Psychotherapy?

[AnnaSun]

Hi,

Has anyone tried it and does it help? I suffer from Anxiety, depression and having tantrums and I want them to go away.

From
AnnaSun
Thanks

[kymom5613]

Talk to your family doctor and ask her/his advice about testing for chemical imbalances. Some things can be helped w/combo of therapies, drug & w/analysts. Since he/she is going to know your history, etc., they should be able to help you make a good decision.
You're in my prayers - I've battled my demons and have them locked away (for now!). Best of luck!

[scrape_medic]

A psychotherapist can teach you how to deal with these extremes of what are essentially normal emotions that have got out of control to some degree. If they are troubling you and you feel you need to be able to control them, therapy is an excellent route....as opposed to drugs alone, it gives you the chance to take control of your emotions and your life....go for it.

I am sure your doctor will check first, but make sure it is with someone who really understands the problems associated with aspergers syndrome, otherwise they may not fully understand why certain behaviours emerge.

[DRD2001]

I'm afraid I don't know exactly what it is or what it entails. But a good counselor who you can talk to can help you work out your emotions and learn to analyse and recognize certain behavior in yourself. Good luck with whatever you decide. :hug:

[zahncrelnik]

Hi,

Has anyone tried it and does it help? I suffer from Anxiety, depression and having tantrums and I want them to go away.

From
AnnaSun
Thanks

Psychotherapy may help, I agree with kymom5613, seek the advice of
your family physician, who knows you and your medical history as well.

Also, for tantrums, maybe some kind of physical release, like kick-boxing
classes or some kind of martial arts. A little stress release exercise
in the appropriate setting may help. I don't know, just a suggestion.....

I will be sending good thoughts your way... :meditate:
Always remember that you have friends here at FMD.

[kechara420]

Therapy can be very helpful. Sometimes medications are necessary to help correct chemical imbalances in the body, but working with a therapist is an EXCELLENT way to work through issues and get a handle on your emotions.

Your problems won't just disappear overnight, but it should help. It did for me (depression runs in my family, and I'm still on medication).

Talk to your regular physician first. I'm sure he/she can refer you to a qualified therapist. And keep your regular doctor in the loop. If you feel the therapy isn't working, maybe he/she can recommend a different therapist or treatment.

Good luck! If there's anything we can do, just let us know. Remember, we Scapers are a family, and we're always here for each other! :hugz:

[Nessus]

Talking theraphy can be helpful. Though you can probably get just as much help from regular exercise, eating better, and spending more time out doors.

And regarding medication. You sound like a minor, and since there have been ZERO INDEPENDENT STUDIES DONE that have shown that there is any evidence that ANY medication has a positive effect of the mental health of minors, you should be very wary of taking any kind of medication. Seriously, a multibillion doallar business in America is operating with ZERO justification.

If your doctor suggests that they try you on some type of medication, ask her/him if they have read Overdosed America. If she/he says she hasn't, suggest that they do before they give out one more prescription.

[AgentSun]

if the condition can be changed and/or remedied by something like stress release, something like kickboxing, as zahncrelnik talked about might help you.

if it's a more mental/biological condition then i would suggest going to a good doctor...but don't take any medication until they have truly resolved that the reason is a chemical inbalance or something of that sort.

[Third EYe]

be honest

[scrape_medic]

And regarding medication. You sound like a minor, and since there have been ZERO INDEPENDENT STUDIES DONE that have shown that there is any evidence that ANY medication has a positive effect of the mental health of minors, you should be very wary of taking any kind of medication. Seriously, a multibillion doallar business in America is operating with ZERO justification.

If your doctor suggests that they try you on some type of medication, ask her/him if they have read Overdosed America. If she/he says she hasn't, suggest that they do before they give out one more prescription.Amen to that....though I think she is an adult:D

Anna, I am sure you don't mind, but I think alot of people are recommending medication to you and asking that you get checked for chemical imbalances without realising that, whilst that may be appropriate for some people, it may not be appropriate for you.

Case you miss the line in AnnaSun's signature "Aspies are superior" and the hint in my first reply, Anna has a condition called Aspergers Syndrome, a mild form of autism.

Here's a little quote that I hope will explain why it it important that her talk therapist understands the associated problems and why medication may not necessarily be useful in Anna's case..
A long time ago, in 1944, there lived a scientist in Austria called Hans Asperger.
Hans asperger spent many years studying all kinds of people and the ways in which we are all different, and he discovered a group of people who in some ways are very special. He found that these people were often very clever, with very good memories. They could also be very loving, friendly and caring people, and they often got very, very interested in one particular subject for a long time - sometimes so much that you could even say they were obsessed with it!

He also noticed that these special people sometimes had difficulty in understanding things - like why certain things happened, or understanding the things that other people said or did, and sometimes they felt embarrassed about their feelings, or very worried or cross about things, and also that they found certain things very frightening. And sometimes, because they were worried about something, it made them behave in a way which they couldn't`t explain to other people.

Hans Asperger did a lot of work with these people, and he discovered that because there were some things they did`t understand as well as other people, they needed some extra help to learn these things. But, because they were very clever people, with good memories, they were very good at learning these things, and some of them grew up to be very good musicians, writers, artists or scientists, even though they still didn`t understand everything about other people, and sometimes got cross at things that didn`t seem right to them.

