[rwwff]

Just curious; I'm very likely to see a psychiatrist first and let them decide what I should do about the mess in my head, but I'm not exactly sure what benefit a therapist will do. I'm not really opposed, just ambivalent.

I guess seeing yall describing these relationships with a therapist in very personal terms has me overly concerned, as a relationship like that is not something I would ever allow to happen, but I'd like to give the possibilities some thought.

Any ideas?

[Ocean Swimmer]

None of my pdocs ever required therapy. They may have suggested it.
In the old days Psychiatrists talked to you for an hour.
Now you'd be lucky to be in the office just for the time it takes to write your prescriptions. That's why some patients have a psychologist too. To talk things over.

[Skeezyks]

My psychiatrist has never cared one way or another whether or not I saw a therapist. If I wanted to fine... if not that's fine too. All my pdoc does is prescribe & monitor psych med's. When he sees me it's typically for all of about 10 minutes & I'm outta there. I'm not on med's anymore nor do I see a therapist. I do still see my pdoc a couple of times a year, just to keep my foot in the door so to speak.

I've also never been a person who would want to develop a very personal relationship with a therapist. I would have to admit that my mental health struggles over the years have softened me a bit on this point. But there's still a limit. Plus there are things in my past I will simply never discuss with anyone. So I suspect there is a definite limit to how much I could ever accomplish in therapy.

My personal opinion is that for therapy to be of any benefit one has to approach it from the perspective that one will go (gradually) wherever the process leads. To me, going into it with limits placed on it before one even begins, makes it not worth the bother... (which is, I guess, why I'm not doing it.) But, on the other hand, if you have the time & financial resources, there's certainly no harm in giving it a try. Do keep in mind though that not every therapist works well with every client. Sometimes it can take a few tries to find the right therapist for you.

[qwerty68]

As already said, they usually recommend therapy but don't typically do it themselves. Having a neutral third-party to help you sort things out in your mind can be very helpful.

It is not a personal relationship in the normal sense. They aren't your friends. The personal nature comes from the fact that you will be talking about very personal things. When you open up as much as you do in therapy you can't help but feel close to the therapist. The personal feelings are pretty much one way.

It is always up to you what you do and don't do. Typically, meds+therapy gives you the best odds. Sometimes, just therapy or just meds is enough. Therapy is a strange thing and its success is highly dependent on how well you respond to the therapist and the type he or she uses. One therapist might do nothing for you, but another might be of great help, and could be the opposite for someone else. It is a lot like meds. Everyone responds differently to them.

There is also some early evidence with fMRI's that certain types of talk therapy can change your brain without meds, so don't be quick to dismiss it.

[rwwff]

Thanks for the input; at present, all I really care about is an objective assessment so I can know whats real and whats not; and meds for whats real if its appropriate, and maybe a chat on the neuropsych side of the doc thinks there something useful that can be learned at this point. (still can't believe I waited till I'm 50 to start whining....)

[rwwff]

Originally Posted by qwerty68

When you open up as much as you do in therapy you can't help but feel close to the therapist. The personal feelings are pretty much one way.

I'm not really sure that's possible, "feeling close", but I'll try to keep an open mind if the psychiatrist wants me seeing a therapist for some reason. Maybe we could just do a DBT course??? That'd be pretty cool I think.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I am required to

[rwwff]

Originally Posted by HALLIEBETH87

I am required to

Does the psych require you to do talk, or can you do something useful/tool kit like cbt/dbt; etc?

[qwerty68]

Originally Posted by rwwff

Does the psych require you to do talk, or can you do something useful/tool kit like cbt/dbt; etc?

CBT and DBT are talk therapy.

Forgive me, if I am misunderstanding you.

[qwerty68]

Originally Posted by rwwff

I'm not really sure that's possible, "feeling close", but I'll try to keep an open mind if the psychiatrist wants me seeing a therapist for some reason. Maybe we could just do a DBT course??? That'd be pretty cool I think.

You don't have to feel close for it to be helpful, but it is a natural response.

You might just consider that a side-effect of the therapy because it is not necessary to feel that for it to work. Unless you have very negative feelings for the therapist it is irrelevant in my experience.

[rwwff]

Originally Posted by qwerty68

CBT and DBT are talk therapy.
Forgive me, if I am misunderstanding you.

Formatted curriculum vs conversational analysis; I guess I should put it that way?

Some psychiatrists only prescribe medication and manage your mental health. If you are lucky, you will find one who also conducts therapy. Doing so is generally not a requirement.

I understand what you mean about what there is to read on the forum concerning questionable relationships - or yearnings for one - with therapists and psychiatrists. I am going to say that this isn't common, that most patient - doctor relationships are professional.

[xRavenx]

My current pdoc does some counseling work, along with meds, but she does strongly encourage therapy too. I find her to be the most caring out of all the pdocs I've had. Most of my previous pdocs did not really care either way, although I had one pdoc a few years ago that has everyone sign a form acknowledging that she reserves the right to require therapy, if she is going to prescribe benzodiazepines. However, she never once asked me about therapy attendance and still prescribed me benzos. Every doc does things differently.

