"I'm Just a Kid"

Simple Plan wrote it best:

I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare/I'm just a kid I know that it's not fair/Nobody cares 'cause I'm alone in the world is/Having more fun than me tonight

I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression, Unspecified in January 2018. I was in my second semester of my junior year of college. I started Lexapro three days after my initial intake and I couldn't believe how well it worked. The doctor told me it would take two to six weeks to kick in, but I noticed progress on day 3. It was WILD!

From then on life has bee mostly onward upward. Little things stopped bothering me. I got much better at time management and school became a lot easier. I found it easier to try new things. Unfortunately, I didn't take my psychiatrist's advice to couple medication with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I mean, I tried once, but it felt like too much of a hassle to get past the intake appointments. And usually, things returned to normal after a few days after a relapse.

Something happened last week and I realized that not only am I anxious, but I'm thinking very little of myself these days... I had the worst attacks of my life this week over things that I know ultimately are not as bad as I think they are.

I recognize I need help, but I don't like the idea of telling my problems to a middle aged therapist (no offense to any well educated middle age people reading this). It's just that I graduated college in May, so I don't have a lot of friends my age right now. Most of my social circle is older than me. I want people my age to talk to.

I just need to know that someone understands me. And that I'm not a screw up. And that I am with fighting for. Because I don't have it in me to do it alone...

[fauxartist]

Finding the right fit for a therapist is the whole point I think of getting good work done through therapy.....any therapist would understand if you told them you wanted a referral to someone who would be more suited to your age, gender, and issues. I would do that for sure, but also ask them if they think your dosage needs to be adjusted.

[newendorp]

I'm a CBT therapist, and I can tell you that it is all about finding someone you feel comfortable with and can put your trust in to teach you specific skills that will help you better manage your symptoms, with or without medication. I'd encourage you to push through your own skepticism or fears about what a potential therapist might think about you and at least "try out" a few people until you find someone you like. Therapists are used to people shopping around, and chances are they are not going to take it personally if you decide not to continue on with them. The beauty of CBT is that a good therapist can teach you how to use it on your own, and you might not even have to be in therapy very long.