Motivation

I imagine (and I'm quite willing to be wrong) that most of us come to therapy for one of the reasons I give here.

I know that everyone has her own story. Broad categories cannot begin to capture the personal experience.

I'm just trying to get an overview, because my own peculiar mindset requires that. I'm happier with a small number of simplistic concepts.

The catalyst for me going was relationship problems. The reason I stay is different. I focus more on me and my relationship with myself than on any particular relationship that is problematic.

I went for Depression/Anxiety I stay for that and relationship

Well it started with depression. I was diagnosed with Borderline personality disorder, ended up on the psych ward for many weeks.

Was assigned to a pdoc who does talk therapy with me once a week. It has been exactly one year since I started with pdoc, don't know for how long. It is covered by our national health system here in Canada, all other t's it would have to come out of my pocket and I don't have the money.

Add grief to the mix, at least for me. Depression, relationship issues, and grieving several losses are what brought me to therapy.

I started with agoraphobia, started working on that and the panic disorder. Now I work on such an odd collection of things. At times it makes little sense to me, but it does seem to help.

Complicated grief, depression, self esteem and accepting myself.
Thanks for this thread CE I am interested to know what everyone else goes to therapy for.

Something else entirely.

If I don't see the therapist I don't get to see the psychiatrist, which means I don't get my meds. It's a racket.

I don't really need to see a therapist anymore. I no longer feel like talking about what I've been talking about for years.

If you voted for "something else", I'd like to hear what it is.

PS:

Oops! Cross-post!

BPD, Anxiety, Self harm, Sexual abuse and depression.

I have just started with a new T and I can tell it is going to be really hard.

For me it was like going to wal-mart. I went in with a small list and ended up with more.

I will second that

Started going for panic attacks, mild depression.. Now, the bulk of what we talk about our depression, relationship issues, and SA crap.

I went in at first for a relationship problem, but that was ages ago, so I chose "something else." I guess I work on having a better life, not mucking things up, achieving my full potential, learning to set boundaries, communication skills, understanding myself better so I can stop maladaptive patterns, etc. Sometimes we work on stuff related to my ADHD issues, but not too frequently.

Another big one for me has been trauma. We have worked on past trauma with some success. And now, fairly regularly, we work on how to deal with secondary trauma. I work in a job where I can get secondary trauma and so I work on specific incidents with T to process them now rather than have them become entrenched and something that will prevent me from living freely and that I will need to work on in a decade.

Yes, I have anxiety, depression and relationship problems but I have started therapy specifically to address my eating disorder- which is probably how I have coped over 30 years with all of the aforementioned.

Started therapy for anxiety issues... ended up diagnosed with dysthymia. Working on that and relationship issues.

Started out for anxiety (since I was a kid) and because my mother was chronically ill...then later relationship issues. Now depression and anxiety mostly.

I had a breakdown after my wedding 2 years ago..

Severe depression, PTSD, grief, and dissociation. Much more has arisen.

I sought out my current therapist because I was having panic attacks again.

I've worked with my T on grief, depression, relationship issues, anxiety, some of my own core beliefs, issues left over from my childhood, and all kinds of other things.

Will there be a follow up poll "Why did you quit therapy?"

i went for trauma

I started going because of my eating disorder, which is pretty much dealing with depression and anxiety when you remove the ED behaviors.

Me too Only I'd like to return each item we've discovered since then, please

Well the "something else entirely" tends to complete the poll

Chronic pain.

My "something else" was just wanting my life to feel better and wanting to know myself.