[Sharp_Lace]

I have no idea why going to a therapist makes me so nervous. I always think that people think that I make everything up so I'm afraid to set up and appointment or even find a Therapist.

Did you have any issues like that?

How did you finally make your self go?

[sweepy62]

I was referred by my gp I was very depressed.

I fear not just other people thinking I am making things up, I fear I really AM making things up. I ended up going to therapy because my MIL kept kicking me in the butt to go. She kept telling me I didn't need to feel horrible for the rest of my life. When I reached a point where it seemed like it was inevitable that I was going to kill myself, I finally went. For what it's worth, therapy has been incredibly helpful for me. It is painful and difficult, but ultimately was very helpful in getting me out of the profound depression.

Originally I was in college (many, many years ago), and had confided in the college youth minister about my past sexual abuse. He asked me to see one of the counselors for the university. It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I saw him for a bit over 2 years.

Some 15 years later I was attending a church-sponsored care group for people in recovery from various issues. My pastor recognized something in me that needed more help and spoke to me privately about perhaps seeing him for therapy (he is a licensed pastoral counselor). He worked with me for about 3 years.

I sought out my current therapist about 8 years ago as I recognized I needed further help. Still see him semi-regularly but have finally worked through most issues (not all).

[pbutton]

I have a giant fear that I think I am telling the truth, but that I am really lying and everyone but me is aware of this fact. It is very hard to work through in therapy, but I am trying.

[FeelingOpaque]

Same here, I've always felt that everything I do or think is just me making up problems. I decided to get a therapists when I got way to stoned and thought my life through and decided I needed some help.

[phaset]

The first time was because my high school counsellor told my parents I was suicidal. They took me to my GP who prescribed medication. After medication didn't do much I got referred to a therapist and a psychiatrist.

This time a medication change made my anxiety worse than it's ever been. I was at an appointment with my GP (a different one now) after I decided I couldn't take it anymore and I said that I wanted help with my depression. He referred me to someone, they weren't taking new clients but set me up with someone from the same office.

[skysblue]

Making that first call to make an appointment with a therapist was one of the scariest things I've ever done. I had no idea what to expect but I knew it was critical for me to be able to talk with someone. And going to first appointment was probably equal to the anxiety of making the first call.

But, it was so worth it gathering the courage to seek help. Please do yourself a favor and access the kind of help a therapist can offer. Good luck.

[neutrino]

It took me about 10 years to seek help. When I was a young teenager I sort of thought that what I went through was a normal part of growing up. I later realised that it wasn't but even though I realised that I didn't know where to turn. I was too scared to seek help as well. Anyway, I started seeking help about 1.5 year ago when things got even worse. I didn't get proper help until the beginning of this year though. I often worry about making things up. One of my "main intrusive thoughts" is about me lying about my mental health.

I hope you'll get the help you need soon. Good luck!

[dumburn]

First time round, age 15 my school nurse actually took me to the doctor. but not much happened with that, but i did end up with counselling at school about 3 times a week

when I was 17 I took myself back to the doctor as I realised I was very much out of control, this got me referred to the mental health team.
This was scary for me, I was convinced I was going to get locked away in a straight jacket, get pinned down to have god only knows what injected in to me and have my brain zapped and all the horrible preconceptions that anyone who's watched One Flew Over The Cukoos Nest might have.
But, I was more scared that without anyhelp I would end up in prison or dead so that swung it for me
That was probably the best decision I ever made.
Everybody - therapists, counselors, doctors, social workers and whoever all those other people were, were amazingly nice and supportive, no matter how useless and horrible I was.
I do not regret it one bit!

This time round has kinda happened by accident - long story I've ranted about more than enough elsewhere on this site.

[AnnaBegins]

I've struggled with moderate to severe depression since I was in high school. I'm pretty good at concealing it from other people when I'm more in a moderate phase but when it turns severe, I have what I refer to as "leaks" - instances where I can't control it 100% and it manifests in public. This most recent time I started therapy again, I had a "leak" at work and SIed during normal business hours. That feeling of being out of control to that degree scared me enough that I forced myself to make the call - felt that I would lose everything I had worked so hard for if I didn't do something to put the brakes on.

[BlessedRhiannon]

Originally Posted by Sharp_Lace

I have no idea why going to a therapist makes me so nervous. I always think that people think that I make everything up so I'm afraid to set up and appointment or even find a Therapist.

Did you have any issues like that?

How did you finally make your self go?

I'd known that I needed help for years, but couldn't get up the courage to go. The first therapist I saw was after my brother took his life. My mother decided that the whole family needed grief counselling (we did) and set up an appointment with a therapist. I knew I needed help with other things, and as we were leaving that initial appointment, I told my parents that I had to use the restroom and would meet them back at their house for dinner. Once they'd left, I stopped the therapist in the hallway and just asked her if she could please help me.

That first therapist was not a good fit, but it was better than nothing at the time. She ended up abruptly closing her practice, but referred me to another therapist before closing. That second therapist wasn't a good fit either, but I didn't really realize that until later. After working with that second therapist, I made myself a promise that if I ever got to the point of considering sui again, I would seek out a therapist on my own, that would be a good fit for me.

