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Nervous about tomorrow!...Will be speaking with a counselor about my anxiety!
So I'm seeing a licensed professional counselor tomorrow over my issues with anxiety. How does a first appointment typically go? How awkward is it talking to a complete stranger? What if she thinks I'm crazy and has me committed? I'm just really nervous about it! I've been taking Zoloft for like 10 days now and haven't noticed any improvement, only on a 25 mg dose. What if she can't even help me? I mean, I've been this way for years and what if I'm not ready to change. I think I am because I'm tired of living this way but what if I'm not really willing to do the work it will involve? I don't like doing things that are outside of my comfort zone. Will talking to someone even help? Someone please respond because I'm totally freaking out right now.
Best Answer
They will ask what brought you to them, and to tell them about yourself. Don't worry about this, they will lead you with questions, and once you start talking the easier it gets. I found it easier to talk with a stranger, you know you're getting a totally unbiased opinion, and they don't judge you. This is their specialty and nothing you say will shock them. You're not crazy, nor will she think you are, so please don't worry about this. You will find the fear of talking to someone is actually much worse than actually doing it. It will feel good to be able to express yourself. If you've never had therapy then there is a very good chance that it will help you. Anxiety usually has a root cause and often once you can figure out what that is, you will learn how to deal with it, and help your anxiety. The only change you can expect is in learning how to view things in life differently, or learn coping skills, to stop or ease your anxiety. Talking to a therapist never hurts and can be a great help. Keep in mind that this is your decision and you are in control, nobody else. I found it to be very interesting and even fun to learn some things about myself. It's really not a big deal. Your medication needs a few more weeks to reach a therapeutic level, so be patient. You're taking your first big step towards getting better, be proud of this and stay strong. After your first visit you will find each one easier and may even look forward to them. She will know how difficult this is for you, so she will help you with all this. Get a good night's sleep knowing tomorrow you will start taking back your life! Take care and keep us posted!
Zoloft like many medications takes a while to take effect so it will take some time before you are able to see it start to work for what it is treating. They will also raise the dose to what they feel is an appropriate amount over time until it build up to a proper blood level. Just give it some time. As regarding a counselor best to just explain to them what is going on just like any other doctor. It was unnerving for me and many people here to go to the first appointment but the more you explain what is going on in your life and what's wrong, the better they will be able to help you.
Thank you both for your responses. It's going to be really difficult for me to talk to someone about myself. Sure, I can make general conversations with customers at work but that's different. This is going to be all about me and that just seems so uncomfortable. I guess it's a necessary evil though because I don't know what else to do. I feel like I've wasted so many years of my life and I'm tired of living this way. I've had no forward progress for like 10 years now I just do the same thing day after day. I'm 26 years and have never even been in a relationship. Friends that I had in high school have careers, husbands, kids, or some combination of the 3. I'm still working at the same lousy job I had back then. My sister is 6 years younger than me, is in colllege, in serious relationship, and is out living on her own. As for me, I'm still living at home and dropped out of college several years ago because I wouldn't take public speaking. How can I ever fix all of this? Maybe I'm beyond help? Yeah, it's easier to post on here but sitting face to face saying all this to someone is going to be humiliating.
Don't be so hard on yourself. You are still very young and have a lot of life ahead of you. Depression can rob us of our goals, ambition, get in the way of relationships, etc. Dwell on the fact that now YOU are taking control of your life, the depression will no longer hold you back. A lot of us have been in the same job for a long time, but in this economy we're lucky to have even the lousy jobs. First things first. You need to get better so that you can start moving forward, so one step at a time. Remember YOU will set the pace with talking, you can go as slow as you want. Make it general and go from there, nobody says you have to start out full steam ahead, go at your pace. The past is just that...the past. You can't change it, but you can decide how your future will be, and you are fixing it now. You've started medication and going to therapy, this is huge!! You have no reason to be humiliated, all of us have been thru this, and depression is so common now, you'd be surprised to find out how many people around you suffer from it and are on medication. You're only 26, start looking ahead, I think you are going to see and feel some big changes in yourself and your life. You're in control, and I will be thinking of you tomorrow. Please let us know how it goes!
hey i just read this and i hope it went well for you i went and saw a therapist for the first time yesterday. i thought the same thing that she would think i was crazy but it helped when i asked what the wierdest thing she had seen was. and beleive me i didn't feel half as bad after she told me some really wierd stories about some encounters she had. but yeah i hope everything went well for you
Hey! Well, it was an interesting experience. I did find it weird talking to a complete stranger. That however didn't stop me from telling her some things that I've never talked about with anyone else before. After I left her office is when I really got panicky thinking about all the things I told her. I still wonder what she really thought about me and if she is going to be able to help me at all. She said it sounds like I have generalized anxiety disorder. I have another appointment next week. Thanks for your post. Hope everything is going well for you too.
I'm glad it went well. She has heard far worse than you could ever imagine and they don't judge you. They are trained to understand the mind and this disorder, so never feel like she is judging you. Take time to reflect on what you discussed and you may want to make notes about things you want to talk to her about next week. A big step you took there....congratulations!
Thanks for your advice and support. Hopefully I'm on the right path to getting my issues resolved. At least I'm trying something given I've been stuck in a rut for years now. The only problem is my anxiety is so high right now that I wasn't really listening to much of what she was saying. It's not that I wasn't trying my mind is just racing and I'm having a difficult time concentrating most of the time. She could see that and said that I need something short-term, in addition to the Zoloft, to try to get my anxiety down. She called my doctor but he had left for the day so I guess I'll find out tomorrow what he wants to do.
I'm glad your therapist has your back with the meds. Are they in the same office? Is your doctor a psychiatrist? That is a step you might want to take, they are better able to monitor medications. Congradulations of seeing the therapist. I reacently started seeing one again, too. It's a work in progress, but a big step. good luck.
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