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so therapy?
Yeah, it kinda sucked.
I went to counseling for my anxiety on Monday. Aren't you supposed to leave a therapy session feeling a *little* bit better than when you went in? I really liked the guy I talked to and our personalities meshed pretty well, but I don't think his background is right for my issues.
His best advice was to "take these 'issues' and find a way to turn them around to your benefit." Sounds okay in principle, but exactly how do you take daydreams and thoughts of cars crashing into you and killing you while you're driving on your way to work and turn them into something beneficial?? 
I think I need to find someone else. The lady who did my intake last week said if for any reason I needed to change therapists, I could, but I don't think I want to go back to the same practice. How weird would it be to run into the guy walking through the halls with my new therapist?
Ugh....anxiety sucks.
Re: so therapy?
um, what? That's not exactly how anxiety is normally treated. I don't blame you for wanting to switch.
But don't be scared to ask for a different therapist at the same practice. It happens often that people want to switch, he won't (or at least shouldn't) take it personally.
Therapists like that give us a bad name....
I'd find someone new. Although, and this may be because of why I pursued therapy (coping with my miscarriages), it took me about a month before I left feeling ANY better. Usually I'd go in and cry my eyes out for an hour and leave feeling even worse because I had to revisit those awful feelings.
You could always ask for a referral for someone outside the practice and see if they could help you. When I did my intake I told the doctor I preferred to see a woman due to my circumstances, and none of their female therapists were on my insurance (weird), so she gave me a number of someone else to call.
I agree that telling you to turn this into a positive is kind of a silly thing to tell you without first offering you some tools to make that happen.
And I applaud you for seeking help for this issue, and I sincerely hope it helps you ((hugs))
Congrats to both my TTC buddies, Amberley18 and sb2006 on their beautiful babies!
Yup. Know this. I've been to a true therapy session (15 weeks) my junior year of college--when I was diagnosed with PTSD--and that lady was teh.awesome. Can't go back there though because it's a service strictly for students. She used a lot of behavior modification and cognitive therapy. She did this really nifty eye movement thing (that I will have to research because I completely forgot what it is exactly) and it seemed to help me a ton.
I'm not sure if I'm even comfortable with the practice. My going there was based on the fact that I don't like calling people and was able to set up a consult/intake via e-mail on a whim...... However, going over their website, there is little to no information about their counselors, just the ones with the MDs.
I found a new place that I'll probably contact this Friday...they have 3 licensed counselors on staff that specify in depression/anxiety/grief.
Thanks for that.
Definitely, definitely this. My first therapist was great with CBT and it was always a great session with her.
Nooner--figured it out with a quick google search
EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing
ETA: this worked really well for reducing my TTM(trichotillomania) urges in relation to my anxiety, not just my anxiety itself.
1. EMDR. and it is pretty awesome. Is the therapist you saw before still practicing? Even if you can't go to her, she might be a good place to start for a referral.
2. If not, this definitely sounds like a little better place to start.
That may not be a bad idea, RE: #1....I may have to look and see who the Center's current staff are.
Jinx! You owe me a coke.
And agreed, it's great for a lot of things, but can't be used by itself. CBT (and lots of practicing CBT) is the only thing that will help your anxiety in the long run. At least, that's my professional belief. I'm a firm believer in CBT.
No coke, but you can have one of these instead:
And I agree with you on CBT. With my undergrad in psychology, one of my ideas for grad school was going to be specializing in CBT, so I'm kinda biased towards it as well.
I ditto Nooners idea about seeing if the old/college therapist is still there and if she can recommend someone for you to see. Personal recommendations, or recommendations from therapist to therapist, would really help.
That being said, I always say that finding the right therapist is like dating. You shouldn't be afraid to say "this is not working out" and keep searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right. You are taking a big step in seeking out help, which is totally commendable, but be kind to yourself and know that you have every right to find someone you feel comfortable with. No sense in doing it if you aren't going to do it right. Good luck!
Definitely keep trying different therapists. At the same time, change isn't comfortable, so don't be afraid of a therapist who challenges you either. But you should definitely be "meshing" with a therapist.
CBT is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Based on the notion that our thoughts are what cause our behavior. Change your thinking = change your behavior.
That was what sucked about them. They weren't challenging me. I would just go and talk about my day and leave. I didn't feel like going was accomplishing anything. I'll try and seek out somebody who specializes in CBT, that sounds more active and like what I'm looking for.
Anyway, thanks for posting, Sarges! I'm glad you're optimistic and seeking help.
No problem. I've been thinking about posting it for awhile, but didn't wanna be a Debbie Downer. Glad I could help you out.