Why see a therapist?

Why see a therapist? I mean if all they do is talk to you or let you talk to them what's really the Point? What you get out of it? I've tried talking to lots of people never works actually usually makes me feel worse. It seems like the only thing I need is a psychiatrist considering there the ones who prescribe medication.

I see a T and a psychiatrist - they're in the same clinic. Idk. I guess I get to share my crazy thoughts with someone who isn't going to freak out. Also, I think he's helpful for getting me to work on healthy coping skills so if we do ever find a medication that works (hahahaha), I can be at a place to fully function. Medication only helps so much. If I can't handle stress in a way that's healthy, the medication isn't going to do much about that.

So nothing is going to work then

I guess it depends on why you're considering talking to a therapist in the first place. I want to live a happier, more fulfilled, less stressful life, which is what I told my Ts going into it. Through therapy, I've been able to heal a good deal of my own difficult and traumatizing history, which wasn't exactly what I set out to do but has been nothing short of amazing.

There's many types of therapy out there. Out of them all, I've tried cognitive behavioral and relational, both of which have been very helpful for me in dealing with interpersonal issues, self-esteem, recognizing and changing my thought patterns, setting and achieving goals, making peace with my past, etc. They worked for different reasons, though. I've been in and out of therapy for about 4 years total (with a couple different Ts), but was only on anti-depressants for about a year. Just my experience.

No one says you have to see a therapist if you don't want to. They aren't for everyone.

Nope, not neccessarily. Nothing will work or help if you close yourself off to the potential.

But to help yourself and allow others to help you, you need to be clear with what you need help with.

For myself, I find medication is starting to help with my bipolar swings, and it has been showing some potential to help with anxiety.

But I find talking with my counsellor to be the thing that is going to help me the most in the long run. Most of the issues that I struggle with the most aren't related to the bipolar that I have - it's more related to my core beliefs about myself and whatnot. I struggle with trust and things. Just simply talking with my T, trying to open up and be honest, trying to trust him... that's the best thing he can do for me. So far he hasn't freaked out at me, he hasn't been mad, he hasn't even been disappointed. It's a slow process, but so far he's been really patient with me and keeps readjusting his own way of relating to me. That's how it is helping me.

A T teaches you tools on how to deal with problems you are having .
Some people don't have anyone that they trust or talk to .

There are many reasons why people see a Therapist

So what's the difference between talking to a therapist and talking to people on here or the suicide hotline to fb or anybody else?

It depends on what you want help with.

I find that my counsellor will call me out on stuff that friends wouldn't; he shares observations about what I say and do, and how I react to things. I worry about him judging me or thinking I'm f*cked up, but at the same time, I'm not worried about him bailing on me like I would be with a friend. I feel selfish enough talking about my stuff with my T, but I'd feel even more so with a friend. And my Ts suggestions, observations, and insights I know are professional and based in his training.

That works for me.

But what is it that you feel you need help with? Not everything can or will be helped by either meds or therapy.

If the support you find here or on the hotline is enough, there doesn't seem much point in therapy. But if you need something more, then the best answer to your question is to try it for yourself.

I don't find them helpful in the ways others describe. I do use them to tell them things I don't tell real people in my life who would care. I think it might be rather like telling a hotline or random strangers. I would never take their drugs. I do not believe therapy is useful for every problem or every person.

I usually see my T as being just one resource in a line of resources I'm utilizing to get better. He's really a very important one though because he knows me better than anyone else now since it all started with him. And I trust him (for the most part and more than others). When I'm struggling with transference, that's a different story! Then I see my T because I him, I him and I'm desperate to figure out what to do about it all

I'm suicidal and angry

Do you want to remain that way or do you want to be unsuicidal and not angry?
I never found seeing a therapist to help with either of those things, but I was not really going to change them for me. I am rather okay with anger and am not usually actively suicidal although I do have my out plan in place should it ever be needed. I find therapy very frustrating and useless when they try to become cbt-ish. Therapy is not quick nor direct in any way I have seen or read about.

Therapy has not helped me alleviate suicidal feelings or intentions, but medication has. Where therapy is helpful for me is to have someone to hash things out with and see things from a different perspective (or not) with someone I get along with really well. I don't have that irl, and am happy to pay someone who's skilled and competent in my issues.

I have learned that you must learn to love yourself , forgive yourself then your less likely to want to hurt yourself . And if meds. help lesson the urge then take meds .

Therapy has helped me with my Sui thoughts. They were incessant when I started (which is what finally made me go) but they are not nearly as often now. It took a long time in therapy though and I never told my T. And it's not all better. I think I could fall back anytime, but I know therapy does help me maintain and keep moving forward when I want to give up. I did not trust myself and was afraid I would follow through before....And it's a relief not to be so afraid anymore.

What kind of therapy have you been in? The right therapist can make or break therapy.

The kind the free clinic offers I can't afford anything else and I don't know the different types of therapies.

I didn't know much about different types of therapies until I came here. My T is DBT trained and comparing it to others, it's what I like. I have treatment resistant depression (sorry for my cynical laugh about medications, I've been trying a ton and nothing so far has helped). For me, DBT is useful. It focuses on helping me keep from making things worse and to cope in a healthy way with my depression. Plus, I like my T and talking to him is... nice. I have a connection with him. I could talk to random people I don't know, but now I know him and he has to listen to me for an hour

I feel like I have come far since seeing my therapist.

I never asked my therapist what kind he does. I can tell. It's a little bit of everything. psychdynamic, gestalt, ie working on the therapeutic relationships transference, and gaining insight on how those same behaviors are affecting me on the outside. We also do some dbt and cbt, but not in a "here are techniques have a nice life" way. He will pin point out cognitive distortions as we go.

It is nice to tell someone how you really feel and all your skeletons in your closet without them telling others you know.