[ChickenNoodleSoup]

This is kind of indirectly related to therapy, but anyways. For the last three days or so I've been at different levels of anxious all the time. I can still sleep, but I get a couple of panic attacks a day. My thoughts are a mess, I'm often paranoid, have trouble concentrating. Basically lots of stuff coming together. I try to deal with it with my usual coping skills that I know of, but I have trouble with it, it always comes back and kind of stays around. In the mornings I'm usually fine and then slowly over the day it gets out of hand.

My T is gone for the next two weeks. The anxiety is not related to him being gone. I actually feel okay about that, I don't think about it too much or anything. It is not what is bothering me. I don't have an alternative T (not really Ts fault, laws in my country are complicated). I could in theory call my normal doctor I'd see for a cough or whatever, and ask that office (there's lots of people working there, not just general doctors) to refer me to some therapist either working in their clinic or somewhere else. That's the route I'd have to go anyways to see a therapist of any kind unless it was an emergency. I don't feel like a danger to myself and I don't think I need the ER.

On the one hand, I don't feel like I can go on like this. I am way, way too anxious, I have no idea how to calm myself enough to keep it together for two weeks. It doesn't feel healthy to stay like this for two weeks. On the other hand, I would not know the T I'd go to and I'm not sure how much it would help to talk to some random person I've never seen before (for reference, I take a long, long time to trust someone). I could probably tell them what the issue is, but I'm not sure how much it'd help. I guess they could put me on meds, but also not sure I'd want that...

So, my question is, what do you guys think a good option in this situation is/what you'd choose? Just use coping skills, journal and try to somehow get through although it is very uncomfortable? Or contact someone who will probably be able to see me at least once before my T is back, though I am not sure how much it would help in my case? I asked a couple of people in my life what they think is the best option, but I'm getting very mixed answers (mostly because my friends are not well informed on mental health issues).

[Deejay14]

If you think that extra visit can help I would do it. In the meantime until you get back to regular therapist I would journal so you have a sort of record of this and can also work on it th e re.

[DP_2017]

I get this, I have trust issues too and it took me ages to be ok with my T and the idea of another T even temporally is not good to me. His boss offered to see me while he is away and while it's kind of her, I just can't do it.

If you think it could help you, go for it... there is also the option of a crisis line, yes its a stranger but there you can do a phone call, web chat or text and it's free. You can leave after a few moments if you don't feel it's helpful

[ChickenNoodleSoup]

Thanks to both of you. I decided to contact my doctor, they will fit me in tomorrow. Don't know how and whether that will help, but it's worth a try.

[WishfulThinker66]

Most doctors, psychiatrists, and therapists arrange for on-call stand-ins for just this sort of emergency. Contact their office and have them make an appointment with whoever the designated alternate is. You don't have to go through this alone. In the even the office cannot do this for you, see your regular doctor. They might be able to refer you as you have suggested but they might also be a good person to talk to themselves.