Yes Mad Sweeny I have.I believe in the power of the unconscious but I personally do not see how therphy could help say somebody like myself.I think that their power in discovering the unconscious but it does really help everybody.
About Therapy/Counseling
by Mad Sweeney 26 Replies latest jw friends
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sabastious
I go to therapy once a week and have been for the past 5 years. If it's affordable, therapy can help anyone at any time in their life.
-Sab
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sabastious
Therapy is great. It does help. They are professinals and I have always been amazed at how they can help put things in perspective, etc.
This is going to sound weird, but the reason why it's so effective is because they don't care about your life. They listen to your story, put it together and then go home and eat dinner because they are not emotionally involved or attached. An objective and professional viewpoint is worth a lot.
-Sab
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Voices
I originally had written a post that personally described EVERYTHING I wanted to say about this post and the presumption made in this post. However, the internet connection (ironically) severed and I didn't know, so when i hit 'submit' ....it lost everything I said. Now i'm a bit more calm...so i'm going to say my piece about this thread:
I was very upset about this post. I have struggled with the idea of therapy for the last 2 years. For the longest time I had no clue what was wrong with me. I struggled with my anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. The despair that has built up only is the product of my lack of faith that i lost over the years because of the lack of support i've received, and my own personal hardships and inability to focus towards the future. when you have despair, nothing seems to work right. I've BEGGED and pleaded people to help me. I've gone to doctors been on Ativan and therapy counseling that work on a 'sliding scale' ONLY to tell my OWN therapist what was wrong wtih me in the end. I diagnoised myself and SHE confirmed and said she made a mistake and thought i was paranoid personality disorder. I researched and found out that I had 9 out of 9 symptoms, but this was the secondary nature of my problem to the primary root problem and the primary had evolved into the secondary. It wasn't shown or revealed to me by some THERAPIST.My root problem was revealed to me bya friend of mine, maybe my mentor. A dear friend who had gone through something similar and recognized the symptoms. And being able to reveal tha tinformation, opened up the door to be able to see things more clearly. It explained why i do the things i do, why i feel the way i feel, think th eway i think and so forth. However, having being painted red with this disorder, it's intensely difficult to get rid of paint. See there's not 'pain thinner/paint thinner' for PTSD and BPD. And As i begged people to help me, continually in my therapy and the lack of support I received except for a hand few for a short while, the despair built up even more. Because THERAPY IS EXPENSIVE. And the SLIDING scale therapist...don't know what they're talking about. I had to TELL MY therapist that i diagnoised what was wrong with me, and SHE confirmed and told me her own presumption and prediagnosis wasn't right and that this makes more sense. See i've been to friends, maybe religion... spiritual healers, i've been to therapists, teacher/professors, message boards, internet searches, group meeting, etc.. and ALL that is became INCREASINGLY futile. And that adds to the DESPAIR that you feel. The despair of 'you're always going to be like this. You'll continue to work on this until nothing will change, and you will DIE, alone, begging people to help you and no one will. And when you do it alone, you wont get anywhere' I'm even TRYING invest a little money in the stocks to hopefully make something more in return.
My rent is $815.00 my car payment AND insurance is $308.00. i'm $4,800 debt on one credit card $980.00 on another credit card. My student loan is $14k that i'm paying off. My water bill is roughly $30.00 a month. i can't afford cable tv, i have an electric bill that's past due and the next two paychecks are already set on the next months rent and student loan payments, the third paycheck is for car and car insurance and the last paycheck is to pay off some debt. My Care Credit (dental) is behind. etc.. i make roughly 1600-2000 a month. This does not account for FOOD that i need, and other necessities (gas for car, toilet paper etc..). I also support my girlfriend who lives with me, and is a college student that isn't working right now due to schooling and other issues ...that of course i need THERAPY FOR. I am also trying desperately to sell my prized musical possession...my Yamaha XS8 ...brand new...barely used...for $2200 (i paid $3,339.00). but no takers... I bought it years ago and of course i didn't have the debt I have now when i originalyl bought it. but no takers...My girlfriend is thrilled about this because she wants me to keep it to pursue music, but i'm freaking out.
This is the part where people say 'you know, there are these 'free' services that are offered and free things that you can do ...PTSD meeting groups or whatever or DBT meetings.'
i say: I live in a city where none of that is capable. i've searched. The nearest city is an HOUR away ...thats 20 dollars one way for gas. and thus far the 'free services' are not effective. They are 'free' for a reason, at LEAST with what i've dealt with. the bottom line is:
Sometimes, people are BEGGING AND SCREAMING for help and assistance, and no one is listening. and then i saw a thread like this. This bothered me. I am open to anyone willin to pay for my therapy. There are therapist in my area, but i don't exactly have the money per visit to my fiances. and I don't want to continue to spend years with someone who isn't experienced.
