Here with the therapy questions again....

[Wld]

I'm about to get rid of therapist #2. I gave her 3 visits. And I'm so discouraged...I know what Laurie said about having to kiss a few frogs but it's so tiring. And I'm soooo f***k*** sick of crying and explaining my stupid story over and over again!!! Aside from the fact she knew nothing about AD wd, I really thought she was a cold. She kept giving me this look....like oh honey you have DO have ALOT to be depressed about. We ended up talking about my sons last miserable baseball game for 20 min. like that was the root of all my problems. There was no CBT other than the workbook i brought that i had bought from Amazon--- and she glanced at.

I feel like screaming, "Is there anyone out there that can help me?". DESPERATE NEED OF HELP HERE!!!! I feel like here I am supposed to be the patient but I'm educating HER and before that it was HIM. Then i think maybe it is me....maybe I'm just too f***ed up and no one can help me. All I want is someone who understands antidepressant withdrawal issues--this hell I'm going thru bc IT IS HELL and damnit shouldn't someone in this stupid profession
know SOMETHING about these drugs? That and someone that can help me learn CBT. Both would be desirable but at this point I'd take either. So I guess it's back to the drawing board and Google.

Another BAD day, ughhh!!!!! Don't know how many more of these I can take. And using the f word too many times today--again, sorry.

[long_way_home]

Have you tried searching online for a therapist that fits your style? How are you finding these therapists?
I found a counselor that I like, and I found her online.

[Backtopaxil]

I found this link

http://nacbt.org/searchfortherapists.aspx

[lmac]

I completely get you WLD - I'm on therpaist # 4........yes, pathetic. The worst part is explaining over and over...... These therapists all had in their profile that they specialize in CBT and work with panic/anxiety/PTSD..... yet everytime I get there and explain my situation, they all say they wont work out of workbooks but more of talk therapy, which leads me to believe they took a darn cource in CBT but dont REALLY specialize in it..
I'm at the point where I have decided to do the work myself..... Dr Burns book "Feeling good" is so straight forward and helps understand how to do it. I have found myself a therapist who incorporates CBT into humanistic therapy and I will use her for my therapy which I obviously need and will continue to need. She doesnt support ADs but certainly doesnt understand the wd either so I dont even talk about the wd with her. I just deal with my issues. Seeing as I picked up this awful onsessive thinking of horrible things, I just tell her and she helps me learn to deal with the obsessive thoughts, rather then me trying to explain to her i KNOW it's mostly wd doing this to me. I'm using the therapy to help me with my symptoms, and really, nobody needs to understand why I have them, I just want tools to get through them.Another thing, try calling some therapists, talk to them on the phone and interview them. Tell them you want someone who highly specializes in CBT and really works with the patient. ask how they go about doing this with the client.
Its a SAD sad world, Im starting to even learn that If I take some courses, i just might be able to be a highly qualified therapist too.

[Wld]

Originally Posted by Backtopaxil

I found this link

http://nacbt.org/searchfortherapists.aspx

Thanks George, I'll look into it when I get home. Right now I have to go speak at a cheerleading banquet bc I'm the president of the parents's fundraising geoup if you can believe that!! A little ironic--CHEERLEADING. Omg, my life...

[Wld]

Originally Posted by lmac

I completely get you WLD - I'm on therpaist # 4........yes, pathetic. The worst part is explaining over and over...... These therapists all had in their profile that they specialize in CBT and work with panic/anxiety/PTSD..... yet everytime I get there and explain my situation, they all say they wont work out of workbooks but more of talk therapy, which leads me to believe they took a darn cource in CBT but dont REALLY specialize in it..
I'm at the point where I have decided to do the work myself..... Dr Burns book "Feeling good" is so straight forward and helps understand how to do it. I have found myself a therapist who incorporates CBT into humanistic therapy and I will use her for my therapy which I obviously need and will continue to need. She doesnt support ADs but certainly doesnt understand the wd either so I dont even talk about the wd with her. I just deal with my issues. Seeing as I picked up this awful onsessive thinking of horrible things, I just tell her and she helps me learn to deal with the obsessive thoughts, rather then me trying to explain to her i KNOW it's mostly wd doing this to me. I'm using the
therapy to help me with my symptoms, and really, nobody needs to understand why I have them, I just want tools to get through them.Another thing, try calling some therapists, talk to them on the phone and interview them. Tell them you want someone who highly specializes in CBT and really works with the patient. ask how they go about doing this with the client.
Its a SAD sad world, Im starting to even learn that If I take some courses, i just might be able to be a highly qualified therapist too.