There are lots of people like this in the world, and we think of them as Mr. Aspergers special people. Of course everybody is special in their own way, but it`s a way of describing a person who is very clever and caring, but just needs a little extra help and understanding while they learn all the strange and confusing things about life and our world.
link - public autism awareness (http://www.paains.org.uk/related/storyof.htm)

Depression, axiety and the tantrums are possibly a result of of this inability to understand why somethings are the way they are, and frustration that they don't seem "right" to Anna. (Correct me if I am wrong here Anna, please).

[kechara420]

Ok, I stand corrected. It sounds likely that medication isn't the answer at all.

Going to a therapist can't hurt, and will probably help. Good luck!!

[zahncrelnik]

And remember, AnnaSun, you can always log on to FMD and
find someone to talk to. :hug:

[Judith]

Scrape has some very good points.

This is all I'm going to say about medication. First, it's very important to find a therapist you trust. I've seen good ones, and bad ones, and believe me, it makes a HUGE difference. So do a lot of research and find a therapist you're comfortable with...it can make a world of difference.

Second. Drugs. Whether or not you go on medication is a decision that only you and your doctor(s) are qualifed to make. When you make that decision, don't let anyone else tell you that you're wrong. Friends, aquaintences, people on the internet aren't qualified to tell you whether or not you should be on meds.

[Third EYe]

Here's a question to consider when seeking a therapist.

Who's provides them with counseling?

I don't care what school they went to, Harvard isn't necessarily any better at producing a qualified psychotherapist then any other academic diploma issuer. If the counselor you are seeking isn't getting any counseling themselves you do not want to be there at all.

Medication can help, but it's way over perscribed. I wouldn't reject meds for the sake of rejecting meds, be informed. An example of a good med would be something that is take as needed, in the case of an anxiety attack.

If the therapist desires you take drugs, tell them you need to seek another opinion, before you agree. Then do it, unless you already understand what taking the medication will involve, most people do not. Most medications are unecessary.

Be honest, if you hold back in counseling, the counselor still gets paid, you lose.

[Antrobus]

There are also many mind/body programs/classes out their that specialize in finding tools to help your body/mind from within. Meditation and relaxation is the basis of this approach. From there one can move in many directions such as healing imagery, yoga, etc.

Mind/body sessions give one many tools to combat their mental health issues and the more you use the tools, the better you become in finding and using their full effect.

[Zimtsternchen]

just dug this out... just wanted to add that I had all that when I was your age and that I can assure you, it will get better by itself too as you get older. But I hope in the meantime you find some therapy that will help faster. :)

by the same token... I strongly suspect that I have Asperger myself. There are repetitive patterns of things that just go wrong in my life and I never understood why, and thinking back, I showed many symptoms but was just considered a "difficult" child. What's worst right now is that I always seem to miss cues from guys, this has happened too often now to consider it coincidence and I have tried my very darndest to learn and do better but somehow I don't. My rommate says I am only imagining this but I am not so sure anymore. It would definitely explain a lot. I am confused...

[Col.Batguano]

I can only tell you from my own experience.
I went 15 years with severe emotional problems - that started with extreme mental illness 15 years ago and lasted 3 years, and in a very pro pill pushing environment (Friends and Family as well as Doctors) so I was put on the meds.
my problem was discovered early this year to be a chronic cerebral hemorrhage in the right frontal lob of my brain.
because it was so outside the norm it wasn't even considered.
the surgery I had 15 years later was so simple that even back then it could have been easily done.
I had no reason to suffer as long as I did.

Now please don't assume that your problem is anything like that - it's best not to assume anything at all - and at the same time - not rule out anything - with out satisfying proof.

Edited - Sorry Anna over looked scraper's post about you having aspergers syndrome so I'm assuming you have a doctor who is on the Ball - you can read the rest if you like but I don't think it applies to you.


I strongly sagest looking for a medical doctor who thinks outside of the box and will not just except emotional problems or a chemical imbalance as a diagnosis but will look for the root cause of your problem.
I strongly sagest a therapist with a good medical background who will be able to Identify a problem and not just see stress.
often the Good Doctors and Therapists are one in the same.
Be Direct with your doctors and extremely honest, do not except a condescending attitude or a quick diagnosis or pushy conclusions (that is a big problem in my area with doctors).
remember every person is different.
the human body is complex and there is more to problems than the typical diagnosis.
also I have seen so many lives destroyed because of a doctor’s quick prescription of the meds. (including mine) - that stuff is way to loosely handed out, and I have even been in doctor’s offices with advertisements for the medications prominently displayed.
IMPORTANT !! do not let any of this this frighten you out of getting help.
if you feel like you need the help - GET IT! just make certain it is the right help.
no one can make you except a doctor’s conclusion so in the end the decision is yours

the Good Therapists are out there and it doesn’t always take for ever to get over problems.

a young friend of mine had suddenly came down with severe emotional problems after seeing various therapists she found one who was also a doctor who discovered she had a rather tricky thyroid problem that developed after going through puberty that couldn’t be treated by traditional means.
she is ever so much better today now her thyroid problem is treated “properly” but she still chooses to go to therapy.

[fiona-maria]

Therapy is helpful, definitely. What I do is a combination of therapy plus regular chiropractic (don't poo-poo it, this really works!), and nutritional supplements that give me the trace minerals and elements I lack and was not aware I needed which allopathic, or "traditional" medical doctors a), didn't know about and b), never tested me for. (Besides, the tests don't test for deficiencies, they test for pathologies, which is a difference of degree.)

This helps with my Chronic Fatigue, my Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the clinical depression. Mind you, my therapist (thank you, Frederick!) was willing to let me try the nutritional supplements and the chiropractic before putting me on prescription medication....and he was very surprised when it worked!*smile*