Mental Health Thread

[MainerMikeBrown]

Before starting starting psychotherapy, interview the therapist.

Psychotherapy can be effective way for you to overcome serious mental health issues, provided that you're seeing a therapist who is a good fit for you.

But if you decide to go into therapy, how can you be sure that the therapist that you've started to see is the right therapist for you? And what can you do to increase the chances that the counselor you've started seeing is going to be a good shrink for you?

 

One way is, before starting therapy with the therapist, is to interview that therapist before starting therapy with him or her.   If you want, you can meet face to face with the person.  Or you can talk to the therapist on the phone.  From there, you can ask him/her questions that you want to ask, such as what his or her philosophies are, and how much experience the therapist has in treating people who have similar issues that you currently have.

 

The interview doesn't have to last long, and you don't have to ask many questions if you don't want to.  But by having an interview before starting therapy with the therapist, you can get an idea of what the therapist is like and get a general idea about if you think working with this therapist is going to work out or not.

[MainerMikeBrown]

The runner's high.

The runner's high often occurs when you perform physical activities such as running, aerobic exercise, or even going for a walk.  Doing such activities can boost certain chemicals (neurotransmitters) in your brain, giving you a little bit of an emotional high.

The runner's high is subtle.  And some people claim that they don't get the runner's high.  But most folks say they do.

 

According to a psychiatrist that I used to see, for most people, it only takes about ten minutes or so of physical exercise to get the high.  Also, it can last up to a few hours after you've stopped doing any physical activity.

 

So if you're feeling depressed or having a down day, performing physical activity can give you a much needed emotional boost and can make your day better.  Take it from someone who knows.

[XenoFish]

Out of curiosity, what is the point of this thread?

[+Not A Rockstar]

Starting a blog here might be a better format. Easier to find the information later and all.

[StarMountainKid]

If I went into therapy I'd spend the first hour visit questioning the therapist. 

[XenoFish]

Last time I went to therapy I was telling her how to do her job.

[StarMountainKid]

 Years ago a friend of mind was institutionalized for mental health problems. After a few months he was released with a clean bill of mental health. 

He framed his release and hung it on his wall. He'd point to it and say, "I can prove I'm sane, can you?"  

[+Not A Rockstar]

LOL yeah I remember sitting down with a shrink from the VA for my PTSD and I don't think he ever knew my name. I heard all about his last vacation, his wife, his concerns about his job and patients and his thoughts on his eventual retirement.

Maybe I should have sent him a bill

 

[XenoFish]

Nervous Breakdown. I recommend everyboy have at least one in their lifetime. 

[MainerMikeBrown]

Some people feel the need to talk about past trauma with a therapist.

I was recently talking with someone about how some people with mental illness who have had one or more traumatic events happen to them in their lives feel the need to talk to a therapist about what happened to them.

This person was asking me that if someone has been through trauma, why would they want to talk about it?

Actually, that is the case with some trauma victims.  They don't want to talk about it.

But then their are others who do want to see a therapist about it because they don't want the trauma to ruin the rest of their lives, and they want to learn how to cope with what happened to them.  

 

And with good reason.

[Hermai]

I like this thread.

[Mark One]

Its true what they say you know, its good to talk and get it all out.

[Mark One]

On 5/8/2018 at 9:22 PM, MainerMikeBrown said:

Before starting starting psychotherapy, interview the therapist.

Psychotherapy can be effective way for you to overcome serious mental health issues, provided that you're seeing a therapist who is a good fit for you.

But if you decide to go into therapy, how can you be sure that the therapist that you've started to see is the right therapist for you? And what can you do to increase the chances that the counselor you've started seeing is going to be a good shrink for you?

 

One way is, before starting therapy with the therapist, is to interview that therapist before starting therapy with him or her.   If you want, you can meet face to face with the person.  Or you can talk to the therapist on the phone.  From there, you can ask him/her questions that you want to ask, such as what his or her philosophies are, and how much experience the therapist has in treating people who have similar issues that you currently have.

 

The interview doesn't have to last long, and you don't have to ask many questions if you don't want to.  But by having an interview before starting therapy with the therapist, you can get an idea of what the therapist is like and get a general idea about if you think working with this therapist is going to work out or not.

You come across as a very courageous and helpful soul, MainerMikeBrown.  No doubt, this thread will benefit and help many others who also have similar issues.  Well done you.  You have created a thread where others can share, discuss and also vent - you cant beat a good venting to rid yourself of something that needs to go.

[spartan max2]

Yeah it's good to make sure you find the right fit. Like with everyone diffrent personalities will mesh with diffrent people. And some therapist suck lol.

Most therapist have a "sliding scale fee" so don't worry about the money they will match you with what you can do.

Iv seen therapy help people and Iv seen it not affect people 

[MainerMikeBrown]

Psychotherapy and helping yourself matters, but you must be on the right psychiatric medication(s).

When it comes to overcoming serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, bi-polar disorder, etc., there are many components to defeating it.  Their's more to it than just being on psychiatric medications that you find to be helpful to you.  

