does therapy work

I am not sure how to ask this, i have been in therapy for major depressive disorder, and post traumatic stress, anxiety and panic attacks. Anyway i have a good relationship with my therapist and he was very good and interested in helping me but now i feel he is loosing patientence with me he tells me that i need to start taking control of things in my life and i feel that he has lost interest, can that happen, why would he do that, also the way he speaks to me has changed. I also suffer from suicidal thoughts and he knows this but it seems like there is nothing he can do, i am scared he won't be there for me anymore. He has mentioned medication and i refuse to take it so maybe he won't try to help me now, i constantly worry about what he thinks of me and how he responds to me, maybe this is more my problem than his. My question is, can that happen can your therapist loose interest in you and why would they?

[heyjude1]

Maybe he is tryng to tell you it is time to take what you have learned about yourself and let the bad stuff go and put the past behind you and take the coping skills you have learned and go forward.  OR, perhaps he feels that you are not benefiting from the therapy as much as you should be and thinks a medication would be helpful in assisting.  I don't think he has lost interest but feels you need to let go of the past and go forward, in short, stop blaming the past for your problems , put it behind you and forget it, it's gone, over with,  and start thinking forward instead of backwards.  Perhaps you should just ask him what he means and why?.

[dwt7let]

Hi Sharon
I did counselling for seven years with people with drink problems/ various emotional
problems.
Maybe he thinks you should take medication in order to heal and have a rest from all your stresses, he also might be very concerned as you have spoke about suicide.
It sounds as if he is feeling as out of control as you feel, the thing with counselling
it is about being genuine and honest.
Also to only go with the client and at there pace, its impossible to motivate someone who is severely depressed, maybe thats why he thinks medication might help.
I have depression linked to my thyroid problem so I know how debilitating it can be.
Be honest with your counsellor how you feel and how you feel he is loosing interest
that maybe the first step in moving forward in your relationship.
I remember when I've felt ill worrying about what people thought of me its the illness that causes this it takes away your confidence.
Be kind to yourself!!!
Kind Regards
Lorraine xx

[shaz853]

Thanks for your comments, i can sort of see where he may be coming from and i need to motivate myself and try and move on, in refusing the medication i know i am not helping myself. I am going to tell him in our next session how i feel and perhaps as you say Lorraine it is the illness because i constantly worry about what people think of me. I am constantly depressed and have suicidal thoughts i was hospitalized in January for a while but it didn't help and things have gotten worse since then. Anyway thanks for your help. Sharon

[RefractoryMan]

I would have to say that your question would really depend on many factors such as, how severe and chronic is your depression? Is your depression mostly situational or is it more chemical and biological.

For example you can not take a person that sufferes from very severe chronic depression or Bi-polar depression and throw them in Therapy and expect that to help. I'm sorry to say that in such a case the therapy alone would do nothing.

Then again if you take a person that has been depressed for several months because of situational life event then yes I think just therapy may be very helpful.

Can't speak for every person with Chronic Major Depressive and anxiety dissorder, but that's me and I have done much therapy in the past. Unfortunatly for me and because of my condition therapy did not help.

In therapy I did learn a lot about myself and the people in my life which was a good thing I guess, but talk therapy and later CBT therapy did nothing at all to help with the horrible symptoms of my depression. Only meds were able to do that.

Some people are very afrade of taking meds for their depression and to them I say, "if you can manage day to day and be productive and functional then maybe it's best you don't take meds."

If your depression is simply killing you and crushing your brain (that was the case with me) then I say absolutly take medication. Depression at it's worst hurts like hell and can make a person completly non-fuctional. In that case it's an easy choice to make. I always say, "if your depression is bad enough then trust me you will take medication." Some have no idea just how bad it can get when it's raging at it's worst.
Mine was hurting so bad that I had to be hospitalized and I was in such pain that I would have done and taken anything to make it go away.

I think that's the real story with talk therapy. Great for mild situational depression, but almost never helps if the depression is very severe.

[shaz853]

Thankyou for your comment, i have moderate to severe major depressive disorder and medication and therapy together were advised but i am afraid of medication but i know that in some cases it is necessary, i was hospitalized for being suicidal and again medication was discussed but i refused but i guess as you say if it was bad enough i would take it. My whole life has been affected by this and it is hard to function normally getting out of bed is hard most days and i just want to stay at home and do nothing i am so tired all the time and i battle with anxiety and panic attacks, and i still have suicidal thoughts, i have small children and my husband had to give up work to help me, i feel so guilty because i have lost all interest. I suppose i know medication is maybe needed. Again thankyou for your input.

[therese83]

I am on medication and living a full life now.  My career is going great and i have a terrific relationship with my four children,



My Doctor said to me "you do not have to keep suffering like this".

That changed my mind, there is too much stigma attached to medication.

[RefractoryMan]

I would have to agree with Therese, there is a lot of stigma attached to Psychotropic medications of anykind. People that don't suffer this disease don't understand and they never will.

