[jaysmotogp]

Hi all just looking for any opinions on whether you feel sporadic talk therapy is worth going.
Long story why, but the therapists that my insurance provides are very behind
( they must just be short on therapists) backed up and in the past four months that i started with them i've only seem him three times.
I know that typically it is recommend once a week or maybe every two weeks if it has to be stretched but is every 4-6 weeks even worth it?
Or is therapy even "needed" overall for BP issues?

I'm new to the whole therapy thing so would appreciate any opinions/experiences.
thanks

[Guiness187055]

I know it helps a ton of people and is suggested it never helped me. I gave up on therapy about 2 years ago. I have a hard time being honest with myself.

[Blueberrybook]

It's good, but only if you find the right therapist.

It was so hard for me to find a therapist I clicked with. I would try every year or so, then be like, "Well, I'm talking, but I feel talked out. This is not helping me." I had one therapist give me huge goals to try to meet - smile at everyone you see and make a new friend. I don't know what planet that therapist was on. I had some that never were there on time, some that moved or I moved, it's been 20 years before I found a good fit.

I think it's best to decide first what type of therapy you feel might benefit you best and then find a therapist who practices that type of therapy instead of just trying on therapists like new shoes.

I started a couple months ago with the T I have now. She does CBT therapy, and that was basically the way I got myself out of my eating disorder the first time around, but it can be applied to mood disorders, anxiety, etc. I realize I probably could have found a therapist easier if I'd looked for a CBT therapist in the first place, not just go with the first T that pops up on the insurance website.

[TheSeaCat]

I find therapy beneficial for the most part. I suffer from other conditions other than Bipolar and I see him for those issues more than the Bipolar. I find it so therapeutic to talk about the issues that caused certain issues in my life. It's also beneficial to just have someone to vent to. I used to see my T three times I week, I now see him twice a week, and I am hoping that come the beginning of the next year I can go once a week.

It helps when you find a T you trust completely. I had one I trusted for the most part, one who's office I walked out of and now I see him and I trust him completely.

[Wild Coyote]

I have found therapy very helpful, even life-saving.


WC

[Victoria'smom]

My first therapist as an adult was very helpful. I only went because I was afraid my husband’s therapist was going to hospitalize me. The main theme in therapy was trusting mental health care, accepting medication and not to be afraid of myself or scared of therapists think. That I’m not as crazy as I think I am and that I could be managed on an outpatient basis. I filled out a think/mood chart every day and we went over the most alarming behavior/thoughts every session. I took it to her every other week. I also wrote her notes and everything. She was a former crisis counselor. Even at my best I’m a suicide risk. At my best I have a GAF score of low 30’s. Even if it was 1x every month / month and a half I would still see her.

Now the rest of the therapist have been squishy at best. I pull my punches almost all the time. The one time I did a mood/thought chart for one therapist I almost got hospitalized. She viewed me more as a danger then when I’m suicidal. So I never did that again. I Stopped seeing my last therapist because she picked the wrong time to say I wasn’t making progress. I’ve been without a therapist for almost a year. I would like a therapist but I’m unwilling to try again.I miss my families psych team. I guess it depends on how often you see your pdoc. I see mine 3-4x a year. So seeing a T 9-12x a year would still be helpful.

[piggy momma]

In therapy, you get out of it what you put in. You have to do more than just show up.

It’s hard to say if you will benefit from going once every 4-6 weeks. It depends why you’re going, and if your therapist can help you create an action plan that will last a month between visits. Some people, as they are weaning off therapy, will go once a month, but they’ve developed skills over the course of their work and do ok. I personally would probably die if I only went once a month, but something is often better than nothing.

[annielovesbacon]

In my experience, therapy is helpful, as long as you a) have a good therapist and b) commit yourself to it.

As far as how often to see your therapist... ideally, I would see my therapist every two weeks normally, and once a week when in depressive episodes. However, I see my therapist at a clinic, so I'm lucky if it's even every other week. It's usually three or even four weeks between appointments. Do I wish I saw her more often? Yes. But having sporadic therapy sessions is still, for me, way better than no therapy at all.

[cashart10]

I have always found therapy quite useful and helpful as long as I’ve had a therapist that I worked with well. Now that I have been stable for a considerable amount of time, I go every three weeks per my pdoc’s recommendation. She started seeing me every 3 months when I started really doing better and she wants a professional eye on me more frequently than that. While my t and pdoc are not in the same office, they do have a working relationship and communicate about me when necessary. I always enjoy therapy, even now when I don’t feel like I really need it though sometimes topics of conversations are hard to come by these days.

[Gabyunbound]

I think therapy -with the right therapist- can be enormously helpful. I don't think it's entirely about dealing with BP issues per se. As stressful events can catapult some of us into episodes, I think if these are dealt with in therapy, in that sense, it can be helpful for BP.

Also, many of us have 'issues' aside from BP; not just diagnosable ones, just other issues. I believe that these can be addressed and helped by the right therapist and just help with quality of life overall.

About 6 months ago, I went back to therapy after a long hiatus, and it's done a world of good. I would recommend therapy to anyone -whether you have BP or not- the problem comes when you have to go finding the right one for you; this might take more than one try.

[liveforsummer]

I’ve tried two ( 2 sessions only for each of them). Didn’t connect with either. If it weren’t so expensive I’d try again.

[pirilin]

I talked to one once.
Probably the most meek, introverted and timid person I've met.
Unexplicably, he told had a group of five or six that came weekly.
Of course, to work for a loony bin helps.

My analogy is that therapy is like confession in church.
The father has no powers to forgive you, no matter how many hail marys you recite.
Does it makes many happy, I guess. Otherwise there will be none.
If you need to spill your guts to someone, the are ready to listen.

Since I am convinced that I am the most important person in this world, I'm my own judge and my own executionist.

Cheers.

Originally Posted by Gabyunbound

I think therapy -with the right therapist- can be enormously helpful. I don't think it's entirely about dealing with BP issues per se. As stressful events can catapult some of us into episodes, I think if these are dealt with in therapy, in that sense, it can be helpful for BP.

Also, many of us have 'issues' aside from BP; not just diagnosable ones, just other issues. I believe that these can be addressed and helped by the right therapist and just help with quality of life overall.

About 6 months ago, I went back to therapy after a long hiatus, and it's done a world of good. I would recommend therapy to anyone -whether you have BP or not- the problem comes when you have to go finding the right one for you; this might take more than one try.

What Gabyunbound wrote above hits the nail on the head as far as my needs to see a therapist. For those reasons it is necessary for me. Anyway, my psychiatrist requires that I see one in addition to him. As others wrote, I have and have had other issues, too, that require therapy.

Another thing others above have emphasized is finding the right therapist. This can be a frustrating search, but one we shouldn't give up on. The right therapist can make a huge difference in one's life.

I'd say that once every 4 to 6 weeks is better than never, but I've found that every 3 weeks is the bare minimum. Every other week is better. Every week is sometimes necessary.

[jaysmotogp]

Thanks all for the replies.
The office actually called me yesterday morning and said the therapist had to cancel(this Mondays appt that i waited 5 weeks for) and didn't know when he'd be back.
So i guess the decisions been made for me, no tp for now.
Thanks again

[~Christina]

My T I have been with almost 8 years

He has saved my life more times than I can count.

He and I are goal oriented so we work on problem X and then on to the next struggle I’m having.

When he retires I will be done with T.

To me after 3-4 visits you can pretty much gauge if it’s going to be a good fit or not

My favorite motto is .... if Therapy isn’t hard your doing it wrong.

Hope you find a good fit