I want to champion the effects of counseling / psychotherapy for all of us who are /have been unwell

[electra]

I have a bipolar diagnosis and have struggled with my mental health for years and also was admitted to a psychiatric ward about 18 months ago for a month or so. I used to self-harm regularly and have been to such depths I thought I would never feel well again or lead a productive life.

I had always been told that since bipolar is a 'chemical' illness, only medication can address it. I have found this not to be true. The psychiatrist who looked after me when I was in hospital said that she strongly felt that psychotherapy would help me get better and reduce the possibility of further admissions. However, when I got home my own psychiatrist was unwilling to refer me for reasons known only to her.

So to cut to the chase, I have found a private psychotherapist who is absolutely brilliant and has helped me so much in just 4 months. She said she thought I need 12-24 months of work. I see her every week. Since then I have gradually felt that I am healing on the inside - other people have noticed how much better I am. We talk about my relationship with my parents and with others and she is so understanding and non-judgmental. I feel so much better I can't even describe it.

Sometimes there are 'difficult' bits to get through - I experienced flashbacks but they did not last. Afterwards I feel better. Since I was a child I got feelings of deep 'foreboding' like something bad was about to happen. These feelings are going away and I am starting to feel happy about my life.

I just wanted to share this with all of you - because you could get better too this way (I know we're all different). But I never imagined just how much this could help me. If you find the right person for you it can work wonders, honestly.

I'm glad it helped you so much electra that's brilliant.

My experience is the same - I'm about to finish counselling after about 40 sessions and it has been essential in learning to live with my child abuse history.

It is one of the reasons why I am so concerned about CBT as an answer to all counselling needs. The NHS likes it because it is short, relatively cheap and measurable (and in many cases useful) but it is not the be all and end all.

And I want to say that in many cases meds can help you be strong enough for counselling so it doesn't have to be an either/or approach. I did it without meds not because I'm so strong but because my emotions/feelings were resurfacing after 28 years of being dead and there were concerns of meds stifling that. The downside was feeling really really bad at times to the point of being suicidal. But like you that didn't last.

Hope you will continue to get better and stronger

Hello :)

I am a newbie and a lurker much of the time, but having got back from my psychotherapist this morning and seeing your post I wanted to second it.

My issues (like everyone else's of course) are complex and it has taken me years to get to a point of accepting that anti-depressants and therapy are the route to go.

It is sometimes hard, but always productive, and the non-judgemental thing is sooooo important when your childhood script is all about judgement.....

So, electra, may I offer you a high five for our positive experiences and say I too hope that other people find the help they need in whatever form it may take, and thank you for a co-incidence of validation just when I needed it?

Hope your day is just as you want it to be!

I totally agree with you electra. I too have been frustrated with the "medical model" approach. All my psychiatrist is interested in is doling out drugs.

They treat the symptoms but don't really get to the heart of the problem. I agree with you that there are people who could be helped by therapy, but instead are being drugged up to the eyeballs and are life long patients of the CMHT. It's very sad/

Thanks for replies. I do agree that meds can help and yes, you do need to be relatively stable when you begin psychotherapy but the meds won't make you better really, just stop you from going to extremes. I never felt healed by the meds. My psychiatrist is unfortunately like yours Getdown.

I have always thought psychotherapy could help me but I never knew how much. I've had CBT for an anxiety disorder (was helpful) - it's not appropriate for every mental health issue though. And the NHS only does 6 sessions of anything so just doesn't serve people who need more than that.

I'm really happy to hear that others are finding the same benefits that I am .

This is such a great and unplifting thread. I will share it with someone close to me who is at the start of the Bipolar journey, I am sure it will be v encouraging ...thank you :)

mindfulmama - it's not limited to bipolar

I don't have it - I am recovering from complex PTSD

Oh yes, sorry - I didn't mean to suggest my post was just for people with bipolar - just that I once felt that I had such a complex illness there was no way I could ever feel better.

Luckily I was wrong

Waves from the Complex PTSD corner!

I had group psychotherapy for long term depression and found it incredibly helpful, although bloody hard work. I'm pleased that others are finding help through talking therapies too. I agree it's not either/or. The way I look at it, antidepressants can help you cope in the here and now and talking therapies can help you make lasting changes so your recovery is more robust and you're less likely to become ill again.

Electra - thanks for posting this - really interesting.

I have recurring what I would class as 'chemical' or 'hormonal' depression/anxiety. Ie. it doesnt hit for a reason - just comes out of the blue and isnt related to actual things that have happened to me.

I have often wondered whether psychotherapy might help me to 'cope'with it - even though I dont have issues like abuse to deal with.

Kizzie x

Kizzie have you really ruled out any underlying reason? it doesn't have to be abuse. It is possible that you have for whatever reason developed very entrenched coping mechanisms which mean you always carry on until you get exhausted.

I know there is a school of thought that believes that some people are simply chemically depressed, but depression is always chemical, it doesn't mean the reason behind it is!

I have a friend who has concluded that her depression is simply a lack of serotonin but if you know her well and know her background it is hard to accept that (although there is nothing to accept really, it is her life, her choice)

Sorry if this is patronising - not meant to be that way...

not patronising at all madmouse - very pleased to hear any thoughts /ideas on it all.

My PND counsellor felt very strongly in my case that it is/was chemical /hormonal and a psychiatrist has agreed with that. but im very aware that psychiatrists are very medication focussed.

I have been thinking myself whether it would be worth me looking at some kind of psycho therapy.

I think there's a two-way street between mind and body/brain (or rather, they're inseparable), so of course if you're depressed you'll have altered brain chemistry but to say the brain chemistry is causing the depression is in most cases a bit simplistic. The positive and negative ways we learn to deal with life situations alter our brain chemistry as well. It's a bit like the thing where if you force yourself to smile it can actually elevate your mood a bit - it makes a tiny change to the chemicals in your brain. I think CBT works on the same principle. More in-depth talking therapies can get to the root of why we have developed negative coping strategies over the years and, perhaps, free us to develop more positive behaviour and thought patterns.

Medication can tackle the problem from one side, talking therapies can tackle it from the other. PND is incredibly common and drugs can be seen as the quicker, cheaper option. Of course there are massive hormonal upheavals when you've just been through a pregnancy and given birth but it makes me sad that more women are not offered the choice of talking therapies as well because motherhood is also a massive 'life' upheaval and can bring up all sorts of stuff about our own early childhoods, family relationships, body image, sexuality etc.

That all makes sense Parsnip - I think i do need to look more into it x