Being set up with a good psychotherapist is one component.  Setting and achieving realistic goals is another.  Surrounding yourself with good things matters.  Doing what you can to help yourself is key.  And doing activities that make you happy is another.

However, if you have moderate to severe mental illness, you have to be on the right psychiatric medication(s).  If you're not on the right meds, that's a huge problem.

 

What do I mean by the "right" medication(s)?  

 

Everybody's brain chemistry is different.  So one psychiatric medication may work quite well for one person, but not work at all for another individual.

 

Medication is not the only way to overcome mental illness.  Medication alone is not enough to really beat it.  But at the same time, you must be on the right medication(s) to give you the best chance to defeat this terrible illness.

[MainerMikeBrown]

Mental health workers had better do the best they can.

I think that the vast majority of mental health workers and mental health professionals really do care about those dealing with serious mental health issues whom they're trying to help.

But for those who work in the mental health field who don't care anymore; do something else for a living, because you're dealing with lives!

 

Years ago, I knew a man who was working in the mental health field who truly cared about those with mental illness whom he was trying to help.  He worked as a supervisor of his department.

 

He told me that he wasn't hard to work for.  But if one of his subordinates didn't do the best he or she could as a mental health worker and didn't seem to care, he'd get angry at them. 

 

And with good reason.  Those who worked under him were working in a field that affected lives and the well being of those with serious mental health illnesses.

[MainerMikeBrown]

Getting help for mental illness takes strength and guts.

Some people think that if you have a form of mental illness, such as depression, PTSD, or bi-polar disorder, then that's somehow a form of weakness, and that getting help for mental illness is also somehow a sign of weakness.

However, I disagree with that type of thinking.

Instead, getting help for mental illness takes strength and guts.  It can be rather scary to seek help, especially at first.  Yet some people with mental illness get the help anyway.  I think them doing that is a sign of braveness.  And it's a lot better than never getting the help and dealing with mental health symptoms and issues all by themselves.

[MainerMikeBrown]

Should you never give up trying to help those who won't help themselves?

I've heard by some people over the years that you should never stop trying to help others with mental illness, even those with serious issues who won't help themselves.

So is that true?

I think that with some who you haven't been able to make a difference with, you can end up helping them years later.

 

But on the other hand, I don't think it's necessary a bad thing to give up on helping someone who you haven't been able to help.

 

Take me, for instance.  I had three friends of mine who would tell me all about their problems as well as their psychiatric issues.  And I tried to help them.  But they would do nothing to help themselves.  After trying to help all three of them for three years, I decided to give up on trying to help them.  And I don't blame myself.

 

So if you have friends who you've tried to help but haven't been able to because they won't help themselves but you still want to try to help them, go for it.  However, if you choose to stop trying to help them, and with good reason, don't feel guilty about it.  Some individuals just aren't ready to be helped, or at least not yet.

Edited September 21, 2018 by MainerMikeBrown

[Miss Meeseeks]

For those who are doing some form of treatment for depression, what method has been effective for you? I'm just trying to weigh up my options for a better cause of action for me. 

[internetperson]

On 9/25/2018 at 4:12 AM, Miss Meeseeks said:

For those who are doing some form of treatment for depression, what method has been effective for you? I'm just trying to weigh up my options for a better cause of action for me. 

Have you seen a therapist? 

[Miss Meeseeks]

3 hours ago, internetperson said:

Have you seen a therapist? 

No, have no money and no health cover either. 

[tcgram]

On 9/27/2018 at 5:52 PM, Miss Meeseeks said:

No, have no money and no health cover either. 

The combination of medication and therapy helped me tremendously.   Even though I no longer take the meds, I still find myself leaning on what I learned in therapy.    Luckily, there are resources around here that will help for free or charge according to your income.   Do you have anything like that close to where you live?   

[MainerMikeBrown]

Years ago, I was having serious issues with depression and anxieties.  I was seeing a psychiatrist.  I was already on psychiatric medications.  But they weren't working.

The doctor whom I was seeing at the time recommended that I try a medication that he knew I had already been on before.  I had already tried it.

So when he told me that he could prescribe the medication again, I told him that we had already tried it and it didn't work for me.

 

He then said that we could try it again.

 

I then asked him why he felt he should put me on that medication again since we already tried it and it didn't work for me.

 

He didn't say anything.

 

I'm thinking: does this psychiatrist know what he's doing?

 

Weird.

[MainerMikeBrown]

Yes, psychotherapists get angry too.  They're only human.

I think some people are surprised when they find out that therapists get angry too.

Some people think that anger is only a bad emotion, especially abuse victims.

 

However, as any shrink will tell you, anger is a healthy emotion.  So it's actually a good thing that counselors get angry too.

[+ouija ouija]

HYPNOTHERAPY! It took a childhood trauma and neutralised it for me. It transformed my life. I think the therapist was especially good at his job though. The sessions were conducted through Skype videos.