From your description of your symptoms I would say your depression is at least at a moderate level, not to mention the anxiety. I also suffer very bad generalized anxiety with my Depression. They play together like two little peas in a pod.

Your hurting my dear and the quality of your life is suffering. I would say in your case that medication would be a wise choice. Life is too short to be racked with the symptoms of this disease all the time.

I used to be like you many years ago. I was afrade of meds. I thought they would make me feel weird or Lobotimized. That was not true at all. I'm still me only without the mad storm in my head and body all the time.

Don't get me wrong, I still have symptoms of depression and anxiety but the meds help a lot. If it makes you feel less afrade just look at what I must take to keep my symptoms at bay:
1300 Mgs of Lithium Carbonate (That is a huge dosage, but even with that my blood lithium level is still only 0.8 which is very safe) This is because I am VERY medication resistance.
200 Mgs of Lamictal
20 Mgs of a Tri-cyclic antidepressant called Protriptilyne (a very powerful neurotenergic antidepressant) it makes SSRI's look like candy.
2 Mgs a day of Klonopin for Anxiety
and 10Mgs a day of Paxil, but this is only to offset one of the side effects of the Protriptilyne.

The above is more than a lab monkey would be subjected to, but being honest that after so many years of taking antidepressants I have slowly become resistant to their theraputic effects. That is why I must augment my antidepressant so it works better.

This would not be the case with you and perhaps just 150 mgs of Effexor and maybe 1/2 mg of Klonopin a day would break you out of you depression. I mention Effexor because it is a more energizing antidepressant and works good for the kind of depression that causes massive lathargy and fatuge. (don't listen to all the bad things people say about Effexor) Yes if you stop it fast you feel sick for awhile, but it's a very safe and time tested antidepressant. If you do go with Effexor XR make sure you insist on the name brand NOT THE GENERIC. People are having problems with the Generic Effexor XR.

It will take about 6 weeks at a dosage between 75 and 225 mgs a day before you notice any relief. Keep in mind you may feel worse the first couple weeks. This is normal as your system is adjusting to the drug. It will pass. Most people on Effexor find relief between 150 to 300. Some as high as 375 it just depends on the person and level of depression.

Why do I recomend Effexor XR? Because it works when often times SSRI's do not.
I can't take Effexor anymore because I have become completly resistant to it. Most people do not build a resistance like that, but my body just seems to be good at it.

[shaz853]

It sounds like medication really works for you, i was prescribed the SSRI's you mentioned its called Estilocphram not sure about the spelling but something like that. I was on medication about ten years ago and took an allergic reaction to it and recently i was ill and took an allergy to the medication to thin my blood so thats why i'm scared, i was offered the chance of going to hospital to start the medication so i can feel safer, but the hospital scares me too as its a psychartic hospital and i don't like being there because of the panic attacks i like to escape when i have them, although my experience of hospital wasn't too bad they were very nice, i just don't like being made to stay somewhere. I know though the time has come to decide before it gets too bad. Thanks you have helped reassure me that its not all bad.

[M4Y0U]

The stigma to medication comes from the placebo being as effective as the actual medication on many cases. What you think will work is most likely to work let it be medication, psychotherapy, diet, exercise, social or whatever you think might work might just work. You can be conscious or unconscious of what you thing will work tho and I must admit that this is a problem.

We see the same thing happens in biology. See Bruce Lipton's the Biology of Beliefs.

M4

[shaz853]

Hi, yeah i can see what you mean, i'm still not sure about medication i will wait a while longer to decide. My therapist is starting intensive therapy hopefully soon for post traumatic stress so i will see how i cope then, he would prefer i was on medication before that but its my choice so i will see how it goes. Thanks

[therese83]

The Stigma is because people do not want to admit to having a mental illness because of the way it is viewed by society.  Stigma has nothing to do with Placebo effect?

If the medication working is all in our minds, then how come the  " 'best anti depressant' which is very good and will help you sleep 'Remeron' " did nothing for me, i stayed awake for one month in severe depression.

So i went on an  Effexor - worked, full remission of symptoms

Then a New revolutionary medication was released VALDOXAN, i moved over to this to face a complete relapse, in fact I became worse, even though the Doctor who i trust was raving about it and was involved in the trials.  I trust her totally !

Returned to another  Cymbalta - worked

This cannot be explained by placebo effect

Not everything you read is true and the anti medication people can sell their books because of the stigma.  

By speaking against medication here, you may turn this person off which can lead to a worsening of their symptoms, and you can't be sure either about what you say, but you say it so strongly as if it is the truth, you are going on what you read, I think you are taking a risk with someones health and well being i really do.  It is better to speak at least about ones own experience.

People can always 'trial' medication for three months to see how it works.

[shaz853]

I can see that medication is probably maybe best tried before i will decide what to do, maybe i would feel so much better or maybe not but i won't know unless i try, i worry about allergic reactions but again i won't know unless i try. Thanks everyone

[heyjude1]

Hi.  I've been on medication for 25 yrs. and I went thru intensive therapy and it did help  learning coping skills, however, I did not find dwelling into the past  that helpful for me.   I have used the coping skills all these years and it helps but not enough to keep my depression at bay.
  
