Is talking to a therapist worth it?

[fuzyon]

As a person that suffers from bipolar disorder, depression and bits of anxiety I tend to be sad or mad for the better part of my day, although lately I've been doing my best to smile more and be positive, but it's not easy. I was wondering if I should talk to a therapist and express my thoughts, although it's hard for me to share with other people I'm sure it would do me good to let at least one person in on my thoughts and opinions. Does anyone feel like talking to a therapist is worth it?

 

[highlight]

I think it would be worth it as long as you find a therapist you trust; that could take some time. I would like to see a therapist myself because I think it would be good for me. The challenge would be finding a person I can open up to and not feel paranoid they'll tell their wife/husband/mom/whoever.

 

[MellowCat]

Personally, I think that the benefits of talking to a therapist totally depends on the therapist. I have had ones who were very helpful and ones who really didn't get it. It can also depend on how willing you are to deal with the issues that are actually causing you problems. I spent weeks talking to a therapist about pretty much irrelevant things once because I wasn't even conscious of what the actual problem was. I've also had a therapist who seemed to be helpful when I was discussing psycho-sexual issues with her, but after we got my ex involved (which kind of has to happen at some point, yes, if you are trying to fix a problem like that in a relationship), things kind of got weird. She seemed to side with him, which really confused me, since I was the one who initially went to therapy to get help. And then after I left, my ex used that against me.


But I had a regular doctor and a nutritionist who were actually more personable and helpful than the therapists. They both really seemed sympathetic to various issues and told me I could talk to them any time.


So, it really can depend!

 

[cecejailer]

Of course it is. The problem is: most people don't find the right therapist for them and just give up. It took me years to realize that the reason why I hated therapy wasn't because of therapy itself, but because of my therapist. Then I went looking for another one and found a wonderful lady that I think is an angel sent from heaven: she understood me completely and although she didn't defend me for my bad actions, she made me realize why I feel the way I feel, and to know it was normal. She helped me deal with my mother (we were very estranged at the time, not anymore.) and she was overall a big help. I consider her the reason why I recovered from my anorexia. The thing is, you don't have to talk to your therapist about super personal stuff on the first session. Start with small talk and chitchat, tell her your interests and get to know what kind of person she is.

 

[WorkAtHomeGal]

My family doctor tries to be understanding but I mean he can only do so much. This is why he referred me to mental health. I am really annoyed at how long the process takes. November 2015 is when I had my in take appointment with someone there who at the time said I was on a priority wait list. I was told it could take 6 months or more. I eventually called them when 6 months was approaching and was told it could be 8 months. I called recently again to discuss my situation again and am now being told it could take over a year to get in. They are understaffed as well which doesn't help. It is what it is. My situation is nowhere near as bad as some people. I don't even know if therapy will help but everyone is telling me it will.

 

[angel27604]

I recently started talking to a new therapist and he is wonderful. The key is finding someone that you can open up to and be brutally honest about everything. They can give you advice and print out and coping skills that you didn't have before. Those 3 things alone help a lot for me. I get an unbiased opinion from someone that went to school to understand the issues I deal with on a day to day basis. Another thing that will hold you back from therapy being affective is getting offended when they call you out on the things that make our types of issues worse, and to acknowledge that we could do better.

 

[redpanda]

I agree that it depends on the therapist. Don't be afraid to try a few until you find someone you can trust and "click" with. Give it time, too, don't expect results immediately. I was really skeptical and didn't trust my therapist much at first but now I'm several months in and it's honestly helped. I've learned some great coping strategies that have helped with both my bipolar disorder and my anxiety disorders.

 

[Androlo]

There's certainly no harm done in giving it a go, although I do agree with others that different therapists may take different approaches. It really depends on what you want from the therapist and the way they deal will what you say to them. Some therapists are amazing, others are useless. Having said that, simply just having someone to talk to and to help you get things off your chest can be beneficial. I only saw a therapist once but I didn't feel that she was helpful at all and I probably know more about therapy now than she does.

 

[SheWrites1980]

I don't have any experience with therapy myself but I do know it is helpful for a lot of people. I think it depends on your personality and also what kind of friends, family, etc you have to talk to. Though even if you have an amazing support system, not everyone in your life is capable of giving the type of support you need. If you find yourself struggling to get people to understand what you've been experiencing, I say you should definitely talk to a therapist. I'm sure they would be able to help you.

 

[MellowCat]

I would recommend trying a few too, if you don't like the first one. I was given that option when i saw a therapist the first time, but I waited too long to change my mind, and by then only had a couple free sessions left, so I basically quit. It can be discouraging trying to find someone who clicks, but I would agree with others who have said don't give up too easily. I'm even considering starting to look again now that I have insurance and have more options. Although most things are going fine in my life right now, I do still have my issues, and a therapist can even help you with general 'life coaching' type advice as well!

