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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dr. Bob on June 16, 2001, at 7:33:59
[from http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66603.html]
> OK so I was put in the penalty box (censored) for a while - I'll be civil now.
>
> How about we talk about what different types of therapies you undergo? Does it piss you off the way they just keep asking how you feel about it? I NEED SOME ANSWERS! (note to self: add neurosis to the list) Why don't they say what they're thinking? It's hard work digging to always have to come up with an answer. Are there any other types of therapies? Tell me about it. Have you done group stuff?
Posted by JAMMER on June 16, 2001, at 11:40:46
In reply to Redirected: WHAT ABOUT THERAPIES?, posted by Dr. Bob on June 16, 2001, at 7:33:59
> [from http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66603.html]
>
> > OK so I was put in the penalty box (censored) for a while - I'll be civil now.
> >
> > How about we talk about what different types of therapies you undergo? Does it piss you off the way they just keep asking how you feel about it? I NEED SOME ANSWERS! (note to self: add neurosis to the list) Why don't they say what they're thinking? It's hard work digging to always have to come up with an answer. Are there any other types of therapies? Tell me about it. Have you done group stuff?
*******I get alot more out of 1:1 therapy, we can specifically spend the whole time on me!
Reading about my issues and conditions (diagnosis) has helped as well. Understanding what I'm going through is normal for my illness, and things that can be done to increase self awareness and understanding is of great benifet towards self improvement.
EMDR therapy was most useful and results oriented than any other thing I've done.
But no matter what you do, do it with honesty, integrity, and a sincere desire toward self improvement and change...
Best wishes,
James
Posted by gilbert on June 16, 2001, at 20:31:57
In reply to Re: Redirected: WHAT ABOUT THERAPIES?, posted by JAMMER on June 16, 2001, at 11:40:46
Cheetah,
First and foremost I would do my best to get a good diagnosis. Self diagnosing or even letting a bunch of people on the internet diagnose you or tell you what is good for you is dangerous. Find a doctor you can have a good one on one with. If he or she refers you to a psych-doc or a pyschologist go from there. Most people on the pyscho-babble board are medicated as you stated in your earlier post. That is what that board is for. You will get a very heavy bias towards using medication. You may or may not have to accept that fact. I would base that decision on advice from your own p-doc. Now the medication part. The meds can be a bummer and some of what you were saying hit home with people that is why they get so angry.......but.......you knew it was coming......the meds have helped alot of people not suffer. When your pain gets great enough without the meds you will eventually decide to try them. If the pain can go away with a med therapy or intervention then so be it. Be carefull not to short change yourself out of options. I am 42 and waited until 2 years ago to try meds. They did make a differernce. I am now going off the meds so it doesn't always have to be forever. The meds gave me the opportunity to work on the problems in therapy without being on the ceiling. I suffer from panics and agoraphobia. The meds gave me the ability to go out in the world. I am now going to go off using the meds daily and go to an as needed basis. I don't look at this as a decision to forever go off the meds. If I slip back into being housebound or nonfunctional I will use the meds as a crutch to get my life back. You may be able to do all of this without meds.....that would be great. But cut yourself some slack if you can't don't be afraid to get some proper help through medication and take a little softer road to recovery. I am an ex junkie and alcoholic so I know what it is really like to be strung out. I went through 3 inpatient treatment centers and 2 outpatient. I have been sober for over 15 years. The meds do not make you high or you don't become dependent on them if properly supervised by your p-doc. I used to drink a pint of vodka for breakfast believe me I know what addiction is.
Good Luck
Gil
Posted by Anna Laura on June 18, 2001, at 1:26:01
In reply to Redirected: WHAT ABOUT THERAPIES?, posted by Dr. Bob on June 16, 2001, at 7:33:59
> [from http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66603.html]
>
> > OK so I was put in the penalty box (censored) for a while - I'll be civil now.
> >
> > How about we talk about what different types of therapies you undergo? Does it piss you off the way they just keep asking how you feel about it? I NEED SOME ANSWERS! (note to self: add neurosis to the list) Why don't they say what they're thinking? It's hard work digging to always have to come up with an answer. Are there any other types of therapies? Tell me about it. Have you done group stuff?O.K. : i'll give some answers. I believe diagnosing being important too. I believe that because of personal experience, since i've been misdiagnosed, given benzos at high doses and antypshicotic like haldol instead of AD: the outcome was that i grew worse year by year and got totally insane in 1993.