Oh Imac you do understand! I've got that book, haven't read it but I will. Believe it or not I interviewed 5 therapists over the phone before making an
Appt with this last one. We've got to talk....

[IMISSME]

Originally Posted by Wld

I'm about to get rid of therapist #2. I gave her 3 visits. And I'm so discouraged...I know what Laurie said about having to kiss a few frogs but it's so tiring. And I'm soooo f***k*** sick of crying and explaining my stupid story over and over again!!! Aside from the fact she knew nothing about AD wd, I really thought she was a cold. She kept giving me this look....like oh honey you have DO have ALOT to be depressed about. We ended up talking about my sons last miserable baseball game for 20 min. like that was the root of all my problems. There was no CBT other than the workbook i brought that i had bought from Amazon--- and she glanced at.

I feel like screaming, "Is there anyone out there that can help me?". DESPERATE NEED OF HELP HERE!!!! I feel like here I am supposed to be the patient but I'm educating HER and before that it was HIM. Then i think maybe it is me....maybe I'm just too f***ed up and no one can help me. All I want is someone who understands antidepressant withdrawal issues--this hell I'm going thru bc IT IS HELL and damnit shouldn't someone in this stupid profession
know SOMETHING about these drugs? That and someone that can help me learn CBT. Both would be desirable but at this point I'd take either. So I guess it's back to the drawing board and Google.

Another BAD day, ughhh!!!!! Don't know how many more of these I can take. And using the f word too many times today--again, sorry.

I think you will find that most therapist, whether pro-AD or not, are going to look at your current situation and work on it from the point of view that this is just how you are. There is no other way they can do it. They have been trained to look at the human condition and work with whatever tools they have acquired. I agree that many therapists just seem to go through the motions. I was fortunate that I found a therapist a couple of years ago that I had my son go to. When I started feeling a bit off a month after quitting paxil I called him up and have been seeing him ever since. I truly believe he is learning as much from me as I am from him. I think he is starting to see more people dealing with AD withdrawal. I think he may have also visited PP just to see what was going on. But in the end all therapists will only be able to address the situation you present. If you are depressed or anxious, regardless of reason, they will have to work with it as if it was just "normal" symptoms and not necessarily symptoms brought on by withdrawal. We all get used to leaning on the excuse of withdrawal, and trust me, when it gets bad that is the only thing I can do because I get no relief otherwise. But my therapist is very understanding.

But I do have "real" issues as we all do that have been swept under the rug for years by AD use. It sucks to have to deal with them in a "panicked" mode since they are all in our face at once. But slowly processing them I guess is the only way to move forward. 6 months ago I couldn't figure out why I was so depressed when I seemingly had a pretty good life. Well, there are always issues to deal with and since we always had a crutch (ADs) we never had to learn to cope each and every day.

[rangerNY]

Stop caring if a given therapist knows anything at all about antidepressant withdrawal. Ultimately it's a moot point because there's nothing a therapist is going to that will fix that situation. You're not trying to treat withdrawal in therapy. You're trying to build skills that will help you deal with things like fear, anxiety and depression.

That's something that I think warrants pointing out because we often see people evaluate therapists at least partially based on validation of withdrawal as a "real" thing. Understandable, but not necessarily productive.

[miriza]

Originally Posted by IMISSME

I think you will find that most therapist, whether pro-AD or not, are going to look at your current situation and work on it from the point of view that this is just how you are. There is no other way they can do it. They have been trained to look at the human condition and work with whatever tools they have acquired. I agree that many therapists just seem to go through the motions. I was fortunate that I found a therapist a couple of years ago that I had my son go to. When I started feeling a bit off a month after quitting paxil I called him up and have been seeing him ever since. I truly believe he is learning as much from me as I am from him. I think he is starting to see more people dealing with AD withdrawal. I think he may have also visited PP just to see what was going on. But in the end all therapists will only be able to address the situation you present. If you are depressed or anxious, regardless of reason, they will have to work with it as if it was just "normal" symptoms and not necessarily symptoms brought on by withdrawal. We all get used to leaning on the excuse of withdrawal, and trust me, when it gets bad that is the only thing I can do because I get no relief otherwise. But my therapist is very understanding.

