Intro

[Trish2016]

hello, I joined this site to try it out, i'm not going to lie i'm pretty skeptical but need to explore options for help. I struggle with major depressive disorder, anxiety, PTSD and trichotillomania, I think the basis of my issues are genetic as most of my family members struggle with mental illness however i'm not sure. I suppose my biggest struggles are personal relationships and fighting negative thoughts, I tend to try and focus on others instead of myself because it makes me feel guilty. I was in therapy 10 years but since going to college my family is struggling financially and didn't want me seeing a therapist which has been incredibly difficult. Anyways that's my brief background and I like to listen to others so hit me up if you need to talk!

[sweetiepye]

Hello and welcome. I hope you find some of what you are looking for here. I find it to be a very supportive site . So you may have a genetic disposition toward several mental illnesses .If you do it won't necessarily be the same for you. You are a unique person and will have any illness to a different degree than anyone else, the same can be said of your emotions, reaction to meds and so on. You sound like you have control of your situation. I don't see the need for guilt unless you forced your family to pay for college and / or therapy. I have heard of therapy on line and I think group therapy may be less expensive, then there are shrinks who work with a sliding scale. Focusing on others is a great diversionary tactic , but I always find it more interesting to focus on myself. With all that being said what exactly are you looking for? I took the long way around didn't I? Pam

[Trish2016 in reply to sweetiepye]

I'm not sure what i'm looking for! The hard problem has been overcoming the fact that most places will not let me use their services going around the insurance I am on, I suppose a support group might be nice but i'm not exactly sure, for now I'm trying to just focus on what I can control for now because the process of going through finding a therapist recently got to be overwhelming :/ thanks for your response and thoughts

[sweetiepye in reply to Trish2016]

You are very welcome.

[gogogirl in reply to Trish2016]

Is there a group at the college? If you need help, you should not feel guilty. Believe me , I am an older person and I know that guilt in other ways can eat you up and spit you out. Have you contacted NAMI?

[Trish2016 in reply to gogogirl]

I've actually recently been looking into NAMI as of yesterday intere3stingly enough! what experience have you had with them?

[gogogirl in reply to Trish2016]

I have only talked with someone who told me about the organization. They do have a website which should inform you about the chapters.

[Trish2016 in reply to gogogirl]

Thank you!

[gogogirl in reply to Trish2016]

You are welcome. I also understand they have support groups depending on where you live.

[BonnieSue]

Are you saying you are in college and therefore your family is struggling financially because you are needed to produce income for the family? And furthermore, you have been in counseling yourself but your family feels that they can't afford it? That you have been asked to come to this site for the aid of this community to yourself somehow but you would like to listen to other people talk to you about their problems instead?

[Trish2016 in reply to BonnieSue]

No! My family can't afford counseling I have 5 siblings so its not just about me, I'm just looking for support but also like helping others too so both!

[BonnieSue]

When you say "my family is struggling financially and didn't want me seeing a therapist which has been incredibly difficult" what are you referring to as incredibly difficult? Is it the financial struggles or not being able to see a therapist? Or something else?

I think it sounds kind of nice to have 5 siblings. I have 3 and I like them very much. May I ask what you were in therapy for for 10 years? What did that accomplish for you? Maybe that's what is incredibly difficult for you to not have any more? Maybe you had to give that up? I've been with my counselor for 17 years and I just love her and vice versa. It would be a sad day for us to not be able to meet anymore. I can understand if that's happened to you, how difficult that would be. I hope that's not the case. I'll wait for you to answer me and not assume anything.

I hope you're doing well right now because I know you're not getting counseling. I hope you connect with some of us here in a satisfying way that helps you get over the loss of counseling somewhat.

[Trish2016 in reply to BonnieSue]

the not seeing a therapist has been difficult not really the financial stuff has been effecting me as much. I was in therapy for 10 years for multiple different reasons I began seeing a therapist in the second grade for trichatillomania and anxiety, then phobias, then grief therapy after losing a parent. I suppose I wish I could have worked on my depression in particular and I never got a chance to even though I was in therapy for so long I still mostly just feel like there is a lot wrong with my cognitions that I can't control which is frustrating :/ I never had a close relationship with any of my therapists but I have always wanted one! I think its cool you've been able to keep the same counselor for 17 years i've never heard of that before and think that's interesting most people have to switch counselors I feel like for various reasons so I think that's pretty cool. Thank you for the nice thoughts I hope you're doing well as well!

[BonnieSue in reply to Trish2016]

I did have the shorter term relationships with different counselors through the years my husband and I were raising our sons. It was only as I went to counseling later in life for myself that I got a chance to see my latest one that has lasted 17 years. She's even seen my husband and 1 of my sons. It saves time when she already knows lots of the family history.

You still have time to get to know a counselor later in your life like I have. Your story isn't over yet!

Yes, thank you, I'm very well! Despite having GAD, bipolar II, a little OCD and some PTSD (self described) I am just fine! My meds take care of my diagnoses and I feel great. My CPAP isn't working right so when I get my new machine for my sleep apnea I should really feel better and better! I hope you continue to feel good.

[Trish2016 in reply to BonnieSue]

Glad to hear you are doing well and hope you get your CPAP soon!! a lot of my family members have sleep apnea and from watching them deal with it the CPAP made a huge difference

[Brezina_Rob]

Hello. I hope you find this site helpful. I've only been on here a few weeks but I feel it is a good resource for comfort and information. I hope you find similar results on here.

[Marquis784]

Trish2016,

Hello! It's always good to express your feelings. Your reasons for not being able to have a therapist now is not as important as what you can do to help yourself. There have been periods when I couldn't afford therapy or had a work schedule that didn't coincide with available appointments. I'm trying to secure a therapist for my daughter and it's not as easy as it once was. I've been fortunate to have connected with both therapists I've seen over the years. I always used the first appointment to determine my comfort level. If you are in college you might want to seek assistance in your campus health office. Most universities require you have some sort of insurance and usually provide support to their students. My psychiatrist is currently working at a university in their health office seeing students. They might also be a source for references. Asking other people you trust who they recommend can help provide some direction as well.

Are you taking any medication to help with your symptoms? Taking an active role in your health is paramount. Behavioral therapy is often helpful for negative thoughts to help get you "unstuck". There is a lot you can do without a therapist. There are many sites and apps which assist with meditation and relaxation and positive affirmation. There is an upcoming free meditation series: chopracentermeditation.com/... I have found these to be helpful, by Oprah and Deepak. They have these free 21-day meditations series every few months or so. It is a nice way to ease into self care, as each day you get an email with some inspirational words and meditation. I've just registered!

I'm not sure what strategies you've developed to control your trichotillomania which can be exacerbated by increased anxiety, etc. Again, cognitive and behavioral therapy can be beneficial in developing healthier habits to manage your symptoms. This is a reputable institution and some info that might be helpful or even just a reminder that you can do this! mayoclinic.org/diseases-con...

Best wishes!! Sometimes we "forget" how strong and resilient we are!

[Trish2016 in reply to Marquis784]

Thank you for all these great resources and helpful ideas I will definitely take them into consideration, I am taking medication thank you for asking