I met a pdoc doing the right diagnosis (major depression with psychotic features), giving me
AD instead of benzos. I managed to quit AD also when i grew better.
I did Cognitive Therapy: i think it helped, although i believe that a warm, caring pdoc being the best thing: i know, this is pretty rare unfortunately, (the profession being infested with emotional sadist: i'm talking about psychologists also).
I did undergo a lots of therapies, psychoanalis was the worst: the psychoanalist was stupid already knowing what she was telling me, She was a sadist too). Gestalt therapy : no improvement whatsoever; talk-therapy with a pdoc: same as above.
The only therapy that made something for me was self-interrogation, feeling supported by a caring person and cognitive therapy. I never underwent a group therapy but i think i'd benefit from that also. That's all i guess.....Anna Laura
Posted by Willow on June 18, 2001, at 19:26:14
In reply to Re: Redirected: WHAT ABOUT THERAPIES?, posted by Anna Laura on June 18, 2001, at 1:26:01
I'm probably on the same wave-length as Cheetah regarding answers, but then I have to believe what I hear to acknowledge it. Does that make any sense?
I think finally after three years I'm starting to rethink some "myths" I've had about myself, and this has probably occured because of something the psychologist has said. But am I just substituting someone else's view of "me" for another's?
If a person has had long-term depression/anxiety problems what are the goals of therapy?
How much do you pay for therapy?
I'm starting to really wonder if the financial costs of these meds plus the therapy are worth it?
Willow
Posted by Anna Laura on June 19, 2001, at 5:47:13
In reply to More questions ???, posted by Willow on June 18, 2001, at 19:26:14
> I'm probably on the same wave-length as Cheetah regarding answers, but then I have to believe what I hear to acknowledge it. Does that make any sense?
>
> I think finally after three years I'm starting to rethink some "myths" I've had about myself, and this has probably occured because of something the psychologist has said. But am I just substituting someone else's view of "me" for another's?
>
> If a person has had long-term depression/anxiety problems what are the goals of therapy?
>
> How much do you pay for therapy?
>
> I'm starting to really wonder if the financial costs of these meds plus the therapy are worth it?
>
> Willow
I think that with long term depression/anxiety the best thing to do it's changing old thinking habits. I believe that thoughts might be actually a cage.
I say so because i experienced that myself.
Last year i eventually managed to change my old thinking habits (too long to tell how i managed to do that). It was an abrupt change. It was like my mental visual had grown larger and larger. It was pleasant at first, 'cause for the first time in ten years i started to believe that switching thoughts/habits was the right path to get out of the depression labyrinth .
The point i' m trying to make is that i realized with dismay how much scared i was to dump depression and to proceed without it. I always thought it was my strongest desire, It was like peeling all my skin off and feeling like s*** instead.
I got scared as hell, i wasn't prepared to this i guess;
I swear to god i never felt so vulnerable in my whole life.
Unfortunately, i had to endure major stresses while i was so vulnerable. The outcome was a
bout of major depression last fall.
Another strange thing that occured to me was that while i was experiencing tha second bout of depression at its early stages i felt somehow better (not feeling anhedonic that much, sex life improved and so on). It was like i opened up both to pleasure and pain.
It's weird : it was like tearing off an old baind-aid, the skin underneath was soft and very vulnerable. Depression has become part of me: it was like my armour.
Posted by PuraVida on June 19, 2001, at 23:32:02
In reply to Re: More questions ???, posted by Anna Laura on June 19, 2001, at 5:47:13
I've been pondering the armour question: Just the past few weeks I've begun to respond to the addition of prozac to my serzone. On one hand, I feel I'm my self again - taking risks, having productive days. In fact, yesterday I had the most productive Monday I can remember in years. BUT - I beat myself up - all of a sudden I feel "cured" and my old "shoulds" and "musts" are kicking in - why didn't I do even better? Some may wonder, as I do, why the cognitive distortions are kicking in when, in fact, I'm feeling pretty positive? I'm confused. Seems like I understand myself depressed - its been so long, but when I climb out of the hole its like the sunshine burns. Then I want to crawl back in. Anyone have suncreen? :)
> > I'm probably on the same wave-length as Cheetah regarding answers, but then I have to believe what I hear to acknowledge it. Does that make any sense?
