[Bleufacez]

A few months ago I went to a pdoc because of my chronic depression. I have been depressed for at least a couple of years and it started to progressed severely.

I've had bad childhood, sex abuse, rape, suicidal, risky behaviors, etc.. etc... Anyway I disclose all this to pdoc at first visit. He predx me with bipolar and sent me to psychotherapy along w. drugs.

Anyway... things happened... misunderstandings, miscommunications, etc.. etc... and now suddenly I have personality issues to work with. T says I need some psychodynamic counseling and pdoc says I need DBT.

This has become so messed up!!! I came in there normal w. just some depression issue and now I'm full of labels. It's like I'm crossing all Axis in DSM. Issues w. pdoc made me into a serious mental case. I'm going crazy! Now I know every symptoms listed in DSM. He's even considering me to attend PHP. Maybe next to the loony bean? It's like... wtf?!?

Nowadays I go home more confused than ever. Today I was like... what the heck did I sign up for?!?!? I just went in there to get some happy pills.

[(JD)]

I'm sorry to hear you're confused. I'm sure if you "just" want to try the medicine without therapy, the PDoc would let you? But when psychotherapy along with meds help too, why not try it?

Don't let labels worry you (get out of the DSM!) They need dxs for insurance purposes, and also to have an idea of where to begin for you.

Depression is serious. I'm glad you have doctors who care about you.

[Rapunzel]

IMHO, any time depression continues for a long time, there is some reason for it. Well, I think there is always a reason for depression. Sometimes it's short-term and related to grief or a traumatic event or something that has happened to you relatively recently. In that case, sometimes the depression can be resolved and go away fairly rapidly, and medication can be helpful with the symptoms in the mean time. Therapy can help people to work through it faster.

When depression goes on for a year or more, I think that almost always it probably is not just depression. I would expect to find some adverse conditions in your childhood, and ways that you had to cope then that prevented you from developing skills that would help you for the rest of your life. Medication can still make the symptoms more tolerable, but the only way to really recover is therapy to help you learn how to change those patterns and learn new skills.

The patterns that you learned as a child very well could be diagnosed as a personality disorder or anxiety disorder or any number of Axis I or Axis II categories, but try not to worry so much about the diagnosis because that's just a way for professionals to use a shorthand term to describe the kinds of patterns that you have. Changing the patterns is the thing that matters.

Again, DBT or psychodynamic counseling are a couple of strategies that professionals can try to help you change those patterns. Both of those are good ones, and there are lots of other approaches too. If you have found a psychodynamic therapist who seems to be able to help you, that's probably a good way to go. You might ask that therapist if they can incorporate some DBT techniques too. Mine started out with primarily psychodynamic, and has tried lots of things, including DBT concepts.

[Bleufacez]

Thanks for all of your input.

I called the DBT# pdoc referred me to and as it turns out it was a number for Anger Management Group Therapy. I was like....

After awhile I just started LMAO for 3 straight days. I told pdoc... unless you think I have an anger issue also... I'm not going to this group therapy!

I had an issue w. pdoc on Friday actually and he literally made me livid. He refused to see me for being 10 mins late. I'm like... whoever heard of such a thing?!? Often it's the doc that's making you wait plus he didn't explained this being "on-time" policy!!! Since then I've been very lucid... unless the drug is finally kicking in.

personally I can see why she gave you the number for the anger management group.

The anger management therapy group that I attended was very helpful in teching me to look beyond the emotions of my day to day activities.

instead of my reacting all paniced or upset when things didn't go my way or something out of the blue happened I could look at it from the nonjudgemental point of view.

For example situations that are not associated to my being DID like I have social anxiety. standing in crowds makes me panic and sometimes a guy happens to look my way and he happened to look like my abuser.

Instead of panicing I can now say - ok we are in a public place, my abusers are dead and he is just looking for the bus that happens to be running late. Just use my grounding techniques and listen to my music because that guy is not here to hurt me. he just wants to ride the bus like I am. no panic and so on.

The techniques taught in anger management are somewhat DBT like in that they want you to look beyond the emotions to the main situation and the skills are taught in a specific order that is easy to memorize and use, and the skills taught in anger management groups can and do fit any and all situations not just anger.

Maybe you can go for a couple sessions just to give it an honest try and then if its not for you, you will know not just from the anger point of view or the shocked funny point of veiw that your therapist sent you there. You might be surpised at how the skills taught there fit just about every other type of situation in your life. I know I was.
and those skills I learned in the anger management class comes in handy alot.

wanted to add the things taught at the anger management class here is -

Reccognizing emotions/feelings awareness
early warning systems
feelings jounal
ways not to stuff feelings
validation worksheets
three star interactions
types of communication
reflective listening
coping systems
grounding techniques
relaxation techniques including class participation in relaxation visualization techniques
setting boundries
subjective reality
taking time out when under stress
self care / self nurturing both physically and mentally
impulse control
affirmations

[JonB]

Myself-
That sounds like a good class. Where do I sign up? Wouldn't say that I have anger issues, but I could certainly stand to learn those skills. Your the master, myself.

[Bleufacez]

Thanks but it was an honest mistake. The place he refer me to has a variety of group therapies. He was supposed to give me a *specific* contact name but forgot to. Later, he did, actually.

He refer me to DBT not because I'm emotional but because I need to work on my chronic empty feelings. DBT is based on Buddhism teaching on putting your mind and heart into one. Both T and pdoc said I'm extremely analytical that it's unhealthy for me emotionally. He wants me to have a balance of rational and emo minds.

I was livid at him because he refused to see me after being 10 mins late. I was like... umm... there wasn't any discussion of policy about being "on time"!! I waited 5 weeks to see him, had to leave an all day conference, putting up with traffic & freeway closures, broke a lot of laws, knocked off a couple of grannies, and he refused to see me cuz I was 10 mins late?!!? Often docs make you wait at least 30 mins.

Then he said to me later... well... I had other patients who were late today so... I was like... wtf?!?!? If my pissiness is unreasonable then I don't know what is.

[JonB]

I would have been pissed too. I figure you paid for the time, it's yours right? Did they make you pay even though he didn't see you? I hope not. Like you said, it takes weeks to get on the schedule and the hassle of reorging your day to get there - what a pain. Let's be a little flexible here docs. They certainly expect us to be. Hope future visits work out for you and that your correct class is great. But eavesdrop on the anger management class and send us the notes

thanks JonB

LOL I didn't have an anger management problem either. I initially signed up for it because taking an anger management class would look good on paperwork to the court because my child was in foster care due to my being suicidal at the time.I figured pay the money sit in the boring class and get the certificate and look good on paper. I didn't expect to find and learn actual skills that I could apply elsewhere in my life and therapy program. So I came out of the group looking good on paper AND the bonus of having more skills I could apply to my therapy program and life. LOL

you can locate anger management classes by calling mental health agencies, domestic vioulence agencies, crisis centers, planned parenthood agencies in your local community.