MY FIRST THERAPY SESSION ;)

[Kevin160]

It was years overdue, but i finally went to my first therapy session, it was an hour or 2 long, it was like 2 assessments , one was about filling forms and talking about myself, my background, and family life and school life if i was comfortable to do so which i did , it was safe , i felt good that i was taken care off and i felt that it was the right step , eventhough it felt awkward that i was talking to complete strangers

After discussing everything between my triggers, my thoughts , relationships, grades, achievements , hobbies,problems in sleep , my fears in general and how im living life , (basically alot) ..he told me i had GAD and ocd tendancies , because i explained to him i have alot of urges to do certain movements especially when stressed , so he gave me 2 options

1) start taking a medication which is a benzo , to relief my anxiety in addition to something to help me sleep better because apparently taking forever to sleep and having interruppted sleep isnt normal, keeping in mind my anxiety is still bad but not as severe as before due to months of trying to find tools to help, but im still getting frequent anxiety attacks and the ocd tendancies are still there

2) postpone medication for now and start on CBT , cognitive behavior therapy Which i always hear about but dont have a clue what it is (i hope someone tells me )

I also told him about weak my mental health and i can start getting symptoms of someone only by reading about it or hearing about it , and he told me for now we cant do much about the thoughts but we can control the anxiety to work on the brain chemistry, and i told his assistant about the scary thought i get like how i read about something and i start fearing it will happen to me , so she wrote everything in the reports and i feel a bit relieved it doesnt seem serious, ofcourse i know i wont hurt myself because i dont feel depressed and i wont do it if i just read about it , its just the anxiety and fears making me feel like they are in control , so im feeling a bit calmer having a diagnosis and a plan

I would appreciate people telling me what in their opinion is best option of treatment , because im on an acne drug called accutane that worsens mental health in some cases , i wasnt sure what to do because i dont want to mix and take alot of medications eventhough he told me it doesnt interfere because i think its low dosages , feedback is appreciated

AND THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENCOURAGED ME , THIS SEEMS SO RIGHT

[Hidden]

This is great. Keep following the docs recommendations and be committed to the process.

You were having issues way before the acne medicine, I think reading those side effects worsened your worries, and heighten your anxiety.

Trust the process he has you on, keep a journal as well. Keep the doc apprised of anything new or worsening, right away.

[Kevin160 in reply to Hidden]

Yes i agree that reading the side effects is what worsened the amxiety because i felt that i am anticipating something that wont likely happen and eventually it was the increased panic and anxiety that made everything go worse

I always keep a journal like you said , and i really appreciate the advice ❤️ Thank you

[urbetterthanthem in reply to Kevin160]

If you and your doctor feel medication is a good option and the benefits outweigh the risks then I think you are very brave to pursue it. Every medication is different and every person is different. I take the lowest dose possible and when I need it of a benzo.

It does help me but I have heard if you take a certain amount all the time for a long time it can be tough withdrawing from or taking a break from it. I actually have probably taken the drug you are on and feel ambivalent about it in that it is very effective for me at a small dose but for me I wouldn't take it everyday at a higher dose. I had a doc that gave me a higher dose and told me take it for two week period and that would have been bad for me. It is a tricky drug but it is very effective for anxiety at a low dose for me. I would never advise someone to take more than the minimum needed to achieve success and I would never tell someone to take it for a problem which can be addressed other ways. In closing I would just say that someone with anxiety and other mental illness often goes into treatment with doctors who prescribe a cocktail of 3 or 4 drugs and are a nervous wreck because they have multiple drugs which can cause multiple reactions and they know very little about them and the doctors don't inform them or in some cases know themselves. Sometimes you just don't want to worry about all that in addition to what you already are dealing with in life. You are not alone and there are plenty of people online to talk to about things as well. I have smoked marijuana before and there are psych meds that would scare the hell out of me to take. I can only imagine how someone who has never even taken drugs before would feel about being hit with a barrage of meds. I know at the time I smoked pot I would have been too scared to try all the psych meds! The guys who were taking speed and lsd and coke..They probably had the mindset to roll with an experience like that but it would have scared the bejesus out of me.

[Kevin160 in reply to urbetterthanthem]

Well im still going to decide to go for meds or not , because i did go to therapy after i tried alot to treat my anxiety and it got a bit better by learning coping techniques, so i contemplated to take meds because i felt there is probably a more less scary and natural way.. so im not sure but because i have been feeling ok.. my anxiety hasnt been extremely severe but even if its less than before i wanted to go to therapy still, i guess we'll out weigh the risks and benefite

[Dolphin14]

So glad this went well for you. Getting it all out there is important in moving forward.

