Posted by Ines on April 29, 2007, at 7:53:26
In reply to Am I just a depressive person, posted by jenny80 on April 28, 2007, at 16:38:30
Jenny,
I was reading your earlier post about the way you psychotherapist makes you feel responsible for your depression. I just wanted to say DON'T pay attention to that. I think psychotherapy can be very helpfull to prevent relapse once you've sorted out the chemical issues, but it is rarely a solution. My belief is that while you are feeling very depressed psychotherapy can be counterproductive as it just digs out things that are painful. Also many psychologists have been trained in the 'reason over emotions' school of thought, and they believe that you always have control over your thoughts, emotions, and so ultimately over your happiness. This is such an over simplistic and outdated view. Their aim is to empower you, but when you have been seriously struggling for years to help yourself they just make you feel guilty. I speak from personal experience, having grown up in a family of psychologists.A few weeks ago I was in despair and felt hopeless and now I have finally found a psychiatrist that tells me that I have clear chemical (neurotransmitter) imbalances an this has led to me learning certain behaviours as a way of coping with my unhappiness (e.g. social withdrawal, binge eating). I've internalised these behaviours for so long they have become ingrained- we need to find the medication that works, get me feeling better, and then put mt through therapy and cbt to prevent repalse. I know you have not had much luck with medication, but have you thought about trying to find a different psychiatrist? The last psychiatrist I saw told me I would have to learn to live with being this way, and so cbt was my best bet. In desperation I dug into my savings and went to the top dog and he said that's silly, of course I don't have to live with this, and has come up with treatment plan A & B, and has put me in touch with other patients with similar symptoms that are doing JUST GREAT on medication. It's early days, but he's given me so much hope.
There'll be someone that can help you, but sometimes it takes so long to find it wears you out completely. I know about that. But don't give up.
Ines
poster:Ines
thread:754210
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070426/msgs/754359.html