Idk whether to give therapy another go

Former Member

In my school years I went to camhs and had therapy in hospital. Obviously when you turn 18 you leave camhs, so I have been without since. I didn’t feel it ever did anything to help me. I’m 19 now and I’m struggling A LOT with anxiety, I don’t go out and I’m just using meds (still experimenting and seeing which works best for me) and my doctor keeps suggesting going back to therapy. There’s one thing in particular that I don’t wanna talk about and I’m scared that they’ll get it out of me (sounds like a police interrogation I know but that’s how it feels). Plus the therapy itself is so anxiety provoking to me. 

Do I go back to therapy and is it worth it?🤷🏻‍♀️

Former Member

hey @mol welcome to the Mix! I hope you had a nice Christmas and New Year

Sorry to hear that you did not get on with the therapy you received in hospital - why do you think that it never did anything to help you? Were you able to speak to that therapist about how you felt at the end of the sessions?

It can be common for your counsellor to not feel like the best fit for you, or you may not feel comfortable talking to them for whatever reason, so remember that you are not alone with how you are feeling What is it about the therapy itself that provokes your anxiety?

However, as you mentioned that you are struggling a lot with anxiety, The Mix has a great article here which outlines some other coping mechanisms such as reaching out to someone in your support network e.g. close friends or family, practising mindfulness (the Headspace app is really good for this), allocating a particular time each day to worry or looking for further support at The Mix helpline on at 0808 808 4994, or the Anxiety UK website (https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/) 

Past User

In my experience counsellors are always respectful of what boundaries you have and won't ever force you to speak about something. I've spoken about things that were very uncomfortable for better or worse and ultimately it was only because I'd built myself up to it and wanted it not to have such a hold over me anymore. The anxiety is something I can definitely relate to though, and I have to force myself to do a lot of the things that might help. I do think you should try your best to start counselling again though, especially in combination with medication it can be really helpful, even if just to give you an outside perspective on what you're thinking.