[Simply99]

This site says I have CEN syndrome, am massively depressed, have PTSD, and pretty much everything else including being suicidal. It says I should see a shrink, but what if you can't afford to see one? I've seen shrinks in the past during my childhood but did no good, so not sure one would help as adult.

[Skeezyks]

Well... not really knowing anything about you... my thought would be you may or may not need to see a "shrink" (a psychiatrist). At least the way it is where I live, all most psychiatrists do is to prescribe & monitor psych med's. Any-&-all therapies are left to mental health therapists. So my personal opinion would be that, before you would see psychiatrist, it might make sense to start by seeing therapist. Of course, they cost money too. So, since that is an issue for you, the alternative may be to see if there are no-cost or income-adjusted mental health services that are available where you live. That may not be a great solution. But it may be the one that is available to you.

As far as your having seen shrinks in the past during your childhood to no avail my impression at least is that, as with anything else, there are good ones & there are not-helpful ones out there. Plus, personalities & approaches differ. Not every mental health professional works well with every client. It's a matter of looking around & trying a few out until you find someone you feel comfortable with. Here are links to 11 articles, from PsychCentral's archives, first on how to find a good psychiatrist & then on how to find a good therapist. Also included is an article on what to do when you can't afford therapy. Hopefully some of the information in these articles can be of some help:

How Do I Find a Good Psychiatrist?

9 Habits of Highly Effective Psychiatrists

What Makes A Good Psychiatrist? | Polishing the Fragments

Find a Therapist

How Do You Find a Good Therapist? An Interview with Dr. John Grohol

https://psychcentral.com/blog/what-t...fford-therapy/

https://psychcentral.com/find-therapist/

https://psychcentral.com/blog/10-way...ood-therapist/

https://psychcentral.com/blog/more-o...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/tips-o...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/key-qu...dium=popular17

[Simply99]

I had no idea that psychiatrists and therapists differ in what they do. My other issue is discussing personal things with a total stranger who doesn't really care, just doing a job for pay. They upset me as a kid with all that prying, so assume it would be the same as adult.

[healingme4me]

As an adult, it's voluntary to seek treatment, lest court mandated of course.

Yes, psychiatrists are medical doctors. Therapists range from Psychologists to Social Workers.

Welcome to PC.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Simply99

This site says I have CEN syndrome, am massively depressed, have PTSD, and pretty much everything else including being suicidal. It says I should see a shrink, but what if you can't afford to see one? I've seen shrinks in the past during my childhood but did no good, so not sure one would help as adult.

Do you mean you took the sanity score test that is here on psych central and that was your results.....

one thing about tests like this they do not diagnose you with these things. they tell you possible problem areas that you may want to look closer into.

they only tell you how you answered the questions .............at the moment............ that you took the tests.

if you look at the bottom of every page here in psych central you will see a disclaimer that says

"The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice,
diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.
Always consult your doctor or mental health professional before trying anything you read here."

in other words nothing here on psych central is going to diagnose you and your problems, to find out what you actually have you will need to contact a treatment provider.

my suggestion is if it bothers you to take the sanity score then maybe now isnt the time to play around with it. I say play around with it because thats what its for, for us to play around with and see what comes up and if we really want to know if we are those things to contact a doctor.

the only people that can actually tell you whether you have CEN and the other stuffor not is a psychiatrist or therapist off the computer in your own town or nearest city that has psychiatrists and therapists that you call up, schedule an appointment with then go in for a talk and many tests, not just one. then they will tell you if you have CEN and the other stuff or not.

also something you may not know I usually take online tests many times and come up with many different scores. sometimes even end up with things that I dont have and impossible for me to have given my gender or race or culture lol .

my point dont panic when taking online tests they dont really diagnose anything, they just tell you how you answered the questions at that moment that you answered them. thats it.

[ShadowGX]

Something you could try is searching Google for "pro bono counseling". My mom works for such a place here in Michigan and before she worked at such a place I didn't know they existed. Might be something in your area if you take a look. At the least, there's probably at least one low income option where you pay based on income.