I am Bipolar and suffer from severe depression that has been a fight all my life.  I can tell you from my personal experience, there is no way therapy alone will help me...I am way too deep in severe depression.  When in a deep depression  I cannot even stay focused long enough to understand what someone is saying.  It's like the mind is on  auto pilot and goes to depressive thoughts or just zoning.  If you are having severe depression, as the poster above mentioned, the "chemicals in your brain" must be put in check before you are able to focus on anything.  
One other thing I have learned, severe depressions does not go away on it's own;  it is almost impossible to pull yourself up .  Deep depression left untreated without medications will continue to progress.
Sorry this is so lenghty but I suggest you reconsider medication.

[M4Y0U]

I'm not anti-medications. I have been on Cymbalta for 5 months then stopped cold turkey some weeks ago. Anyway i didn't say it was just a placebo effect. All i wanted to do is to tell people to learn about the placebo effect and use it and that some people get a relief from placebos even tho its not medication. Each case is unique and thats why the first place to start is with a therapy.

[Minisharpiee]

I think you need to listen to your therapist and take control of your life. he's trying to give you tough love and make you realize he can give you advice  but you have to be strong enough to get up and try to make yourself happier. he's not getting tired of you he just wants to know everything he is telling you is actually having an impact and you will actual do something. the anti depresents can help a lot but if you don't wanna do it maybe turn to god start going to church.  you have to be strong if you want to beat depression


goodluck

[shaz853]

Can i just say to heyjude1 you keep mentioning that i need to forget about the past how do you know that is my past that bothers me, its actually a traumatic experience that happend five months ago that bothers me and to be honest i haven't dealt with it yet and at the minute i'm not ready too. I learnt alot in Cbt for panic attacks and for years i used these tools to cope with life so far and i actually done quite well. I don't live in the past but sometimes things happen that trigger alot of stuff that its hard to move on from. I was only diagonised with depression in December and i am still trying to make sense of my life and what happened and how it has changed me. I know that i will probably need medication at some point and some time i will maybe give in and take them. I think its hard for me to accept how depressed i am maybe that is my biggest problem. I appreciate your input though and i met some other people who were Bipolar when i was in hospital and made some good friends there. Thanks

[shaz853]

You say you have to be strong to beat depression, i would say that people who suffer from depression are already strong for the simple fact that they keep going. I try daily to get my life back to normal and i get up everyday and look after my children i consider that to be strong. As for my therapist you are probably right he wants to know that i am listening to him and i mostly do but when i am feeling at my lowest what he says doesn't have much impact so he should understand that. Thanks for your input, i appreciate all comments.

[shaz853]

M4YOU, why would you leave here, if it helps stay here and i for one value your input. Everyone always has something different to say about their experiences and well everyone behaves differently, i know that maybe my views on medication wouldn't help some people but i believe that people should do what helps them and if medication is needed for some then so be i am just afraid thats all. The sun is shining today and that helps a bit i am going to take one day at a time for now and see how i cope with intensive therapy for now. I think you should stay on here after all your experience and advice can help others. Sharon

[heyjude1]

I don't know that my experience helps anyone anymore than anyone else does.  However, it may be Bipolar depression but it is still depression.  All I can do is post my experience with hopes that it does help someone, the same way everyone else does.  

[therese83]

People who have been through the illness give very good insight into he situation.
"You are bipolar depressive...how do you think you are going to help people"
I don't understand that statement at all?

I saw an expert speaking  on Bipolar disorder and she had it herself !
What are you on about, I have depression and i am one of the most capable people I know.

Very strange , all these so called 'normal people' can often give the worst advise, like "pull yourself together" "take this plant" "I also had a bad childhood" "I recovered without anything"  "You are far too sensitive"   "Have you tried kinesiology?" LOL...  etc, you know the usual BS.

[heyjude1]

Thank you for your support.  I suppose there is still a big stigma that because one is Bipolar they are crazy.  I was dx with Major Despression for 22 yrs. before being dx. with Bipolar.  My dx is Bipolar I w/o physcosis as a Result of Major Depression.   My moods can go from elated feeling of happiness to severe depression very quickly. I do not "see things" or "hear voices",.  I have never physcially hurt anyone and have no desire to hurt someone. I am normal in everyway except for my mood swings that are controlled by a mood stailizer. I still have the same feelings of depression as anyone else..sometimes severe and sometimes not so severe.

I beleive people are not educated on Bipolar and that is why the stigma.  I also believe alot of people that have been dx with depression are actually bipolar.  I took Physcology classes in school but I am not way a doctor, physcologist or a theraspist..but Ihave my own experience with mental illiness and only wish to help someone by relating to what I have been thru.  I am just a plain old person that cares about people.  Thank you again.  Hey Jude