Totally agree with this. You have to be VERY careful too with therapists--they may make you feel worse unnecessarily. I think we sometimes sweep stuff under the rug because it's just not too important or we've overcome it...but in withdrawal all the cr@p in our minds come back as if it was a fresh event/situation, when in reality without withdrawal it would not bother us or even cross our minds. Like, WTF do I have to feel guilty that I wrote in some kids notebook back in elementary school...I don't f'ing care right now, but my mind thinks it's important...Am I going to spend hours talking about it with a therapist? I don't think so. I do have issues from my childhood that I have worked on in the past and may need to work with in the future, but now, with the rage I have been having, no way...not touching those with a ten foot pole.

So, I'm skipping talk therapy for now. I'm dealing with someone who is helping me get exposed to my withdrwawal-induced fears slooowly at my pace...not talk therapy, which IMHO is probably worthless in withdrawal where our feelings tend to be so negative and SOOOO blown out of proportion.

[Irishwill]

wld, I have a great therapist we do a lot of cbt as well as talk therapy but I don't think he believes withdrawal can last as long as it has. He is anti meds but what can you really expect from them. Unless they have been through it no one really knows how bad it is. You get your comfort for that here with everyone who has gone through the hell you are going through. Don't be discouraged by some doc....you will find one you like and trust me you are not as f'd up as you think you are, you are just dealing with your issues and that's a lot more courageous than most poeple!! Keep your head up!

[Kay2020]

If I were you I would do as other say research online. I look for CBT centered therapist and the ones I have found don't even advocate Ads they are totally dedicated to CBT.

[aberdeen]

Originally Posted by miriza

Totally agree with this. You have to be VERY careful too with therapists--they may make you feel worse unnecessarily. I think we sometimes sweep stuff under the rug because it's just not too important or we've overcome it...but in withdrawal all the cr@p in our minds come back as if it was a fresh event/situation, when in reality without withdrawal it would not bother us or even cross our minds. Like, WTF do I have to feel guilty that I wrote in some kids notebook back in elementary school...I don't f'ing care right now, but my mind thinks it's important...Am I going to spend hours talking about it with a therapist? I don't think so. I do have issues from my childhood that I have worked on in the past and may need to work with in the future, but now, with the rage I have been having, no way...not touching those with a ten foot pole.

So, I'm skipping talk therapy for now. I'm dealing with someone who is helping me get exposed to my withdrwawal-induced fears slooowly at my pace...not talk therapy, which IMHO is probably worthless in withdrawal where our feelings tend to be so negative and SOOOO blown out of proportion.

I agree. I've done talk therapy about every issue i've ever had! I haven't gone back in years because I feel I have covered, processed, and move forward from the issues now. In some of my acute w/d stages, a lot of stuff came back to haunt me. At first I thought I was having a breakdown. Once I realized it was w/d, I just tried to ignore it. I think talk therapy right now (for me) would be counter-productive in a huge way. The last thing I need is to dig stuff up when I'm so sensitive! It would make my anxiety worse, make me depressed, and focus my thoughts on the things I'm actually trying to get distance from, and in w/d, distraction is my best friend, not dwelling on the issues. Talk therapy, when done right, when you bravely walk back into things you never processed in a healthy way in order to re-process them in a more adult positive light, is exhausting. Emotionally draining, and takes a lot of work. I couldn't do it while in w/d, there's no way. My emotions weren't even reliable or even accessible! And at the level of anxiety I was in, I'd probably have ended up re-framing past events in a more negative and scary way than I already had as a child. CBT seems like the only thing that makes sense in w/d, because it helps you cope with the anxiety and depression you are feeling, despite the cause.

[lmac]

Originally Posted by aberdeen

I agree. I've done talk therapy about every issue i've ever had! I haven't gone back in years because I feel I have covered, processed, and move forward from the issues now. In some of my acute w/d stages, a lot of stuff came back to haunt me. At first I thought I was having a breakdown. Once I realized it was w/d, I just tried to ignore it. I think talk therapy right now (for me) would be counter-productive in a huge way. The last thing I need is to dig stuff up when I'm so sensitive! It would make my anxiety worse, make me depressed, and focus my thoughts on the things I'm actually trying to get distance from, and in w/d, distraction is my best friend, not dwelling on the issues. Talk therapy, when done right, when you bravely walk back into things you never processed in a healthy way in order to re-process them in a more adult positive light, is exhausting. Emotionally draining, and takes a lot of work. I couldn't do it while in w/d, there's no way. My emotions weren't even reliable or even accessible! And at the level of anxiety I was in, I'd probably have ended up re-framing past events in a more negative and scary way than I already had as a child. CBT seems like the only thing that makes sense in w/d, because it helps you cope with the anxiety and depression you are feeling, despite the cause.

