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Would you see a Shrink?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
If you was in a bit of a state. The days being a complete drag, there was lots of conflict with people- things were no longer normal. And perhaps one felt on the verge of cracking up. Would you ask your GP about a referral to a psychiatrist? or maybe a matter of accepting someone recommending a consultation.

One may worry about the stigma and consequences of seeing a shrink. Or it may be the option to provide hope of getting out one's bad state. Some folks would 'soldier on' with family and support from close friends without recourse to professional treatment

What would you do? perhaps there's been occasions in your life when you made or accepted the critical decision.

:no: :banghead: :confused:

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi,

    I was refere to one last year. It really was a waste of time. I actally felt worse after talking to her.

    I've started having problrms, but am not even going to think about seeing anyone this time because it really was a waste of time last time.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    erm. not sure really, when i first went to my GP about stuff, she wanted me to go to a place that had counsellors and a psychiatrist, but i think that was more to do with the fact that the school i was at didn't have a counsellor. at the time i would have gone, but unfortunately i couldn't for personal reasons.
    i guess it depends on what your problems are, and if you think you would benefit from it. no point it wasting time (or money) if you don't feel better by the end of it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If you're having problems then it's worth talking to your GP, some are more help than others but they may be able to help you out with some things with out needing to wait for a referral.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yes aswell
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    unfortunalty in this country is not that you just feel bad> go to a GP> they reffer you> you see someone and get help> get better> leave

    no no no no. the services are so bad that they will and can only treat you if your life is seriously at risk, which again doesn't just mean suicidal, it means 'having plans' to do something (with serious intent, like hangining yourself that night) and actually doing something quite recently or they wont treat you. There are next to no talking therapies, it's a two year waiting list i think, and they so often just make people worse. There are no services for people who are borderline ill but not bad enough to need admittion which means that you have to get worse before you get treated.

    GP's are clueless and psych's treat you will drugs only. and of course the sigma is awful. :impissed:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    firstly, no the stigma is not awful, i've been to psyc people on and off for over 4 years and i've told people and rarely had problems. Yes it is a post code lottery but it might be worth getting into touch with PALS (Pacient advice and liason service), they might be able to sort something out. Plus there are different things that they can refer you to. I think having a blanket opinion of no i'm no going to go is a bad idea, because normally they try to tailor the support to you. There are plenty of prevention services around, you just need to look for them. Some bad GPs are useless, but more often than not its them that want to shove pills down your throat than the psych people.

    has it worked for me? yes and no. CBT has an awful affect on me. Councilling helps short term but not in the grand scale of things, psychodynamic psychotherapy was great but not long enough and needed to dig a bit deeper. Psychoanalitical psychotherapy seems to be just the ticket but then its still a work in progress...

    I asked for it, i've refused ADs on more occations than i care to remember. I've found it very helpful, and i think a big part of it is being ready to go into the recovery process. It doesn't work for people that aren't ready to get better
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Have in the past and would do again in the future should the need arise.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    dancin_k8i wrote: »
    unfortunalty in this country is not that you just feel bad> go to a GP> they reffer you> you see someone and get help> get better> leave

    no no no no. the services are so bad that they will and can only treat you if your life is seriously at risk, which again doesn't just mean suicidal, it means 'having plans' to do something (with serious intent, like hangining yourself that night) and actually doing something quite recently or they wont treat you. There are next to no talking therapies, it's a two year waiting list i think, and they so often just make people worse. There are no services for people who are borderline ill but not bad enough to need admittion which means that you have to get worse before you get treated.