About 3 years later, I'd moved to a new state, and was really struggling. I remembered my promise to myself and started looking for a new T. I found one that I thought might work, went to one appointment and decided she was crazier than I was. That put me off of searching for a few months. Then, I decided that I still needed help, and I sat down and really defined my criteria for a good T. I found one I thought would work, bookmarked her profile on Psychology Today, and then looked at it daily for a couple of weeks before getting up the nerve to contact her via the email link to ask for a phone consultation. Turns out it was a perfect match, and the rest is history.

For me, the biggest issue was thinking that my issues weren't severe enough to need a therapist and just the anxiety of actually trying to contact a complete stranger to ask for help.

[Ambra]

It took me a while. I got severly depressed 3 years ago but nobody took me to a therapist - I really wanted one. I tried to solve it myself somehow but I later developed eating disorders and haven't been the same since then. After becoming financially independent it took me another year. I sought help this summer - even though I had just lost my job - because I was shattered again and thought I'd rather be dead than live like that for the next 60 years.
I still have huge problems going and I'm terrified that T will think I'm making things up too.. but I can always bring it up and be reassured.
So: I decided to go when I thought I had suffered enough and I was starting to be really scared for my life. And, I had missed 3+ years of my life already. Hope this helped.

[FeelingOpaque]

I never actually knew I needed help because, as I have come to realize, I have been struggling depression for longer than I remember, I just thought it was normal to feel that way because that's the only way I knew how to feel.

[SeekerOfLife]

I ended up starting therapy because I hit rock bottom. I was about two steps away from taking my life. I got myself into therapy ASAP. So glad! I have never regretted it. It has been a tremendous blessing.

[tinyrabbit]

I had a kind of breakdown and a few friends had mentioned therapy / counselling so I looked into it. I didn't want to go through my doctor for various reasons, so I found someone private.

I was also worried my T would think I was making things up. My T says he's interested in what I have to say whether it's "made up" or not, as if something IS made up, you make it up for a reason. And that if I lied he would be respectful of that. He's not so into truth as a black and white thing. Sometimes it really annoys me...

[Willowleaf]

I was seeing an osteopath, but my body responds badly to even gentle touch. She suggested I see a colleague who is a body psychotherapist. After I had collapsed I finally made an appointment just to deal with body stuff as no one I know had ever seen a therapist! Once there it soon became apparent that my body was reacting for a reason and 3 years later I am still working on it.

I struggled for years before I finally reached boiling point, I went to see my doctor and was totally honest with her I told her that I have been self harming for sometime- so she referred me to a psychiatrist he diagnosed me with BPD in 2008, I have since been in group therapy for a year and done CBT now I am seeing a clinical psychologist who really is good at her job and is very experienced, My psychiatrist wants me to do DBT soon.

[PeeJay]

A while ago, I literally collapsed on the ground crying and surveyed my life. A truck drove by on a road ahead, and I thought, "I could jump in front of it." At that moment, I decided to kill myself at some vague point in the future. It was the biggest relief I've felt in a long time.

I heard a small still voice in my head say, "Get help."

That's it.

And I didn't get help immediately. Another month went by and I started a sui plan and everytime a little life setback happened, I added another layer to my plan to self-soothe.

About two months later, I had a positive experience where some relatives went out of their way to see me. I couldn't believe that they would do that and it made me believe that I was worth saving.

I found a private therapist via Google and went to six sessions and they helped immensely. That therapist ended up abandoning me and it was very painful.

I'm on my second therapist now and I've been going for most of this year. I've finally told my whole story and I was diagnosed with PTSD from abuse, and unresolved grief over many family deaths, all of which fuels panic attacks and depressive episodes. Therapy has confounded me and also has helped me a lot.

I go weekly and every week I decide I'm all better and that I should quit. But then I do keep going because we get one life to live and I want to at least try to live my best life.

And it makes me a calmer spouse, friend and parent when I know that I have someone to listen to me. So it's also a gift to the people around me.

Some days, I'm so fine I really don't feel like I need therapy and some days, I'm just living for that next appointment because I feel like there's no other hope. I worry about wasting the therapist's time, all the time.

My first visit was so nerve-wracking and even now, when I go, I'm shaking. I'm not used to the attention and it makes me simultaneously delighted and extremely uncomfortable.

[Rzay4]

My brother died and I became severely depressed.

[doyoutrustme]

post partum depression. I'd had issues for a long time but that's when it all became too much. I was such a wreck that calling was easy. I hate meds but when my kids pediatrician asked me 'do you want to just - take a pill? and make it stop?' She said this in a way that implied 'of course not.' but i looked at her and said Yes. definately yes. and she gave me a referral.

[CantExplain]

My wife suggested it.

[the abyss]

i was looking through a medical book when i was very young, everyone in my family new i was not right but they did not care, still don't. i took myself to the doctor.
take care

My marriage was rocky, I was depressed. My ex said that there was something wrong with me, I went to a T to prove there was nothing wrong with me but I was discovered to have Bipolar Disorder. So it all went wrong for me. But saying that I am thankful I did find him.

[ar2004]

Going to a therapist made me so nervous! I spent over a month thinking about doing it, changing my mind, then finally started looking up behavioral providers in my insurance list. I was terrified to contact the T that I thought would be good but I finally sent an email using the contact listed on her website. I'm really glad I finally took the plunge and found a therapist. Honestly I don't know what I would do without my T right now.