Will counselling / therapy be helpful for me for all of this ?

TheNightmare

I often struggle to sleep due to various stressors, such as financial concerns, job hunting, and even minor issues. My lack of sleep can worsen my stress, and I find myself dwelling on the past, constantly replaying past setbacks, arguments, and negative comments. This reflection ranges from recent events to incidents that happened years ago. This tendency to dwell leads to difficulty getting over setbacks and contributes to my overall negative outlook. My fear of failure is tied to these past setbacks and my efforts to remain positive, which haven’t always worked out.

This negativity affects my outlook on everything because I worry about potential negative outcomes based on my past experiences. I also have a low opinion of myself, feeling I haven’t achieved what I thought I would by now, and seeing others as being ahead. I compare myself to a lot of people, which only amplifies my sense of inferiority. Sometimes, I feel like an embarrassment, further compounding my negative self-view. I also worry too much about a lot of things, big or small, which makes it harder to move past setbacks. I feel like a failure because I’m not in employment yet, and that’s one of the reasons I’m harsh on myself. Even though I’ve been actively working towards getting a job, I’m still hard on myself for not having one, even though I don’t think there’s much more I can do at this point. Society can be hard on people who aren’t working, and that pressure makes me even harder on myself. I’ve been harsh on myself even when I was doing okay, like in college. I still felt like a failure for being on lower-level courses or not having a job during that time. I don't know if I'm being too harsh, but I sometimes feel like I'm just being realistic. I can get support online, which helps in the moment, but not long after the sessions, I can start feeling like this all over again. This feeling is compounded by overthinking both minor and major mistakes and past disagreements. Stressing both at night and during the day only adds to my sleep issues and overall frustration. I just want to move ahead from all of this.

I question whether counseling or therapy would help, and if so, what kind would be best. Would webchat counseling work, or would something else fit better? If counseling or therapy won’t help, then what would? I feel like getting into work would help a lot by giving me something constructive to focus on and helping me earn money, which would allow me to work toward other goals. However, I also feel that even when I am working, I might still need support to help me fully move forward from all of this.

toffuna101

theres CBT and DBT which could help you. theres also normal counselling where you speak to a normal counsellor and work through your problems.

sinead276

it could be the case that therapy or counselling of some kind may work - although it's important to remember that whilst things may work for some, it might not for others

it may be useful for you to talk to a professional about the struggles and challenges you face, and potentially try and adjust your outlook to one that is positive and helps you find the good in things.

it could work - but it is also okay if it becomes something you try and then realise isn't for you. it's all about finding how to best support yourself to better improve YOUR mental health

Trimina

From experience, counselling is generally a more exploratory process, allowing you more to understand your emotions, situation and anything else that ailes your thoughts. There is a little less structure with a lot of the initiative on you to reflect on how you're feeling in the moment and what to target on working with with your counsellor. Future actions can then be taken when discussing them with your counsellor to support you in your needs.

CBT on the other hand has more structure to it as it can help target with managing your thought and behaviour problems, encouraging you to better deal and learn techniques to manage your specific issues. You can explore how you feel whilst also explore probable solutions help solve them.

Overall, there is a certain openness you need when approaching these services. I think your ability to assess your needs as you've explained now is a great step in helping you overcome how you're feeling right now and should be something to bring up on whichever route you choose. Agree with @sinead276, where it depends on the person. Factor in the fact that there may be a warming up period between you and the counsellor before they're able to properly understand and support you- these processes really does rely on your honesty and collaboration.

I'm sorry you feel that way with yourself. A simple reminder is to definitely not compare yourself to others. People have different lives and start from different places, all equally valid as each other. The biggest thing to remember is to be tune in what makes you happy and proud with yourself, and not tally your achievements to others. There are so many paths that people choose from themselves, and I think the way you have the intention to seek change, and observe what your needs are is a great first step in achieving this. Definitely don't lose hope, be kind and be patient with yourself.

TheNightmare

Thanks for the replies everyone, cbt seems like it might be helpful.