 

[kgord]

I think they are helpful in a sounding board kind of way. I haven't met any who "helped me change my life" but they can sometimes give you a perspective on your situation and give you some ideas


about where to go. I think they can kind of be a release valve as well. I don't have a lot of people I can talk to, and a therapist is better than talking to no one. They can give you some attention, and feedback, but it pays to shop around.

 

[Alex]

Having had therapy, both good and bad, I would recommend it, but also you must go in with the attitude that you are willing to work at it. Therapy is hard work and you will have to address things you may prefer not to, but you can't heal until you find that courage and it can take time. I had a good therapist and a not so good one afterwards. In fact the latter regressed me, but when I spoke to the trust and told them to find me a different therapist and why, they told me I needed to see the same one again and to tell him why I refused to see him.


I was petrified, but in the end it was the right thing they suggested as I was able to tell the therapist what they did 'wrong' and was could use therapy as a tool to help me again. It does take time, and some sessions will help, and others may drain you, but I would recommend it. Finding a therapist you trust can take time too, months so never rush and if you don't gel with them they won't take it personally.

 

[ineedmystrength]

I would definitely recommend talking to a therapist. It's helped me immensely. It took me a few tries to find the person that was right for me,and I had trouble keeping an open mind at first. With that being said, however, once I found the therapist I really clicked with, I've been able to make huge strides of improvement. And, like it has already been said, you need to be willing to put in the work to notice a change, but finding the right person to do the work with is equally as important. Therapy truly is a useful tool when battling mental health issues.

 

[Robilas]

As a person that suffers from bipolar disorder' date=' depression and bits of anxiety I tend to be sad or mad for the better part of my day, although lately I've been doing my best to smile more and be positive, but it's not easy. I was wondering if I should talk to a therapist and express my thoughts, although it's hard for me to share with other people I'm sure it would do me good to let at least one person in on my thoughts and opinions. Does anyone feel like talking to a therapist is worth it?[/quote']
Seeing a therapist is always a good idea, especially if it comes from yourself and you are not feeling forced. Even if you are having minor problems and you think that you can cope with them by yourself, the therapist can help you in this process avoiding more serious issues. Don't be afraid to go to a therapist and don't feel ashamed: it's not a bad thing, but it shows that you are willing to fight your problems and don't give up. Worst case scenario, you can just go to a therapist once and see how it goes.

 

[willpowers9999]

Talking to a therapist is worth it, but I don't know if it is necessarily worth all the money. Many therapists are extremely expensive. I suggest talking to them only if there is truly no one that you can talk to. After all, it is much better to open up to a best friend or family member, someone who knows you and is willing to listen. I find it sort of unnerving to open up and be vulnerable to a complete stranger, but if you can do it, then more power to you. I suggest trying to find someone you know, though. Your friends and family are there for you, and they are willing to listen.

 

[Panic57]

I don't think going to a therapist is worth it. I went for a couple months and it was to expensive just to get pills. We would keep on rehashing dark moments to point out why I have depression even though it's a biological problem. If anything, I think I was more depressed after going to a session with a therapist. Halfway through, I simply stopped taking the anti-depressants and felt better. Instead of a ongoing depression with flatline emotions, I now have good day and I have bad days.

 

[hades_leae]

If it is possible to set up interviews for some of them, I would recommend doing that because you don't want to get caught up with a therapist who you really just didn't like, or did not become comfortable around. I would sit down with them and talk about both of us. Ask them any questions that come to your mind, also write some down ahead a time.


I don't know if you can email them online by finding their email address, but I know you can find numbers, and call them, but I don't recommend choosing your therapist just because of a phone conversation, as you might get there and not like them in person.

 

[samijean]

I agree with other posters saying that it depends on the therapist. I've been with mine for around two years and she is amazing. Talking to her really helps me understand my thoughts and feelings, and she helps me learn coping techniques. My insurance covers mine, so I would suggest seeing if yours does too. If it does, I would definitely recommend going to see one because it literally changed my life. If you do decide to see one, I hope you find one that you like. Good luck!

 

[bebeleblanc]

I feel that talking to therapists can be beneficial because it gives you a sense of outside perspective. Things like bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety have a tendency to trap us in our own heads and it's good to step back and see issues from a different light. If you aren't comfortable talking to the people in your life about these issues, or if those people in your life aren't helpful (or if you need to talk to somebody about them cause their actions are part of the problem), finding a trained, unbiased professional that can lend an ear is something that can be really helpful for people, in my opinion.

 

[pnx626]

I wasn't super sold on seeing a therapist for a long while since I'm not very good at opening up to strangers, or opening up period really. What helped me a lot was actually going to group therapy sessions first, since it was a bunch of people talking about what they struggled with I found it a lot easier to open up since I could be like 'hey I had that problem too'. And since there was a therapist in the room I got used to the sort of questions that they would ask. Now for next year I'm looking into maybe doing one-on-one therapy.


I'd actually say that it can be a lot better talking to a professional rather than friends or family since sometimes for me at least some of what makes me upset comes from them, plus they can be super biased in how they see your problems. It's nice to talk to someone with a completely outside perspective.