clinical psychologist

[mypip]

a letter came from clinical psychology about new appointments. my GP knows i see a consultant psychiatrist, a new cpn and herself, yet thought a psychologist could help. i'm not sure: i saw one for 20+ sessions about 2 years ago and declined a further psychologist from the dapartment and joined the waiting list instead. i don't really want to go, but my GP and sister, who works in the NHS insist. AIBU? i have a diagnosis of recurrent depn with anxiety.

may i add: it was the first psychologist that referred me, not my GP, and i feel quite weak and mentally vulnerable about seeing another psychologist. thankyou for any helpful comment or experience you would like to relate.

As you may know from previous experiences, the psychologist should work very differently to the professionals you currently work with (who are all trained in the medical model of mental health while the psychologist will take a slightly different view ) the psychologist should help you identify your goals and help you work towards a life that is better and more meaningful for you. I'm sure they would be open to discussing your worries about it when you meet for the first session? If you don't like it then you don't have to go back

thankyou blue2014, yes, i would think they would be open to my apprehensions on the first session, and if i felt it made me worse my GP said she would write a letter.

I saw a clinical psychologist in addition to pdoc and CPN and found it very helpful. I would suggest going along and giving it s try. If you don't like it, stop going. Was your previous psychologist a clinical one? They tend to be much better trained--needing a PhD and a number of years practice before qualifying. Plus every psychologist is different so don't judge the new one on your experiences with the old one.

thankyou dontrunwithscissors. yes, the previous was a clinical psychologist, about 20 monthly sessions, and before that a private psychologist for 10 (£400!). my GP said it's 6 sessions after an assessment, which is much shorter.

I see. Do you think you've got any thing to lose by giving it a go? What was the problem with the first? I do think that a good psychologist can make an amazing difference. A poor one can be damaging.

I too have a diagnosis of depression and anxiety, which fluctuates and can be severe at times. I'm totally done with therapists/psychologists. They are just no help to me at all and I've seen several different ones, some private, some NHS. My depression started 20 years ago after the death of my closest friend and I had a major episode and was an IP for 3 months. I started on meds and made a complete recovery. Had no more trouble for 13 years (apart from when I tried coming off meds) and so just stayed on them. In 2008 I began to see a therapist who had an expertise in helping people come off meds and I thought it was time that I did come off them. She advise how to come off them - very gradually and I was fine, and reduced monthly over 10 months. By the summer of 2009 I was off them altogether and felt really pleased. However by December 2009 I had relapsed and in March 2010 was again an IP for 3 months but this time haven't made a complete recovery. I am absolutely convinced (as was the psychiatrist) that had I not come off the meds I wouldn't have relapsed.

I too have a CPN and see a conslt psych every month (or more often if necessary) and my CPN asked if I would like to be referred for therapy so I agreed - thought nothing ventured nothing gained. I had some 20 sessions with a clinical psychologist on the NHS so was lucky in that respect. She was very nice and caring but no help at all with my depression. In fact she sort of refused to believe that I was having these fluctuations, where I could be fine one day and shite the next and so on. She only ever saw me once when I was having a really bad day and she was quite shocked. I told her that was what happened on bad days (crying/shaking/scared) but she still didn't really ever take it on board. I didn't mind seeing her on good days as we had some interesting discussions about mental health, but I was frustrated that she was minimising my difficulties with the fluctuations in my mood. She has since offered to see me again but I have declined.

I think one of the problems with MH issues is that there seem to be 2 models (medical model) and (Psychological model) and I know a combination of the two can be helpful for many people but it didn't help me, whereas I know the meds do help me. I think if there some underlying trauma that is at the root of the depression then therapy is probably a good idea, and I did have the opportunity to talk about the death of my friend, and the therapist commented that there was still a lot of "raw emotion" there and she was right, but I honestly don't think another 20 sessions or 100 sessions would make any difference to me.

Horses for courses I think.

dontrunwithscissors: no i probably don't have anything to lose. i felt that the psychologist went too deep with me, emotionally if that makes sense and i had a poor spell, so it's been enough just seeing the consultant, cpn and GP.
my GP tells me the psychologist can add something, and has 12 month's waiting time; it's the thought of exploring things again in depth, and though i have more medication now i still get some agoraphobia going out and terrible heads when i can't think or talk which would make it difficult to benefit from a psychology appointment. yet as you say i could give it a try and may find it different to last time. thankyou again.

nananina: i am sorry you have suffered so, and hope you are finding relief and remedy with your current consultant and cpn; fancy the psychologist being shocked seeing you having a bad day- you would think she would have given you comfort or reassurance (with my psychologist i felt things went too deep).
i think my meds help me too, and i'm getting to know my new GP and CPN (who visits me), i may try some sessions with the new psychologist- but very cautiously, i also get bouts of crying, shaking and being afraid, and of when my mind seems to go disorientated and confounded, so you do have my sympathy nananina. God bless.

donotrunwithscissors: i was just thinking, my apprehension about seeing another and second psychologist is about 'going deep' into things and 'changing' things. i think it's brave to see a psychologist but i think they say about not going if you are not ready, or not up to it. this is crossing my mind at the moment- it's enough just coping everyday with a mental health condition. nevertheless i know you tell me you found it helpful which is really good.

thankyou for your responses; may i ask for more comments or experiences?

I was just going to add that I found the psych I saw most helpful in terms of discussing previous epsiodes, identifying triggers and coping strategies. We developed a 4 page relapse signature that I've refined over time. So it was really quite a practical thing. I thought before starting seeing her that I already knew my coping strategies and there wasn't any benefit , but I learnt that there's always more to learn. She was very good and happy to take my lead in terms of what I wanted. I'm sure not all psychologists are that good--but you never know until you've seen someone.

donotrunwithscissors: thankyou for your message; i'm glad your psychologist helped you so.

i phoned the psychology dept and they were ok about it: come for the first appointment and they/ we can see where psychology can help- if i'm not up to it (some commitment is required) then they will say so, not just me, and they may suggest an alternative or to have fewer appts, as they do with some individuals. so while i'm not having a good day (horrible disabling anxiety etc..) i feel better about the appts. thanks blue2014, dontrunwithscissors and nananina.

Hope it goes well

Good luck.

thankyou!