Therapy

[madas]

I am 8 months into being diagnosed with depression. I am on 20mg of citalopram and have therapy twice a month.
I have had about 6 sessions of therapy but really feel i have not moved forward is this usual ?

Hi, Madas. Sorry you're finding things hard. Your answer depends on a whole bunch of things - what kind of therapy you're doing, how you feel about your therapist, life circumstances and medication.

Your dose is really quite small; perhaps you'd like to discuss the medication with your counsellor, then go back to the doctor if you feel you could benefit from a higher dose or different meds. I had at least six different prescriptions before we found one that helps.

If you're doing quite deep work in your therapy, it is normal to feel worse over the first few months. I've found it helpful to ask counsellors to spend the last ten minutes of my sessions working on coping tools for the challenges of the week.

Above all, do be kind to yourself! If the nagging 'devil' on your shoulder's telling you You Should Be Better By Now, What's Wrong With You? - switch your focus to the caring 'angel' on the other shoulder, to remind you How Well You're Doing, You Deserve A Big Hug From You!