I use to have money to spend on things...concerts and stuff...but i don't anymore. I moved out of my house and live in my own place and for now i'm too far away from home, and have someone i'm with here, who is the only source of my joy. I asked nicely before about anxiety and fear (and though this may not necessarily be what this thread is about)...in hopes someone might help give me some pointers...and i actually had to respond to a blank thread 12 hours later, pointing out that there was no responses, to get responses. (and to those that did, thank you, i bid you well, it gave me some hope that people actually do care about me) ....but now i'm just hurt. (and of course anger rises when i'm hurt) Because I feel that people are just not listening. .
i'm trying to rephrase this, because i'm angry...and i don't want to shred and tear someone i don't know apart. but saying :
Just saying GET THERAPY! If strangers are telling you, you need therapy, get it! and those that don't bother are doing a disservice to the world around them
bothered me...as i've struggled.
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TotallyADD
My own experience was good for me when I went to Therapy. Ask my wife Reopened Mind. It open my mind help me get rid of many demons in my past, help me build my self esteem and also to recognize when certain bad behavioral came I was able to change them to good behavior. All in all if I could afford it I would go again but for now I can't so I rely on my past counseling to get me through. Also my wife is able to help me understand what to do when I need it. I must say it takes great humility and courage on ones part to admit they need help and seek it. As sabastious said threrapy can help anyone at any time in their life. Well spoken. Totally ADD
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Voices
2nd Edit to add and change:
i'm trying to rephrase this, because i'm angry...and i don't want to shred and tear someone i don't know apart. but saying :
"GET THERAPY! If strangers are telling you, you need therapy, get it! and those that don't bother are doing a disservice to the world around them " (not exact quote, my firefox wont copy and past)
bothered me...as i've struggled and continue to struggle..
Like i said, i'm open to anyone willing to help pay (don't worry i don't expect you to)...hell, you can even sit with me to know i'm legitimate or not. And i've NEVER EVER asked anyone to help me pay. Quite frankly, when i begged people to help me, i was begging for explainations...answers...assurance...(read A LOT OF SELF-HELP books) help with anything i was FREAKING out about, anything that explains WHY I am the way I am and help in other ways. It had nothing to do with money...
I also asked for help like my prevoius post on anxiety and fear, although that wasn't as severe as i've gotten when begging for help. It was still a sharp , silent cry.
Maybe i'm just having another moment.
I miss God. I can't/don't do things right. i fall into the same crap blinded by my problems and the lack of faith. It's not so much that my problems are SO HUGE that God or his Son can't take my problems away. It's that i'm in a vicious cycle of pain that I end up hurting myself in the end, and feel hopeless because i'm controlled by my subconscious mind/faults and that just end up ruining my life and there's so much despair in that. But don't worry, i'm still seeking therapy.
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VampireDCLXV
I have to shake my head when I continue to hear about the stigmas around mental illness and related therapies. Those stigmas would be almost laughable if they weren't so oppressive and widespread in society. IMHO, those who bow to the pressure, refuse to seek help and try to hide their problems are the ones who are truly crazy, not the ones who DO seek help. If you're afraid of looking crazy because you might have to see a counsellor or therapist, so what? You have so much more to gain if you seek therapy than you might have to lose. If you're afraid of losing friends over it, ask yourself: are they really true friends?
V665
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OnTheWayOut
Voices, sorry to hear your troubles. Sometimes help is not simply available, and often we have to resort to self-help methods. As I mentioned, many will not go to therapy. You are willing but not in a situation that allows for it.
People who will make suggestions to you are well-meaning and not fully knowledgeable about your specifics. I have a relative who would need to change from medicaid to medicare to get affordable counseling, but cannot afford such a change on regular medical care.
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Lady Lee
Voices
Yours isn't the first story I have heard where therapists didn't have a clue. Sadly too few professionals are aware of anything out of their particular sphere of interest. And to be honest I am one of them. But I would not take on a client that I knew I could not help. When I did realize I was out of my depth I referred them to someone who could help them. Too few people see a client/patient as a meal ticket and won't refer when needed.
Don't let this put you off getting help.
There are some really good self help workbooks that you might want to get. Ideally you use them in conjunction with therapy but sometimes we do what we have to do to progress. Off the top of my head I can think of the Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, and the PTSD Workbook.
If and when you do seek out a professional remember you are hiring them to do a job. You check out their experience dealing with your issues. You interview them just as you would interview a potential nanny for your children. You have every right to know who will be helping you. If you aren't comfortable with their answers -- leave.
Some places you can try for counseling might be family service centers or providers, community centers and even religious services (as long as preaching to you isn't part of the therapy). You are dealing with a lot. Find and accept all the support you can get.
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Snoozy
Lots of advice here so I will keep it short and sweet.
To me a therapist is not someone that can change all that happened or is happening to you it can help you learn how to deal with/handle it.
Also will help you understand why you/we got involved with the crazy JW's in the first place as they don't literally chain and drag you to their meetings did they.... (not born ins)
Snoozy
