Therapists, Psychologists, Counsellors, Psychoanalysists

[Puce Moment]

Do you do them?

The main question I have is whether specific nuttiness requires specific professionals, or whether it is more about what the person wishes to get out of the session?

I think I need someone like a brain car mechanic who is able to see what I think are deep-seated, established and perhaps completely unshakable elements of my psyche, and offer solutions. I just don't really see how that is possible, beyond simply techniques to get through the day. But I think I need someone who is able to strip parts down, clean them, and put them back together.

That probably means a psychoanalyst doesn't it? Ideally, I want someone like Mads Mikkelsen's Hannibal Lector with all that insight and solutions, but preferably without the killy stuff.

I know that CaB is basically One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest so assume a decent proportion of you have been laid out on the sofa divulging in the past. What has helped you?

I used the charity Mind a couple of times back in about 2002 and it was particularly useless.

[Utter Shit]

I've had problems with depression and anxiety on and off for a decade or so, particularly acutely in the past eight months, and for the first time thanks to counselling I feel like I'm making some headway in terms of understanding why I think the way I do, and (very) gradually formulating new ways of thinking that lead me away from patterns of thought that push me into anxiety and depression.

I wouldn't wish mental health problems on my worst enemy (James Vincent) and anyone who does suffer with them has my deepest empathy (is that a phrase?), but I'm increasingly becoming aware that it is within my/your power to change things.

[BlodwynPig]

I've had problems with depression and anxiety on and off for a decade or so, particularly acutely in the past eight months, and for the first time thanks to counselling I feel like I'm making some headway in terms of understanding why I think the way I do, and (very) gradually formulating new ways of thinking that lead me away from patterns of thought that push me into anxiety and depression.

I wouldn't wish mental health problems on my worst enemy (James Vincent) and anyone who does suffer with them has my deepest empathy (is that a phrase?), but I'm increasingly becoming aware that it is within my/your power to change things.

This James Vincent?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWuVBRvjC2U

[Utter Shit]

That's the fella. Shitebag.

[Dr Rock]

I started a thread a few weeks ago, asking for advice because I felt like I might need some therapy  - in the end I got a nice girlfriend instead.

[BlodwynPig]

I started a thread a few weeks ago, asking for advice because I felt like I might need some therapy  - in the end I got a nice girlfriend instead.

how many is that now?

[pancreas]

I've been counselling quite a few people of late. I know I must be very good at it, because I don't see them ever again.

[Mr_Simnock]

I done had a bit of counselling too, worked ok for me. Was good at working out why my anxiety and behaviour became what it was and helps put things into perspectivem helped me get back on track with a few things.

[Twit 2]

It's worth putting your efforts into honing your power wanking.

Bereaved or doubly bereaved?
Power wank.

Wife left you for a better human?
Power wank.

Your boss is a git and everyone hates you?
Power wank.

You had a terrible childhood, just terrible.
Power wank.

A creeping sense of unease at the very fabric of being and the concurrent absolute certainty that nothing of this world - no hidden part of your self, no possible intervention from another source - will even begin to address it because you're just a piece of slow-sinking dry-rotted flotsam in an ocean of sewage.
Turbo wank!

[poo]

Genuinely think that's good advice from Twit there. I've nursed myself back to good mental health with banano-intense botty tugs many times. Many, many, many, many times.

[Zetetic]

I started a thread a few weeks ago, asking for advice because I felt like I might need some therapy

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=73628.0 for reference.

[Poobum]

Counselling has been a massive help to me in becoming a more functional human, from being a complete suicidal shut in, to going on terrifying dates, world travel and full time education and exams in my thirties, cause if some nightmares have to come true, I'm choosing them.

It's hard work though as you are pretty much challenging your percieved reality. A mechanistic approach definitely helped me, seeing my problems stemming from a miss wired brain and janky pyrogramming, two things that can be fixed, though with lots of work, persistance and repitition. In the end you are looking to actually restructure your brain at a physical nuerological level. It took me a long time to accept a feeling is just an automatic reflex, it can be warped and exaggerated but it's not reality, it is literally a physical thing happening in my head meat. Now I try and notice the feeling, curiously question it, wonder what's going on at a physical level in my brain to cause, and then just accept that it's there and continue doing logicaly what I know I gotta do. You do that enough times it becomes a new reflex and you don't dwell on negative things as much, hopefully.

A good counsellor is crucial though I think, because by the nature of your problems you lack the objectivity required to analyse your behaviours and put them in a proper perspective. They can offer a detached opinion, and hopefully challange your self perceptions.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

[Puce Moment]

Counselling has been a massive help to me....

That is extremely helpful, and thank you for taking the time to write it all down. I appreciate it.

In my view, it seemed like the counsellor would be the least useful choice as I assumed they just let you talk. I know that is a very useful thing, but I'm not sure they have the toolkit to remodel that head meat you mention. If they do then perhaps that is the route for me.

...miss wired brain and janky pyrogramming...

This is it really. I feel like my mind is a complex building with positives and negatives, but is ultimately undermined by really bad foundation work. Like those buildings that fall over in China if you sneeze next to them because the concrete they used was made of weetabix. In other words, when my mind was developing, growing, forming and understanding the world, I was experiencing extremely specific abuse that I think has simply fucked up the neurons forever. Your post suggests this is not the case - which is a nice, optimistic and uncynical way of looking at this situation. My views are far more pessimistic and cynical about this.

[Puce Moment]

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=73628.0 for reference.

Fuck, I didn't see that. Thanks man.

To everyone that replied in that thread - cheers from me as well.

[poo]

Puce, have you tried crazy golf? It worked for Mr T.