I totally agree with you aberdeen (and Miriza). Before I knew what was happeneing to me I thought I was having a breakdown. Went to therapy because for some strange reason all of my past kept resurfacing (like I said I thought I was having somekind of breakdown or spiritual awakening). I thought I was nuts and of course the talk therapy is to help deal with issues. My sessions ALL consisted of me asking HOW do you put things behind you, I've dealt with this before and its all of a sudden bombarding me. Of course to the therapist, I have not dealt obviously. Was a very painful process to drudge up - again, until I found PP and realized OMG this is wd, I'm not losing my mind, I don't need to rehash all these things. Its just my mind being completely out of control. So, yes, I find the best thing in wd with therapy is to learn how to deal with the panic/anxiety/depression etc: just get help with dealing with the symptoms and forget the wd aspect because that's only going to go away on its own time, the least we can do is have some tools to ease the pain!!

[aberdeen]

Originally Posted by lmac

I totally agree with you aberdeen (and Miriza). Before I knew what was happeneing to me I thought I was having a breakdown. Went to therapy because for some strange reason all of my past kept resurfacing (like I said I thought I was having somekind of breakdown or spiritual awakening). I thought I was nuts and of course the talk therapy is to help deal with issues. My sessions ALL consisted of me asking HOW do you put things behind you, I've dealt with this before and its all of a sudden bombarding me. Of course to the therapist, I have not dealt obviously. Was a very painful process to drudge up - again, until I found PP and realized OMG this is wd, I'm not losing my mind, I don't need to rehash all these things. Its just my mind being completely out of control. So, yes, I find the best thing in wd with therapy is to learn how to deal with the panic/anxiety/depression etc: just get help with dealing with the symptoms and forget the wd aspect because that's only going to go away on its own time, the least we can do is have some tools to ease the pain!!

Totally agree. I find it really weird how we all have the same stuff happen. How does SSRI withdrawal unlock so much negativity, memories, and darkness? It's like our computer desktop....something comes along and opens up the trash file and flings it all over the place and even better-won't let you clean it up! I had things bother me I hadn't thought of since childhood and you are so right, it would be a therapists dream come true-thinking all these issues are surfacing to just dive into when for me at least they had all been processed over and over already. I can imagine someone who had never confronted their baggage would for sure be thinking it was a breakdown. Even those of us who have re-visited this crap in therapy felt we were having a breakdown! It's so similar for so many people, I hope one day we have a better understanding about what's going on in the brain during w/d...it's really strange. Why couldn't the unsettled chemicals cause euphoria and mania at least, why the dark stuff,lol? And oh, to have had a Dr say, oh that's just w/d, totally common, this time next year you'll be just fine. That would be nice.

[lmac]

Originally Posted by aberdeen

I agree. I've done talk therapy about every issue i've ever had! I haven't gone back in years because I feel I have covered, processed, and move forward from the issues now. In some of my acute w/d stages, a lot of stuff came back to haunt me. At first I thought I was having a breakdown. Once I realized it was w/d, I just tried to ignore it. I think talk therapy right now (for me) would be counter-productive in a huge way. The last thing I need is to dig stuff up when I'm so sensitive! It would make my anxiety worse, make me depressed, and focus my thoughts on the things I'm actually trying to get distance from, and in w/d, distraction is my best friend, not dwelling on the issues. Talk therapy, when done right, when you bravely walk back into things you never processed in a healthy way in order to re-process them in a more adult positive light, is exhausting. Emotionally draining, and takes a lot of work. I couldn't do it while in w/d, there's no way. My emotions weren't even reliable or even accessible! And at the level of anxiety I was in, I'd probably have ended up re-framing past events in a more negative and scary way than I already had as a child. CBT seems like the only thing that makes sense in w/d, because it helps you cope with the anxiety and depression you are feeling, despite the cause.