[HALLIEBETH87]

Originally Posted by rwwff

Does the psych require you to do talk, or can you do something useful/tool kit like cbt/dbt; etc?

He's only said I have to have a therapist. But I also do DBT.

[rwwff]

Originally Posted by justafriend306

I understand what you mean about what there is to read on the forum concerning questionable relationships - or yearnings for one - with therapists and psychiatrists. I am going to say that this isn't common, that most patient - doctor relationships are professional.

That's a huge relief reading that, honestly.
Thank you.

[TicTacGo]

Originally Posted by rwwff

Just curious; I'm very likely to see a psychiatrist first and let them decide what I should do about the mess in my head, but I'm not exactly sure what benefit a therapist will do. I'm not really opposed, just ambivalent.

I guess seeing yall describing these relationships with a therapist in very personal terms has me overly concerned, as a relationship like that is not something I would ever allow to happen, but I'd like to give the possibilities some thought.

Any ideas?

Yes, the therapy is generally both a therapist, and a psychiatrist. In most cases, the use of medication is often to allow the patient to feel better enough to start therapy (or continue it) and begin using tools taught by the therapist to help you cope, so that one day (again, depending on the condition), you can stop taking meds and cope with, say anxiety or depression on your own.

So the benefit of therapy is being able to learn ways to help yourself out during situations where things are overwhelming or difficult. This help me a lot with social anxiety. I'm talking major help in that area. I went from being one that just blends into the crowd out of fear, to developing my own voice again.

[splitimage]

My psychiatrist doesn't require me to see a therapist. He couldn't really - talk therapy isn't covered by public insurance in Canada, and I can't afford private. I see him for 20 min. every 2-4 weeks depending on how I'm doing, and if we're doing any med changes, and I find that's effective for managing my mental health.

splitimage

[rwwff]

Originally Posted by TicTacGo

(again, depending on the condition), you can stop taking meds and cope with, say anxiety or depression on your own.

That seems kinda counterproductive to me, to stop a med that is providing a benefit to quality of life. The other meds I take, I'll take till I die; why would something that corrects the seratonin pathway be different? I can already "cope with" depr/anxiety, its just exhausting and a pain in the butt; I could cope with 160/100 blood pressure, but it would still cause end organ damage. I could cope with continuous arthritis pain and headaches, but meloxicam makes it much easier. I could eat an incredibly boring diet for the rest of my life.. or I can take a statin & metformin and not worry about it. I could (and did for 4+ decades) cope with the horrific BS that Testosterone puts in my head, but a cheap med just flat out deletes it. Why would I ever stop any of that?

I'm not saying you're wrong to want to get off meds or off some type of med; but that's not really what I'm looking for.

So the benefit of therapy is being able to learn ways to help yourself out during situations where things are overwhelming or difficult. This help me a lot with social anxiety. I'm talking major help in that area. I went from being one that just blends into the crowd out of fear, to developing my own voice again.

I already know many of these tools, they were taught to me by my parents (child psych types) who obviously knew more about me, than I did. They are the reason I'm not dead. Now I just want to be comfortable. I don't think that's too much to ask and it seems the technology is available to make that happen.

Not to say there aren't newer tools to learn that have been developed since that time, nor am I opposed to more therapy time to learn them (or at least babysit me for the psychiatrists comfort). But if the psych finds an SSRI that kinda works, I'll have zero interest in getting off it. Staying compliant on a good med is a sign of discipline and strength, not weakness; at least to my point of view.

[qwerty68]

Psych meds are a whole different thing than other types of meds. The side-effects alone can be terrible plus it is not uncommon for a psych med to stop working altogether or to become less effective over time. Psych meds can be really painful. Long term usage of psych meds can cause all sorts of issues, depending on the type. Many raise blood pressure, cause hormonal issues, heart problems, sleep problems, all sorts of things. They all can have paradoxical effects. Even with psych meds, you might still have symptoms so learning to cope with it is an important skill.

There is no drug that can overcome bad habits, including not working on getting control of MH issues. They are an aid, nothing more and psych meds bring challenges that will not be known until you are on them Everyone reacts differently which is why psych meds typically have the largest and most diverse set of side-effects. Sometimes, those challenges are harder to deal with then the MH issues they are treating.

I am definitely not anti-meds. I am on more than a few meds, psych and otherwise, but psych meds should be approached with caution.

[rwwff]

Really want to thank everyone again for the great, diverse range of experiences on this question. Mostly I want to not be surprised I guess. In the end, my intent is to give them the fullest picture I can from my flawed, subjective viewpoint, and to run with whatever treatment plan the psychiatrist thinks best for quite a while. I do however think it is extremely unlikely that it will be a therapy only plan...

[Unrigged64072835]

My pdoc doesn't require it, but it is strongly recommended.