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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by markwell on August 12, 2011, at 15:14:16
I have not done well with meds at all. I have bipolar disorder with severe anxiety and depression. I'm wondering if anyone has found counseling more effective than meds? The counselor I'm presently seeing does experiential counseling. A lot of "how does that make you feel". I need to know if I'm wasting my time and money.
Mark
Posted by sleepygirl2 on August 12, 2011, at 20:18:21
In reply to Counseling vs meds, posted by markwell on August 12, 2011, at 15:14:16
Maybe only time will tell? And just whether or not you think it helps. I suppose you could set particular goals for yourself and let your t know. And your t can give an idea of what they think will be helpful.
Good luck.
Posted by Anemone on August 12, 2011, at 20:46:19
In reply to Counseling vs meds, posted by markwell on August 12, 2011, at 15:14:16
Hi Markwell,
Would you be able to tell your counselor what you need her/him to do in order to be helpful, or at least bring up that you don't feel it's helpful so far? Does he/she know the meds aren't helping? I don't know much about meds so can't give advice. I only know that counseling does help if he/she is a good match with you. Also, it takes time for a client to work and change. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can help with your question.
Posted by lucielu2 on August 12, 2011, at 21:19:46
In reply to Counseling vs meds, posted by markwell on August 12, 2011, at 15:14:16
I don't think that counseling and meds have to be mutually exclusive. Very often a combination of both seems to do better than either alone. But for both, it frequently takes some trial and error to discover which type of meds or therapy works for you. There are lots of different types of therapy, some probably better suited than others to you. Do you have a prescribing doctor or psychiatrist (pdoc) and has he/she done a thorough set of trials of the meds available to treat your conditions? If not, don't give up on meds just yet. You also might be able to talk to your doctor about different types of therapy, e.g. behavioral, psychodynamic, etc and have them help you determine which you might be more in tune with. It also depends upon what your goals are - do you feel you need to make changes in your life or do you simply want symptom relief? Your best ally here will be a good pdoc. Good luck!
Posted by emmanuel98 on August 12, 2011, at 21:29:55
In reply to Re: Counseling vs meds, posted by lucielu2 on August 12, 2011, at 21:19:46
Almost every study I've ever seen says therapy plus meds is far more effective than meds alone. I started therapy with my p-doc the same time I started meds. It really helped a lot, but I felt an instant rapport with him. He does dynamic psychotherapy and studies say CBT is more helpful, but I don't think I could have done CBT at the time. I needed what I needed.
Also, most studies of the effectiveness of therapy find that the relationship between patient and therapist is the best predictor of successful outcomes, so if you don't feel rapport with your counselor, you might want to try some other counselors.
Posted by Dinah on August 13, 2011, at 19:06:11
In reply to Counseling vs meds, posted by markwell on August 12, 2011, at 15:14:16
Different types of therapy work for different people. Maybe you'd prefer the CBT style of therapy focusing on discovering thoughts that might lead to distress, and learning ways of dealing with distress.
I think both are helpful and have their place. Therapy isn't going to prevent bipolar episodes. That takes place in your brain. But it could help you learn to identify potential triggers and to deal with the pain.
I think that in biological illnesses, a combination approach is best. Talking won't cure bipolar. But bipolar gets worse in times of stress and causes stress itself. Therapy can help with that.
Posted by Phillipa on August 13, 2011, at 19:54:43
In reply to Re: Counseling vs meds » markwell, posted by Dinah on August 13, 2011, at 19:06:11
I agree with good match. I haven't found one. Phillipa
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