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Is counselling supposed to make you feel worse??

Posted , 8 users are following.

amy75782
amy75782

Hi, I had my 2nd counselling session today at my GP surgery. It makes me feel stupid and really tense like I'm going to cry but stop myself. When I leave I just cry and feel even more depressed about my health anxiety. Is this normal? I don't feel very comfortable with the lady, she is nice but u don't feel like I can fully open up.

Should I stop going? I can't believe that it will work!

1 like, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • andrew57141
    andrew57141 amy75782

    Posted

    I have seen a few of counsellers some made me feel bad some ok....but I realised I was looking for something that they couldnt give.....to care....they was cold...

    CBT was better....this is just my experience .

     

    • amy75782
      amy75782 andrew57141

      Posted

      What is the difference in CBT? I was offered that but never went.
  • hannah53
    hannah53 amy75782

    Posted

    I would suggest looking for another place to have councelling if you don't feel comfortable. If she's a normal doctor Theres a chance are knows nothing about depression. Have you any close to you who would maybe come with you to support you next time? Pls try and preserver though because talking about it can help you get to the bottom of what can be making you feel this war. Dont worry you not alone Hun, remember there ally of people in your shoes and you should never feel ashamed
    • amy75782
      amy75782 hannah53

      Posted

      She is a proper counsellor she comes to the surgery a couple of times a week. I just don't get how it is going to work I suffer from health anxiety worrying I'm ill all the time x
    • hannah53
      hannah53 amy75782

      Posted

      I had terrible panic attacks a couple of years ago, anxiety and felt as though I was never going to change my situation. A friend mentioned meditation and since doing it I've felt a huge benifit from doing this everyday. There are do naby different types and styles to choose from. I often put headphones I at night and listen to one that sends me to sleep. If you look on u tube you'll find lots in there. Also I found talking about my problems with one person always helped more than with another. You really need to feel comfortable.yiull find the right person Soon enough and things will start falling into place. I also found writing a diary helped. Write about the positive and negatives. Try and focus on what you need to change, what you think makes you feel like you do. What you want to do to change things and how you want to set yourself goals. Tiny steps but it will help once you start noticing progress. If you ever need to speak personally please feel free to

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  • andrew57141
    andrew57141 amy75782

    Posted

    CBT helped to understand the chain of thought and why and how it happens.

    But as ever I started to feel better and didnt finish it but ....it was alot to do with the person......you should do what ever makes you feel better but its about the person for me....

  • chris47605
    chris47605 amy75782

    Posted

    Hi Amy,

    It sounds as if you are really holding back your emotions when in the councelling session. Remember, your therapist will not be judging you, if you feel like crying the best thing you can do is to just let it out.

    I had really bad health anxiety and luckily found a good therapist who helped me through it. It is an easily resolved disorder if you are given the right information and work hard at the homework that the therapist will set you. It might be worth looking for a different counsellor - it's quite important that you get the right one!! you need to find one who really understands what you are going through. CBT will definetly help you, the mind is made up of loads of different neural networks......at the moment you will have strong connections between disturbing thoughts and a feared response. You need to create new healthy networks in your mind and make them stronger than the old ones. It's all a matter of knowledge and practice! But it's not too difficult if you are taught properly.

    The reason you feel worse after the sessions is because you will have been pushing the fears and thoughts to the back of your mind and when in councelling you have to talk about them bringing them back into the conscious mind! It's completely normal and something you will just have to accept and brace when going through councelling- with time this will die down! It's just a lot of stuff you have been trying to forget coming to the front of your mind.

    Remember, this anxiety is only temporary- you are on the right track to recovery and so long as you stay motivated to get better you absolutely will! I know its sh*t now but you will overcome this! It's hard work but will forge you into a really strong, wise and well rounded person! The most brilliant and happy people in the world have been through terrible times!

    You can and will beat this! Just keep looking for help, read as many self help books as you can. A good start would be a book called 'mind over mood'!

    If you want any more advise let me know....

    Good luck

  • athol91131
    athol91131 amy75782

    Posted

     Do you trust them, like them, feel like they care about you, see them as a knowledgeable friend (known as the 'therapeutic relationship') which it doesn't sound as if you do.  If not, you either need to talk to them about how you feel about them and how you feel the therapy isnt going to work or find another therapist. If they make you feel stupid you need to tell them this and talk it over with them. if they dont respond empathically then dont go anymore and tell your gp about it to get referred to someone else.
    • athol91131
      athol91131 amy75782

      Posted

      and is it that you dont like her personally? or is it that you dont like being in a situation where your uncomfortable feelings are coming up? in other words is she communicating with you and that is bringing up uncomfortable feelings or is she just not relating to, and understanding you, at all?
    • amy75782
      amy75782 athol91131

      Posted

      It's harsh for me to say I don't like her because I don't know her, but I don't feel like she gets me like my GP. I don't tent to trust people for a while maybe that's the problem.
  • jinny23
    jinny23 amy75782

    Posted

    Hi Amy

    I've done counselling and CBT at very dufficult times in my life and both have been really helpful.

    I found CBT much harder work because with counselling your input is on the spot, more of a verbal expression of your thoughts whereas CBT really needs you to go away and do some solid work. Also, depending on how you tackle the CBT, you may have a great deal of reading to do. You need to be very motivated in that case.

    I have to say I wasn't that motivated to do extra reading or self help in the early days maybe because I felt I was in a downward spiral.!!!

    I cried every time I went to counselling and that helped me to get to the root of some of my problems

    I believe that if your emotions are stirred then that Is telling you something important.

    I have not experienced the uncomfortableness that you talk about but then maybe I was in the right place at the right with the right person !!!! Sometimes, we are just not ready ... but maybe...try once more... but go with a different mindset...if you feel you can...

    I do hope you resolve things but not everyone is right for us. You will find someone who you can open up to, be assured of that.

    Good luck Amy

    Jinny x

    • julie74890
      julie74890 amy75782

      Posted

      Hi I am doing cbt at the moment on my four session they do make you feel bad for couple of days because you are taking about how you are feeling and there to help you the lady who I see is really nice so all that anxitiy that has built up inside you is being released so it does make me feel very flat and tired stick with it as it will get better good luck
  • Guest
    Guest amy75782

    Posted

    I think you've answered the question "I can't believe it will work". From a solution focused approach we always get people to briefly talk about issues but swiftly move them away to talking about how they can move on and create solutions to the issues. Dwelling on negatives or the past will always bring you back to the primitive and negative part of your mind where I doubt any positive actions will materialise for you. Solution focused hypnotherapy every time.

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