LoL - you know, this is probably a blessing in disguise (the way our brain is processing things) because us "lucky" ones who have found this site are now getting the proper tools to deal with anxiety/panic/depression in the meantime so we will be well equipped and that much stronger after this ordeal. Imagine, if we got so lucky as to only process euphoria and and mania, the bipolar rate would be sky high and we'd all be misdiagnosed and on even more serious brain altering meds!! Thanks, I'll stcik to the scary movies we've been playing in our heads over and over - let it runs its course! LoL

[Lovesthebeach]

Hi WLD- I will echo what Ranger and a few others have said; don't focus on finding someone that agrees there is WD or is anti/pro drugs. That can be a battle all in itself and not worth it. You know from all the folks here that WD can and does happen so you don't need a therapists validiation. The person I go to I think leans towards using drugs(I don't know for sure because it is not a path I want to go down as I know what my thoughts are), but I don't let her opinion sway me from going to her because she is really good at taking a look at things that go on in my life and help me to put it in perspective. It's all about the CBT and she is a good teacher of it. I do think it is important that you feel comfortable and "click" with your therapist but I don't think you need agree about everything to be successful. I hope you can find someone you are comfortable soon because I find it is so helpful. **Hugs**

[julleri]

Originally Posted by Wld

I'm about to get rid of therapist #2. I gave her 3 visits. And I'm so discouraged...I know what Laurie said about having to kiss a few frogs but it's so tiring. And I'm soooo f***k*** sick of crying and explaining my stupid story over and over again!!! Aside from the fact she knew nothing about AD wd, I really thought she was a cold. She kept giving me this look....like oh honey you have DO have ALOT to be depressed about. We ended up talking about my sons last miserable baseball game for 20 min. like that was the root of all my problems. There was no CBT other than the workbook i brought that i had bought from Amazon--- and she glanced at.

I feel like screaming, "Is there anyone out there that can help me?". DESPERATE NEED OF HELP HERE!!!! I feel like here I am supposed to be the patient but I'm educating HER and before that it was HIM. Then i think maybe it is me....maybe I'm just too f***ed up and no one can help me. All I want is someone who understands antidepressant withdrawal issues--this hell I'm going thru bc IT IS HELL and damnit shouldn't someone in this stupid profession
know SOMETHING about these drugs? That and someone that can help me learn CBT. Both would be desirable but at this point I'd take either. So I guess it's back to the drawing board and Google.

Another BAD day, ughhh!!!!! Don't know how many more of these I can take. And using the f word too many times today--again, sorry.

Wow can I ever relate to this post!

I had to ditch the counselor I was trying to see from my psychiatrists office. I saw her when I was still on that last little bit of Prozac and after my serious adverse reactions. She was pretty useless. Every appointment she would forget what she had said to me last appointment. She didn't understand adverse reactions or withdrawal or why I didn't want to just stop taking it. She was quite useless. The one I have now is AMAZING. She has suffered adverse reactions to drugs. She cares about my medical history and wants copies of my blood test results, the drugs I am taking, my supplements, she lets me stay at her office while she sees other patients if I am feeling in a crisis with symptoms or just don't want to do anything. She's caring and understanding. My ONLY gripe with her is that she doesn't think I am still in withdrawal, but, she isn't familiar with psychiatric medication withdrawals or adverse reactions, at least not for someone who is suffering with them long-term.

I feel like you do when I have to educate doctors I see on my health issues. The B12 thing? OMG! The doc who found I had it only wanted to give me a shot once a month for three months and see where my levels would be. Nevermind that it can get severe enough that you can even die from it. I had to bring in paperwork to my doctors to show them what treatment I need and beg them for the treatment. It's embarrassing. But I do understand how you feel. We do have to be our own advocates and fight, because only we know exactly how we feeling.

[lmac]

Saw my therapist today. I feel the same way too!
I feel like its so hard to accomplish anything in therapy, especially when our MAIN problems are wd and the chemically induced kind. I work on CBT and DBT plenty, yet when a Wave hits (the one that just feels chemical) no matter what I do, NOTHING works, nothing helps. Its like imy only option is to hunker down and use my mantras "its just wd, and will go away". But then the days when its not so bad, its nice to use the tools we've learned.
But as for the therapist, they're just like doctors, they can only help based on symptoms and let's admit, our symptoms are so completely out of wack!! I felt like today was a waste of money, I had nothing to say because all I'm focused on right now are my awful wd symptoms. Anyone else tired of feeling like a psychitso? One week good, one week not, or one day good, one day not. I can't wait to just have a "normal" bad day!!

[miriza]

Well, I feel like a schizo most of the time...for me it's still 4 hours horrible, 30 minutes good, 5 hours horrible, 20 minutes decent...so, it's still pretty bad I'm literally afraid to think my next thought and being sucked into a black hole of looping irrational negative dark morbid thoughts...