of it.

[Standup2me]

Are you trying CBT because it is somewhat goal based?
Other than the Pdoc, what motivated you to try?

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by Standup2me

Are you trying CBT because it is somewhat goal based?
Other than the Pdoc, what motivated you to try?

Yes its goal driven and will provide some of the tools I need.

My motivation? Fear of driving my bf away actually. Not pretty, but honest it is.

[Standup2me]

Trippin2.0 most of our honestys (spelling???) are not pretty.
They make us who we are, which is not such a bad thing

Right?

[Trippin2.0]

Originally Posted by Standup2me

Trippin2.0 most of our honestys (spelling???) are not pretty.
They make us who we are, which is not such a bad thing

Right?

Right! And without it, we end up burying our heads in the sand, wishing for a different reality.