Got the depression, wanna get therapy

hypnotaste

So I got the depression, and I want to find some therapy. What kind of a specialist should I look to first? Should I go specifically to a psychologist? Would the appropriate practice actually call itself that, or something else? I'm pretty sure my insurance covers mental health services, so I think I can have them foot the bill.

I really need this, I've been in a rut for well over a year and I think depression is the cause. If not, I think a visit to a therapist of some kind would still be constructive because it would help me narrow down the possibilities.

HeraldS

Start by searching for "therapy" or "counseling" with your town attached on Google. If you have a regular doctor you go to ask them. If you have insurance through your job they should have a list of all available ______ doctors in your area, one _______ should be psychologist/ psychiatrist. Ask anyone you know and trust that has seen someone like this before. Be ready to shop around a bit and try multiple people before you find one that works for you. Be ready for some of them to not take your insurance. Good luck man.

Xobyte

Yeah, if the first one you try doesn't feel like a good fit, don't be afraid to shop around a bit.

Invisible

I went to psychiatrist first who recommended a therapist/psychologist. But I'd make sure they're on your insurance because the cost can add up quickly.

TheRealZyconis

The therapist/psychologist worked great for me for awhile (I'm more on the social anxiety side of things with just a dash of the depression). I'd have to recommend you find someone you can really open up to. The first couple therapists I went to, I had a lot of trouble really opening up and feeling like I could trust them. I did eventually find someone that I felt comfortable with and it made a world of a difference. Then again, that was one of the things I was trying to work on, so it might not be as big of an issue for you.

I hope for nothing but the best for you! Starting out with therapy can sometimes be a bit scary, so to speak.

Dark_Side

Xobyte wrote: »

Yeah, if the first one you try doesn't feel like a good fit, don't be afraid to shop around a bit.

Definitely. Probably the most valuable part of therapy is finding someone you trust and have a high comfort level with, otherwise you won't get much out of it.

Wezoin

Just a small point, but typically self-diagnosed depression is wrongly diagnosed. There are a very specific set of features of depression apart from 'feeling a bit down', and you have to have x number of these conditions to be considered 'depressed'. I don't want to discourage you from seeing a psychologist, in fact I encourage it if its covered by your insurance/affordable to you, but try not to go in with a specific diagnosis in mind.

A friend of mine from Canada came to visit me in London a couple months ago and wasn't feeling well. He was convinced he had gastritis. We tried a variety of off the shelf remedies, did some online research and tried things we saw online. None of these worked, and he managed to convince himself he had gastritis and an ulcer. He insisted we go to accidents and emergency, so we did. We waited six hours for a doctor to check him out, and he said "You may have very mild gastritis, but probably not. It will likely go away in a few more days." On the way back to my flat he was angry, claiming the doctor had no idea what he was talking about, and just didn't want to treat him because he wasn't British. He was miserable for a few days, didn't really get to enjoy his first trip to London, and then it went away.

Moral of the story is as much as you may know your symptoms, self-diagnosis can be a lot more trouble than its worth. If you go to a psychologist (and I definitely recommend a psychologist over a psychiatrist, at least initially) and they don't even consider depression, then bring it up, but try not to go in with a sense of certainty about what you have.

It would also be best to list your symptoms at your first appointment rather than saying "I think I have depression" and have the psychologist ask you about each symptom, as the power of suggestion can lead to misdiagnosis. For instance, if your psychologist says "Do you sometimes not feel like getting out of bed" you may think "Well, I do hit the snooze button a lot, I guess so."

FANTOMAS

Wezoin wrote: »

Just a small point, but typically self-diagnosed depression is wrongly diagnosed. There are a very specific set of features of depression apart from 'feeling a bit down', and you have to have x number of these conditions to be considered 'depressed'. I don't want to discourage you from seeing a psychologist, in fact I encourage it if its covered by your insurance/affordable to you, but try not to go in with a specific diagnosis in mind.

Also, many psychiatrists specialize in specific ages and genders, if you already know anyone who is already going to the psychiatrist you may ask them for reference. Trust and feeling comfortable are top priorities, so dont just find a psychiatrist in the phone book, ask around a bit.

hypnotaste

Hey everyone, went to therapy and I think it was productive. Will go in again next week.

I did suggest depression early on, and that's kind of what we went with. Depression brought on by anxiety, or some such.

I'll ask next session if she is for sure on depression, or if we can look at other possible mental conditions or whatever.

In any case, thanks for all the advice.

hypnotaste

Also, I was amazed at how she could catch on to important issues in my life by catching small details and probing around for the bigger picture. As someone who used to do that for a living (in an entirely different context), it was really a fascinating experience.

FANTOMAS

It is indeed, a fascinating experience, at this point the advice is redundant, but still, dont try to play mindgames, and always try to be honest to agree or disagree... and, just out of curiosity, did she told you that you are pretty smart/intelligent at some point during the first session?

Invisible

After you said you thought you had depression did she go through a laundry list of questions? That's basically a symptoms list that shows you meet the criteria for whatever. It's not perfect and relies on you being honest, but is a good indication that you do most likely suffer from this condition.

hypnotaste

FANTOMAS wrote: »

It is indeed, a fascinating experience, at this point the advice is redundant, but still, dont try to play mindgames, and always try to be honest to agree or disagree... and, just out of curiosity, did she told you that you are pretty smart/intelligent at some point during the first session?

yeah, actually, she did

ceres

You probably won't get the laundry list of questions at this stage; this is just therapy. It's usually non-diagnostic, and meant just for talking things out and seeing where you are. If you get referred to a psychiatrist, then you get pelted with questions like that.

hypnotaste

there was... kind of a checklist? I mean, we didn't go down the list and get a yes or no from me, but she was compiling symptoms in her head as we talked.

But yeah, she didn't just say "are you anxious? are you x? are you y?"

It was all contextual and usually just her probing the things I was telling her.

Tox

In the event that you believe you might harm yourself, know that you can walk into any hospital's front door and basically just tell them that, straight up, and they'll admit you. Almost always at least overnight. You will be seen by someone, and they will refer you to someone once you leave.

Not saying you're there, or will be, just putting that out there.