counselling...advice how to go about it in france

[pillowcase]

I've just reported a crime that will have a huge effect on my family, but am totally convinced that it needed to be reported. I'm a nervous wreck ever since. Hives. Spots. trembling, not sleeping, waiting for the police to take action.

Plenty of people have suggested I get counselling. Problem is I live in France (crime was reported abroad) so there's no automatic help unless I go looking for it. How do I do it? Go to my local doc? Is counselling in France good? Anyone got any advice please

I am not sure how it works in France. But can you re-approach the police and ask them for contact numbers for extra support. Do they have anything like Victim Support over there? What about using the internet to research what is available? Sounds like Post-Traumatic symptoms.

Thanks JohFlow,
I could just go to my GP but would find it hard to go to appointments if I had to go to nearest city, for example. So wanted an idea if it will really help. Plenty of people seem to recommend counselling at home, but I don't know if it's good here. Perhaps it'll be like childbirth which is mostly medicalised. I don't want to be put on drugs iyswim.

pillowcase,
I don't think you need to see a GP to have counselling, you can go and see a 'psychoterapeute' or a 'psychologue' directly. If you can't travel to the appointement, then your GP may be able to give the name of someone willing to come to your place. In France they tend to put you on drugs very easily, but if you say to your GP that you don't want any, he will understand.
I don't know if there is anything like Victim Support here, but if you need to speak to hesitate to contact SOS amitie. They also have a number for english speakers (called SOS help). It is not counselling but they can listen to you 24/24, very useful if you need to speak to someone in the middle of the night (that's anonymous).

I should have written 'if you need to speak to someone don't hesitate to contact SOS amitie.'

thanks tandfmum,

I didn't see your response until now.

I went to my GP finally as I was really suffering and she gave me homeopathic anxiety pills to take for 3 weeks as well as a naturopath's contact details. She deals with stress management and sophrology and other things I've never heard of. So, so far, the drugs-free gentle approach which I'm happy about.

After my first session with naturopath I might look up, or ask about psychologue/psychotherapeute/SOS amitie. I get the impression from the first two that it'll be old-fashioned image of Freudian psychology as opposed to counselling that everyone seems to recommend.

thanks again