I've never done CBT but I've done other forms of therapy. For me I needed to be stable on meds before I could really get into and understand what my therapist was trying to help me with.

Benzos are a big subject of debate here. So, you will get many answers on that.

I would just suggest calling the md back and asking risk versus benefit of benzo, how long he thinks you will be on it, and what other med will be introduced as the long term treatment.

As far as the acutane and the med, you can always call that prescriber Tell them the plan and ask if they have any problem with you going on the benzo. Sort of a second opinion.

[urbetterthanthem in reply to Dolphin14]

I think a lot of times people can benefit from therapy without needing to be "stable" on meds..It is all very subjective. We play God with people when another human decides what is stable and then we claim a patient doesn't benefit from therapy unless they "get" or agree with the often arbitrary opinion of a therapist. I am not one to totally knock meds or therapy but they are overprescribed and patients are often deemed failed treatment cases by psychologists when they aren't. Benzos are looked at in a very negative way by police and law enforcement minded people who usually stick out like sore thumbs in psych discussions because of their very particular beliefs about some psych meds which are viewed as akin to illegal drugs... I think the majority of people with mental diagnosis are peaceful folk who need to have a focus on healing themself as a person and not in protecting the world from them through a 'healthy' dose of med cocktail. I digress though as far as prescribing you have to understand that psychiatrists are some of the people who view side effects with the most rose colored glasses of anyone! In many cases...Anti-psychiatry people are on the other end of the spectrum and the truth lies somewhere in between..So be your own advocate! Psychiatrists are just people who got a degree in medicine..Their own opinions about risks should not govern the choices made about your life..You might want to consult Dr. Google about that first and find some good sources of patient accounts of their experiences for better or for worse of drugs they have taken.

[Dolphin14 in reply to urbetterthanthem]

I'm a nurse, no worries

I got this

I was sharing my journey.

[Hidden]

Therapy with a good therapist can help tremendously. Keep an open mind and see if it helps. I wouldn’t think Accutane would be a problem. Maybe you could try the CBT and if you need it, an anti anxiety med could help. Depending on how severe the OCD is, it would help with that too. A lot of people here know more than me but I know you are very brave for going for the therapy. Good luck

[Kevin160 in reply to Hidden]

My ocd isnt severe, it usually worsens when i feel very anxious or when im really bored and my mind wanders , it usually just certain movements , and behavior wise i do tend to wash my hands alot , make sure everything is my way but its managable that i dont really feel its affecting my life in anyway shape or form , but the anxiety is , and im not sure if i should start cbt or take anti anxiety meds , worried about meds and nit sure if cbt works so not sure

But i appreciate your feedback thank you

[Fumble]

So pleased you made it there and it went well.

Well done.

Did they say when you could start CBT? Is there a long wait ?

[Kevin160 in reply to Fumble]

Thank you so much , The dr told me i can try to take a benzo for a month i think , or start cbt , so he gave me the option and im not sure what to do

I think there might be a long wait because i had to wait a month to get this appointment

[Fumble in reply to Kevin160]

I think you need to know how long the wait for cbt is to help you make an informed choice. If you could start that soon you might want to try it and see how it goes, if there's a long wait ...

Could you ring their office and ask?

[Kevin160 in reply to Fumble]

Yes im planning to call the clinic and ask about the cbt sessions because i thought it was the same appointments but apparently they are seperate

[newbie1956]

Hi Kevin...Just saw this b-c my internet has been down.

Sounds like our prayers were answered. I'm excited to see all the comments.

It's always good to 'open up' to the right people and you can continue to feel free to express yourself here.

As I've told you, my journey with anxiety has been off & on since I was 10 yrs old (that's almost 70 years) and it has been scary at times. OCD & postpartum depression was the worse for me. Never saw a doctor or therapist. Prayer was my only comfort.

I think i told you about my family history with anxiety & bipolar(my Dad & 2 of my children.) Those 2 needed medication & it helped one of them. The others are a reminder of how different we all are.

You may be able to cope without drugs/medications but you have the freedom to choose. Don't rush, just keep your appointments & rely on God for direction.

He really cares for all his children.

Sincerely.

[Kevin160 in reply to newbie1956]

i just feel so good when i read your comments , because i know i will only see love and support

I wish all the best for you and your family ❤️❤️

I am feeling happy to get a diagnosis eventhough im not feeling better mentally thats ok its not a cure yet , im going to think about the medications because im not really sure if i should take it , but i hope for the best to happen