> >
> > I think finally after three years I'm starting to rethink some "myths" I've had about myself, and this has probably occured because of something the psychologist has said. But am I just substituting someone else's view of "me" for another's?
> >
> > If a person has had long-term depression/anxiety problems what are the goals of therapy?
> >
> > How much do you pay for therapy?
> >
> > I'm starting to really wonder if the financial costs of these meds plus the therapy are worth it?
> >
> > Willow
>
>
> I think that with long term depression/anxiety the best thing to do it's changing old thinking habits. I believe that thoughts might be actually a cage.
> I say so because i experienced that myself.
> Last year i eventually managed to change my old thinking habits (too long to tell how i managed to do that). It was an abrupt change. It was like my mental visual had grown larger and larger. It was pleasant at first, 'cause for the first time in ten years i started to believe that switching thoughts/habits was the right path to get out of the depression labyrinth .
> The point i' m trying to make is that i realized with dismay how much scared i was to dump depression and to proceed without it. I always thought it was my strongest desire, It was like peeling all my skin off and feeling like s*** instead.
> I got scared as hell, i wasn't prepared to this i guess;
> I swear to god i never felt so vulnerable in my whole life.
> Unfortunately, i had to endure major stresses while i was so vulnerable. The outcome was a
> bout of major depression last fall.
> Another strange thing that occured to me was that while i was experiencing tha second bout of depression at its early stages i felt somehow better (not feeling anhedonic that much, sex life improved and so on). It was like i opened up both to pleasure and pain.
> It's weird : it was like tearing off an old baind-aid, the skin underneath was soft and very vulnerable. Depression has become part of me: it was like my armour.
Posted by Willow on June 20, 2001, at 13:59:39
In reply to Re: More questions ??? » Anna Laura, posted by PuraVida on June 19, 2001, at 23:32:02
When I was younger I was probably over confident, who knows, but I did have self-confidence. Since starting the effexor and starting to feel better I've been doing more too. I started a casual job and noticed at work that I had no confidence. Then I started noticing it in general.
I'm not sure when it left, but I do think it is a result of years of being ill, kinda knocks it out of me without even noticing. Now how to get it back? Or is it my youth I want back?
Gees!
Willow
Posted by PuraVida on June 21, 2001, at 2:18:39
In reply to Self-confidence where did it go?, posted by Willow on June 20, 2001, at 13:59:39
Read your post earlier today and have been thinking about it -
How old are you? I'm 36 - and I distinctly remember feeling as you do about 3-4 years ago. I remember talking to my best friend (used to be my partner in crime, then, living abroad and engaged) about how alive I used to be - planning fun things to do all the time, always "on" and ready to go. I felt the same thing - where did my self confidence and zest go?
Partially, I think its a stage we all go through -changing gears from the 20's to the 30's and all stages in between. Especially for the single folks - I still struggle with that. Maybe it is depression, but my opimion is that it is also very situational - lots of people go through lulls where they feel alone. The best thing is to reach out, because if you feel that way, so do others.
Do me a favor - next time I'm feeling the way you are, tell me back what I've told you? I guarantee I'll forget!
> When I was younger I was probably over confident, who knows, but I did have self-confidence. Since starting the effexor and starting to feel better I've been doing more too. I started a casual job and noticed at work that I had no confidence. Then I started noticing it in general.
>
> I'm not sure when it left, but I do think it is a result of years of being ill, kinda knocks it out of me without even noticing. Now how to get it back? Or is it my youth I want back?
>
> Gees!
> Willow
Posted by Willow on June 21, 2001, at 8:09:25
In reply to Re: Self-confidence where did it go? » Willow, posted by PuraVida on June 21, 2001, at 2:18:39
It's always nice to hear from someone who's been there and know it'll pass. (I'm probably a good procrastinator, wait long enough and you won't need to do the job.) I'm 34 so it fits perfectly with you time-line. :o)
Willow
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