Counselling?

[Tori]

Well done! (I know I'm a wee bit late...) But I've found it to help... If there are long waiting lists, you could look at other services in your area (there are several free ones in my town etc) But good luck with it

[Chloe O'brien]

Well done Vicky. The first step is always the hardest, and you have passed the first hurdle by phoning for an appointment. we are all here behind you. Good luck.

[Kim]

My best friend has had it. She's not the type to open up (I met her in January 2005 and then in June 2007 she opened up to me about a lot of stuff I had no idea about,) and a few weeks ago she said to me that she really wanted to go back to it, so she must have found it a help when she went first time round. I couldn't believe it when she said she wanted to go back because she doesn't open up easily.

I'm basically being forced to go to it. Don't want it, I know my own mind but doctors act like I shouldn't have depression or something because I'm under 18. They're refusing to give me anything until I've had councelling because of my age so that's me against a barrell.

[Abigail]

I'm basically being forced to go to it. Don't want it, I know my own mind but doctors act like I shouldn't have depression or something because I'm under 18. They're refusing to give me anything until I've had counselling because of my age so that's me against a barrell.

Keep an open mind when you go in. I felt forced into it and I was determined not to go but I didn't have a choice. I flat out refused to talk about anything so it didn't help me.

If you can't have anti-d's then you have very few options as regards to treatment.

[Jojo]

My best friend has had it. She's not the type to open up (I met her in January 2005 and then in June 2007 she opened up to me about a lot of stuff I had no idea about,) and a few weeks ago she said to me that she really wanted to go back to it, so she must have found it a help when she went first time round. I couldn't believe it when she said she wanted to go back because she doesn't open up easily.

I'm basically being forced to go to it. Don't want it, I know my own mind but doctors act like I shouldn't have depression or something because I'm under 18. They're refusing to give me anything until I've had councelling because of my age so that's me against a barrell.

I agree with Abigail - you have to keep an open mind and try and let them help you. They could be looking at the causes of your depression and try to resolve them with you, rather than just chucking you on some anti-d's which you could then end up on for a very long time. If they can avoid that route, they will try everything they can to do so. Believe me - you don't really want to go on them until you really have to. My godmother committed suicide after being on anti-d's for many many years and then her doctor trying to wean her off them - she couldn't cope, so took her own life. I'm not saying it happens to everyone, but the medical profession do try other methods, prior to using anti-d's. I was forced into it when I was younger - when I finally opened up, it helped me more than I could have ever imagined.

Well done Vicky on getting over that first hurdle. I hope they come back to you soon with an appointment and like someone already said, we are all here for you.

[parkerman]

I've only just caught up with this thread, sorry.

I am a trained counsellor myself and used to counsel people at work. So, looking at this from the other side, so to speak, I would agree with what a number of people have said and that is that you have to be ready to speak and want to see a counsellor. It just doesn't work if you are not ready. The counsellor's role in the discussion is to facilitate you to work your way through whatever the difficulty is. The counsellor should be completely non-judgemental so that you feel free to say whatever you want to. S/he should be able to help you come to terms with whatever it is that is worrying you and help you find a way through it. But it will always be your decision in the end what course of action you decide to take; a good counsellor will never tell you what to do.

In many cases I found that just talking to me was enough for people. It was a way of expressing feelings they found difficult to tell other people, even their closest loved ones. And sometimes, I didn't say very much if anything at all, but people found just the fact of talking through something themselves in a non-threatening atmosphere, helped them tremendously and they were able to face up to whatever the difficulty was.

On the other hand, of course, there were people who came back time and again to talk and we would take a very small step each time - sometimes it seemed no step at all - but as long as they were coming back it did, in the end, normally help.

There can, of course, be no guarantees with this sort of thing, but if you feel the time is right to talk to a counsellor, it probably is. So good luck with it and well done on taking the first step. I hope everything turns out well for you.

[Xx-Vicky-xX]

Well done Vicky on getting over that first hurdle. I hope they come back to you soon with an appointment and like someone already said, we are all here for you.

Thanks Em, was possibly the hardest thing i ever had to do in my life

I've only just caught up with this thread, sorry.

I am a trained counsellor myself and used to counsel people at work. So, looking at this from the other side, so to speak, I would agree with what a number of people have said and that is that you have to be ready to speak and want to see a counsellor. It just doesn't work if you are not ready. The counsellor's role in the discussion is to facilitate you to work your way through whatever the difficulty is. The counsellor should be completely non-judgemental so that you feel free to say whatever you want to. S/he should be able to help you come to terms with whatever it is that is worrying you and help you find a way through it. But it will always be your decision in the end what course of action you decide to take; a good counsellor will never tell you what to do.

In many cases I found that just talking to me was enough for people. It was a way of expressing feelings they found difficult to tell other people, even their closest loved ones. And sometimes, I didn't say very much if anything at all, but people found just the fact of talking through something themselves in a non-threatening atmosphere, helped them tremendously and they were able to face up to whatever the difficulty was.

On the other hand, of course, there were people who came back time and again to talk and we would take a very small step each time - sometimes it seemed no step at all - but as long as they were coming back it did, in the end, normally help.

There can, of course, be no guarantees with this sort of thing, but if you feel the time is right to talk to a counsellor, it probably is. So good luck with it and well done on taking the first step. I hope everything turns out well for you.

You bring up an interesting point about it not working if you are not prepared to do it, i dont know if i am or not - i question if i really need counselling all the time, but then that could be something everyone does but then again since initially i got the idea from a friend maybe this is why i am going

[Jojo]

I didn't think I needed it when I had counselling, but found it such a release - to be able to talk to some one totally detached from my situation, who was able to look at it from a totally different point of view and for that reason, I listened to, and heard what they said to me aswell.

[Tannie]

I'm waiting for counselling and i want it. Cause i have so much things going on at the moment that i need to get them out prefferably so someone who doesn't know me very well. I know i have people caring for me but in a way i don't think that they'd understand well some might but i don't think i'm pretty and i've told my family and they go you are. But that could be cause they're just trying to tell me that my burns make no difference but they do. Right i've kind of rambled on.

[Xx-Vicky-xX]

Hopefully this will help me aswell then