Posted by bleauberry on December 14, 2008, at 17:27:49
In reply to Interesting article about non-med maintenance tx, posted by Racer on December 14, 2008, at 13:43:45
I think outside therapy is almost always helpful. As you said, it helps battle the feeling of helplessness. I went to therapy every week for 6 months. Whether intended or not, my counselor became to me my coach, my cheerleading squad, my trusted friend, the one person who made me feel good about myself and sent me back out into the world to do good at whatever I do.
A major part of depression is the withdrawal from society, the loneliness, the isolation, and the blank stares of family and friends. A good counselor can bridge that gap so that you are not so withdrawn, not so isolated, not so lonely, and so you can better interact with friends and family without spilling all your medical woes on them. You can talk all your suffering and woes with the counselor and spare your loved ones, who quite frankly have no idea how to deal with it and eventually become scared of it and turned off by it, often leading to adultries and divorces, and then of course much worsened depression and isolation. The counselor can prevent all that from happening by working with you every step of the way.
I like counselors. But it needs to be someone you have a good chemistry with, and it needs to somehow be something you can afford economically.
poster:bleauberry
thread:868747
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081214/msgs/868792.html