[mattjstead]

I have been going to a psychiatrist for 3 years (one for 3 1/2 and the other for 5 months). The first was a strict pill pusher. The second (which is a God send) has mentions counseing. I am diagnosed Bi-Polar II / GAD / Panic Disorder / ADHD. Would counseling help at all? I have never been and very anxious of meeting someone new. I have a big phobia of meeting new doctors etc. Give me your opinion and if you think it'd help. I guess I just say, "Google it" and get an answer, but I guess it could be different face to face.
Let me know,
Luckily I just upgraded my insurance to the best so I would think price wouldn't be an issue.

Thanks,
Matt S.

[wiretwister]

If you ever have any hope of one day being med free ...YES ,..if you just want to feel better about life and understand yourself better, .. YES .. there really is no down side unless you get loser of a T, in that case fire them and look again ... good luck, and peace to you ...

[~Christina]

My first therapist was foolish and was more worried about her hair than helping me I gave her 3 sessions and I found a new one.

I love the T I have.... Over 3 years now, he has helped me learn how to manage my particular Bipolar and has helped me work through a lot of ugly trauma.

I think Therapy is a wonderful help for most everyone on the planet, Mental illness or not.

Welcome to PC

[Woolly Bugger]

I have been to about a half-dozen therapists since 1994, and not one of them was able to help me. Nevertheless, I am thinking about finding one now after a ten-year hiatus. I think the posts on this forum have convinced me that going to therapy is, in conjunction with medication, a very good idea. This time I am going to look for a therapist that specializes in bipolar disorder. Good luck to you and please let us know how you make out.

[Chickenkicker]

Therapy changed my life greatly for the better. Meds don't cure bipolar, they only make it more manageable if you're lucky enough to find the correct combo for you. Changing your behavior takes more than going to a psych, then just swallowing some pills. Your old way of doing things didn't disappear...its only less problematic.

Nothing changes, if nothing changes. Now is the perfect time to switch out the negative tapes driving your thinking, and find a different way to cope. The old loudmouth thoughts that influenced your behavior for years are a little quieter now, and are easier to manipulate thanks to the meds. At this point my therapist was worth her weight in gold bars.

She taught me how to get shed of my crippling regret and guilt that was the anchor I dragged behind me for decades on life's road. I hadn't been able to do this by myself...it took the combined forces of a willingness to change, medications that calmed down the noise and a good therapist that taught me some great coping mechanisms. I was finally free!

[Crazy Hitch]

Counseling can work.

Kind of depends on what stage in your mental health journey you are traveling in.

Sometimes, it does no good for me.

Other times, yes, it is successful.

So it's hard for me to answer (only because based on my own personal experience it can be a hit and a miss at different times in my life)

[bunnifoo]

A good therapist is a very good thing. You usually see the therapist way more often than a pdoc and a therpaist can help you with coping skills, debrief on a situation or just a place to vent.

There are different types of therapy, different therapists, and different personalities. Sometimes the therapist who is great for one person is a bad match for another person.

I went to a very nice lady who was a good therapist but she wasn't a good therapist for me. My current therapist is a good one for me except I think I need a different type of therapy so I need to talk to her about that.

A good therapist you should make you feel like you are in a safe place even if you don't feel safe talking about something. It may take time.

[Crazy Hitch]

Just an afterthought I had.

I think it also depends on the T - I don't (personally believe) it's a case of one size fits all - even with the type of therapy used - it has to be so tailored to your specific needs - regardless of whether it's CBT or whatever is the case because we're all unique and I guess over time all T's will learn (or not learn) how to absolutely master the art of how best to adapt the kind of therapy that they use to best suit our mental health.

I should have thrown in there that I've had some pretty lousy T's in the past.

Finding a good one can sometimes be challenging, not all the time though.

[Standup2me]

Does the therapy focus on BP, or does it focus on life (job cutbacks, no family support,etc).
Do we get coping mechanisms?
The last that I went to seemed nervous of me
Very unsettling