How do you ask for help?

Hello,

I think that I am loosing my grip on reality. I'm finding it hard to judge if my decisions are sound. I belive I have come close to making some very bad decisions with no logic behind them.

I have always been a very private and strong person. I'm considered highly intelligent and I have been diagnosed with mild dyslexia. My sense of judgement has always been a sense of pride for me.

How do you ask for help when you have no confidence in your judgement? How do you know if you are really loosing it?

I think I might be hearing sounds and I am having thoughts which make no logicial sense or reflect any of my feelings. Or am I just being a hypocondreact? Have I just not delt with some issue or something?

My Mum has worked as a counsler and social worker in the mental health industry and I believe she get me any help I need, but how do you ask?

I don't even know if I'm going to have the courage to click the continue button, how do I know this is the right thing to do?

I can feel this paralising my ability to function.....

Hi Anon. I think you just did a great job of asking for help. I know you're going to get lots of it here. Mostly, I think you will receive lots of encouragement to ask you Mom for the real life help that you need.

It's ok to ask for help and I'm betting that if you think you need help, you'll be making a good decision to ask for it. I know that sometimes it's hard to know what's right. Trust your gut feeling that you are in trouble and need to ask for help.

I'm glad you found us and I hope you'll keep posting.

Anon,

I'm sorry you are going through this.

My initial impression was that it sounds like you are depressed. When people are depressed, they often lose confidence in their judgment. However, the hearing sounds and illogical thoughts have me stumped. I think it would be good to talk to your mother, and let her hook you up with a good counselor.

Maybe some medication from a doctor, will help get whatever this is under control.

Keep us posted. There are a lot of caring and knowledgeable people here.

Feel free to PM me if you want.

Hugs,

EJ

I know rationally that I should tell her. I know that she will be happier if I tell her then if something should go wrong. I know I would be happier if she new. I know that even if there is nothing going on in reality, it would be better safe then sorry. I know she can help me,

but I just can't bring myself to say it. How do you say to a parent, friend or even stranger, "I may be overreacting but I think I'm going crazy?"

I pride myself on being rational, yet I can't make the rational choice.

This all sounds, rationally, to be normal of somebody who is depressed and stressed. I know being depressed and stressed is okay and that you can get though it.

I know rationally, that rationality won't stop me from being scared, yet how do you do it?

It's okay to be scared. Like the title of a book says, "Feel the fear and do it anyway." Tell your mom you're having problems and you think you may need to see a mental health professional.

The problem is that my gut is telling me to just let it go. Or atleast I think that is what my gut is telling me.

I have always been a closed, introverted person. I don't like confrontations and prefer to keep to myself. I have long had problems expressing myself emotionally and even find it hard to talk a lot of the time..

However, rationally I know that there is something more going on and that I need to do something about it and even if there is nothing going on, I'm sure it's better to find out and be certain.

To make matters worse, I find myself too informed but not enough. I know the symptoms of many mental illnesses enough to find many of them, but I don't know enough to find out if they are significant.

To make matters even worse I know of my ignorance, I know I don't have enough information to make a correct judgment. I know how to get any results on the Quizzes (http://psychcentral.com/quizzes/). However many of the questions I can not figure out what I really think.

This again points to the fact I should do something about it, so why arn't I?

This is so frustrating.....

I guess why I am posting here, for some reason I am able to type things which I can't say. I'm hoping that talking here will help me gain the courage to atleast type a message to my mother, or even what to say in the message.

Maybe if I could just pluck up the courage to point her to this thread, but she won't find out till she gets to work and I'm not quite sure I have the ability to wait that long.

It's hard, but you just have to do it. You could try handing her a note, or printing this thread and giving it to her if that makes it easier.

It is familiar to most of us I'm sure to know one thing rationally, but still be afraid and not feel it emotionally. It sounds like you know in your head that you aren't really crazy. But you do need some help. Is your Mum usually supportive to you? If so, then I am sure that you will feel better after you talk to her.

Rap

Maybe some of the problem is that I know my Mum will get me any help I require and I'm afraid that I am actually suffering from a real mental illness and not being a hypocondreact.

One of my Anty's is on medication for an mental illness (I'm not quite sure which one).

My sister has tried to commit suicide once and my parents were highly supportative. Mum got my sister the help she needed (and continued support) and there hasn't been a problem since.

My parents have also warned me against smoking pot because of a "history of mental illness" in atleast on side (if not both sides) of my family. I'm quite sure they over stressed the problems to help my sister understand possible risks of her experiementing with mind altering drugs.

I also score highly on the both the
Schizophrenia Screening Test and OCD Screening Test, but as I pointed out before I know which are the answers which would make the tests posative.

Right now you are taking the frist steps. You are finding out how people will react to your concerns. We are strangers and perhaps it's safer to come to us than someone you know. Take pride in yourself for making this step.

I get the feeling that you may share some of my fears, fears that I don't really want to put voice to as I'm afraid of how people will react and that speaking them may have consequences that I am afraid I can't live with. Of course I could be wrong.

Just take it one tiny step at a time. You don't have to reveal all your fears and concerns at once. There isn't a rule that says you have to tell the whole story at once.

I also wonder if you are somewhat uncomfortable approaching your mother, though you believe she would help, and perhaps also feel afraid of hurting her by seeking out someone on your own.

I could be wrong. These are just some things that came to mind while I was reading your posts.

No one here can diagnose your problems. because though some of us here may be in the therapy profession when we are here we do not practice therapy and diagnosing. Psych central is a support group. we can read what you type and post and make suggestions that may help but for therapy needs you need to contact someone in your local real life area.

My suggestion how do you ask -

If you are not comfortable asking your mom face to face even though you are confident she will get you help -

Print off your post and leave it where your mom will see it. That way you do not need to ask.

Your mom will see it and being that you posted you feel she would get you help she will most likely look around to find the person right for you based on what you wrote.

Hang in there.

<font color="blue"> GOOD JOB ANON!!! Keep us updated

I think printing this thread is a great idea. It sounds like y our mom will be very supportive once she finds out. You have been very brave so far in letting us know. Maybe you can tell her too. Let us know how you are doing,