    GP's are clueless and psych's treat you will drugs only. and of course the sigma is awful. :impissed:

    true, but i have to say my GP has been/is absolutely brilliant. She has been my lifeline for a long time and i wouldnt be here without her.
    The ED service have also been extremely good, and i am so grateful that my postcode seems win in that lottery.
    Psychology services are shocking though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've tried the referral thing and the psychiatrist i saw... grrr... i swear after seeing him i thought, pfft, no wonder so many people top themselves or are afraid that opening up and talking will be a waste of time. in the end, i just stopped seeing him and he kept arranging these appointments for me that i simply just ignored. waste of my time. i know each experience is different and i would never in a million years tell someone not to think about the idea or not go and see someone, i just think it's always good to keep an open mind. I refused for 2 and a half years to see someone and when i did it made me worse, but i did think "ah well, i'm not getting any better and i'm pessimistic anyway so what the hell!"

    i'd even reconsider seeing someone else, however, my sceptisim will be at an all time high and i won't trust them. i don't think i'll ever trust a psychiatrist.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Personally, no i wouldn't. Not because of what people would think etc. but because of the sort of person i am. I deal with my own problems and have my own ways of sorting them out. Also after seeing them with my dad recently i think a few of them need to reaccess why they're doing it. Fair play to the ones that honestly care and feel a calling to the job they do but there are some in it who are smug self satisfied arses (like all jobs though). The one dad had was so insincere it was unreal. He was spouting textbook lingo to dad whilst chatting up the nurses. He didn't give a flying fart what dad had been through. The other one that came to see dad grilled him like he was some sort of police officer and dad was nearly in tears when he'd finished. :mad:
    But, there are some times when i feel they really can help. My friend had anorexia when she was a teenager, i really felt she would have benefitted from being referred and being able to talk to someone other than me but the docs never referred her.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    KiwiFruit wrote: »
    If you was in a bit of a state. The days being a complete drag, there was lots of conflict with people- things were no longer normal. And perhaps one felt on the verge of cracking up. Would you ask your GP about a referral to a psychiatrist? or maybe a matter of accepting someone recommending a consultation.

    One may worry about the stigma and consequences of seeing a shrink. Or it may be the option to provide hope of getting out one's bad state. Some folks would 'soldier on' with family and support from close friends without recourse to professional treatment

    What would you do? perhaps there's been occasions in your life when you made or accepted the critical decision.

    :no: :banghead: :confused:

    Hi Kiwi,

    Just to point out that you seem to post a few questions without answering them yourself or engaging in the conversation that follows. It's worth doing that as other wise it starts to look like your posting focus group questions rather than really engaging in the discussion.

    Not a big deal, but it makes things far more useful if there's some back and forth.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Melian wrote: »
    Hi,

    I was refere to one last year. It really was a waste of time. I actally felt worse after talking to her.

    I've started having problrms, but am not even going to think about seeing anyone this time because it really was a waste of time last time.
    It usually gets worse before it gets better. I would go and see someone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think there is a misperception about therapists in general, the asumption being that they are all the same.

    It is a stupidly varied profession, from just plain counsellors, to almost silent Yung fans, the Fruidians who bring everything back to the family.

    Some will work for you and some wont, do not let one bad experience put you off.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    I think there is a misperception about therapists in general, the asumption being that they are all the same.

    It is a stupidly varied profession, from just plain counsellors, to almost silent Yung fans, the Fruidians who bring everything back to the family.

    Some will work for you and some wont, do not let one bad experience put you off.

    I agree. CBT differs from therapist to therapist. Personally it worked for me and I would also go back and do it again should the need arise
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Hi Kiwi,

    Just to point out that you seem to post a few questions without answering them yourself or engaging in the conversation that follows. It's worth doing that as other wise it starts to look like your posting focus group questions rather than really engaging in the discussion.

    Not a big deal, but it makes things far more useful if there's some back and forth.

    Take your point dude...........
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oh, I'm just bitter about my experiences, that's all. I've been in about 5 different community teams, inpatient, day patients, meds, so many different doctors and CPN's and social workers and on the whole they have simply added to the problem. I've been a victim of the system for too long to have a balanced view of these things.

    On the other hand I really do believe in keeping an open mind and pushing hard for what you need. The longer and more people you have to do this with, the harder it is. I have seen some amazing people and some appaling ones as well. Who knows.
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