[Puce Moment]

I've had problems with depression and anxiety on and off for a decade or so, particularly acutely in the past eight months, and for the first time thanks to counselling I feel like I'm making some headway in terms of understanding why I think the way I do, and (very) gradually formulating new ways of thinking that lead me away from patterns of thought that push me into anxiety and depression.

Thanks. This is the part that I find hardest - why bother trying to form new patterns of thought if the instrument being used to create those patterns is faulty. To me it's like using a broken plate to draw a circle.

I wouldn't wish mental health problems on my worst enemy (James Vincent) and anyone who does suffer with them has my deepest empathy (is that a phrase?), but I'm increasingly becoming aware that it is within my/your power to change things.

I really, really, really hope so.

[Puce Moment]

Puce, have you tried crazy golf? It worked for Mr T.

The thing I like about you poo is that even though I am only replying to the serious replies, you know I adore your posts. Just that image has improved my well-being by 0.051% which is pretty good.

[poo]

x

[Twit 2]

Climb in the little windmill and offer up your splayed open arse for golf balls. The dimples give your chute the effect of an eskimo's ribbed condom. At Hastings Adventure Golf a disabled boy, like a stopped clock managed to thwack a purple bulger through the vanes with such force it came out my mouth. Wrote the TripAdvisor in my own seed puddle.

[Puce Moment]

Climb in the little windmill and offer up your splayed open arse for golf balls. The dimples give your chute the effect of an eskimo's ribbed condom. At Hastings Adventure Golf a disabled boy, like a stopped clock managed to thwack a purple bulger through the vanes with such force it came out my mouth. Wrote the TripAdvisor in my own seed puddle.

Cheers mate. That does put things into perspective.

[Utter Shit]

Counselling has been a massive help to me in becoming a more functional human, from being a complete suicidal shut in, to going on terrifying dates, world travel and full time education and exams in my thirties, cause if some nightmares have to come true, I'm choosing them.

It's hard work though as you are pretty much challenging your percieved reality. A mechanistic approach definitely helped me, seeing my problems stemming from a miss wired brain and janky pyrogramming, two things that can be fixed, though with lots of work, persistance and repitition. In the end you are looking to actually restructure your brain at a physical nuerological level. It took me a long time to accept a feeling is just an automatic reflex, it can be warped and exaggerated but it's not reality, it is literally a physical thing happening in my head meat. Now I try and notice the feeling, curiously question it, wonder what's going on at a physical level in my brain to cause, and then just accept that it's there and continue doing logicaly what I know I gotta do. You do that enough times it becomes a new reflex and you don't dwell on negative things as much, hopefully.

A good counsellor is crucial though I think, because by the nature of your problems you lack the objectivity required to analyse your behaviours and put them in a proper perspective. They can offer a detached opinion, and hopefully challange your self perceptions.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

Put far better than I was able to earlier. Spot on.

[Twit 2]

Cheers mate. That does put things into perspective.

Np. If you're not in Sussex line up a rainbow's worth in some kiwi netting and deep throat them.

[bgmnts]

Literally everyone in the developed world claims to have some sort of mental illness or disorder. I decided to not do qnything about it and just crack on. Unless I start smearing the walls in shit or murdering puppies therapy can do one.

[Puce Moment]

Literally everyone in the developed world claims to have some sort of mental illness or disorder.

Do they?

[bgmnts]

Seems so.

[BlodwynPig]

Appearances can be deceptive

[Puce Moment]

Apologies for bumping, but I thought this might be useful for others.

So I contacted my employer's counselling service who were actually rather good (probably because they are an external company rather than based within my Uni). I emailed them at 11pm on Friday and they replied in 10mins. I spoke to them on the telephone for about an hour regarding my needs. The woman was nice, insightful and practical. She asked me about various techniques and strategies to control OCD, anxiety and sleep issues and I noted that I do a hundred of them every day because otherwise I would not have a job, a relationship or ever leave the house.

She asked about PTSD and I barely got through my first sentence before she said "you need psychotherapy as a priority. Go to your GP tomorrow morning and get referred to someone who will assess whether you need more than just counselling." I have done that and the person I get referred to will see that counselling is not the answer to this on its own, and I will likely be referred to a psychotherapist quite quickly. That is the hope anyway. But it might take weeks.

So, next week I am paying to go and see a Counsellor (who also happens to be a Psychotherapist) for a session to see what she thinks. Her specialisms are extremely close to my own issues, so I feel hopeful. If I think she is good the hope is that I get referred to her through the NHS.

This is all very new to me. I found myself doing something today that I never do - whistling. I hate it when others do it, but I took it as an indication that just being proactive about my nuttiness has helped massively.

If you are thinking of doing something similar (accessing help, specifically psychotherapy) then maybe PM me and I could possibly give advice.

[object-lesson]

One question is - is one looking for a sticking-plaster to help one get though life in a messed-up world - which is fair enough and an entirely understandable and practical  response to emotional pain - or is one hoping for a deeper understanding of underlying psychic conflicts and personality structures formed from early childhood onwards? If the latter then some kind of psychoanalytically based therapy would be appropriate, which comes with the problem that almost nobody can afford it and takes up a hell of a lot of your time week by week and over years.

[New folder]

....which comes with the problem that almost nobody can afford it and takes up a hell of a lot of your time week by week and over years.

And the problem that almost nobody can do it well. Our understanding of these things, and the field of psychiatry, is very limited. It's barely a real science and not much of it is based on any sort of proven facts.

[Mister Six]

Do you do them?

Pal of mine with depression and anxiety has a psychiatrist. Might have saved her life.