I have had 5-6 years of therapy with 3 different psychologists. I have not changed 1 iota from the person who started. I still have problems with depression and anxiety. I still have severe body image issues. I have yet to have a normal relationship.... the list goes on and on... what is therapy supposed to accomplish?!
2007-01-07 18:31:46 · 9 answers · asked by Pearl 1 in Health ➔ Mental Health
true... well why can't i make an effort? shouldn't they be teaching me how to make the effort? i feel unmotivated and worthless - so i see a therapist... if i could do it myself, i wouldnt bother with them.
2007-01-07 18:38:20 · update #1
I suppose I'll actually answer your question first. Therapy is supposed to help you accomplish whatever it is you want to accomplish. Ideally, you'd set some personal goals for yourself and then start calling the therapists in your area, talking to them over the phone, sharing your personal goals with each one, and finding out whether or not they think they can help you.
Now for my comments and reassurances. I firmly feel that there is at least one treatment out there for everyone who suffers from anxiety and/or depression. Your problem may be as simple as not having found the right doctor. You may not have found the right kind of therapy, either. (Even CBT, the first-line treatment in treating anxiety disorders and depression, won't work for everyone. That doesn't make it a bad treatment, though.) What you need is a specialist (or specialists) who is trained in treating anxiety disorders, depression, and body image issues. Lying down on a couch rehashing your childhood and/or your life now isn't going to cut it. Anxiety disorders especially require swift, action-based treatment, the most of which is over in about 12 sessions.
So I would say find a specialist. Not just a psychologist, but a psychologist (or even a psychiatrist) who specifically treats anxiety disorders/depression/body image issues. If they specialize, they will probably tell you that over the phone, or it should be on their Web site. If it isn't, ask. And keep looking. Stay open. I know it's hard, but this is going to be what it takes to get your life back.
Best of luck, and feel better.
2007-01-07 21:02:22 · answer #1 · answered by Carrie G 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you talked to a psychiatrist? Since a psychiatrist is an MD, they can look for causes such as chemical imbalances. Sometimes the cause is physical which unfortunately affects the mental state. Do not assume that it is all in your head. Psychologists cannot prescibe medication nor determine the need for them. I have known several people with bi-polar (manic-depression) and uni-polar disorders, all of which required some form of medication to maintain a healthy mental state.
2007-01-08 02:52:07 · answer #2 · answered by Teresa S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hate to sound like an after school special, but therapy won't work unless you make an effort to love yourself, your body, and those around you. It is up to you to make the change, not the people you're paying $100 an hour.
2007-01-08 02:35:16 · answer #3 · answered by Esma 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Therapy employs time waisters I love how when ur depesed they say go 4 a walk regularly dur im depresd that means couldnt careless about myself. im totaly unmotivated its all i can do just to get out of bed to go to the toilet & going to the therapist is a real inconvieniance coz im at my worst & have to face people so the therapist can say do something motivating.instead of actualy inspiering motivation or having services at their disposal that truly make a self inpowering n dignifyed differance. Ha what a rip off.now go 4 a walk $$$$ please. sorry about the spelling i have a learning disability as well as mental illness. no im not dumb.
2007-01-08 02:47:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't really know what therapy is supposed to accomplish, but I know you have to put something into it, like do the talking, get more focused on what needs changing and then work hard for it!
2007-01-08 02:34:45 · answer #5 · answered by desertflower 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You missed the only therapy that works. Group therapy.
2007-01-08 03:59:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
are you being 100% honest in therapy? for example, do they know you feel this way? if you're not beinig 100% honest, then that's the problem...100%. If you are being 100% honest, then maybe your answer lies elsewhere.
2007-01-08 03:13:45 · answer #7 · answered by prekinpdx 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
read good books it will be way cheaper. and u can turn to them when u need them.
2007-01-08 02:39:36 · answer #8 · answered by sanJose_Guy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well you can just make a quiet exit and not pay any more bills
2007-01-08 02:33:40 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