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Is it too late for me to get help for my mental health?

Posted , 3 users are following.

EF4468
EF4468

like the title says, I'm just wondering if it's too late for me to seek professional help. ever since I've moved out of my parents house and into an apartment, I've been feeling good about how far I've come in life, and finally having the independence I have been craving for many years. recently though I haven't been feeling as good, I come back home feeling stressed, my diet isn't the best and I'm slowly gaining weight as a result of said diet. I'm constantly worried about bills and whether or not I'll be able to move out of state in a few months or a year from now, and I'm constantly agitated from being at the place I'm working at now. not only that but I feel more depressed than anxious as well. has anyone else felt like this in their lives, and what sort of professional help is out there for something like this?

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • kathy00684
    kathy00684 EF4468

    Edited

    Hi Ef4468,

    Sorry to hear about what you are going through. It is NEVER too late to get professional help! It sounds like you have a good understanding that you are depressed and have anxiety. If you don't have friends or family that could recommend personally a good therapist, then get a list of numbers and ask if the therapist has experience with depression and anxiety.

    I have had these things in the past as well and that is how I chose therapists. Sometimes I would meet with one and I wouldn't click with the person and I would try someone else until I did click.

    It is always helpful to talk about things that you struggle with to get the outside perspective. I never understood how it helps...but it has helped me throughout my life.

    I am curious why you are wondering if it is too late for you?

    • EF4468
      EF4468 kathy00684

      Posted

      I guess because I've let this issue go for so long, even denying the fact that I even had a problem with my mental health. i was bullied a lot at school, it stopped when i turned 14 but now years later I'm feeling the after effects at age 28.

    • kathy00684
      kathy00684 EF4468

      Edited

      Hi EF4468,

      It is so strange how things of the past affect us in the present. I am in my 50's and there are still times that I get so overwhelmed and many of those times are triggered from past events.

      The best benefit I received by going to counseling back in my late 20's is that I have learned my triggers from the past. I didn't have any health coping skills back then. I have a few tricks now that I didn't have before therapy.

      I feel your pain. Life can be so overwhelming and that can lead to that dreaded hopeless feeling.

      I do feel somewhat helpless as I try to communicate by messaging, so I hope you hear a gentle and very sympathetic voice and person behind all of these typed words.

      My best friend is great with me when I am overwhelmed. So I would like to share the things that she says to me when I get stuck with the overwhelmed part and don't know how to take the next step.

      She always says, "this is just one day and lets see if we can do a small step today". She then always says, "It's absolutely okay if you can't do it today, don't beat yourself up...just roll with it today...whatever you can or can't do". (This is where the gentle voice helps...I hope you hear gentle)

      Then she would help me to chunk it down into small bites. I now have learned to do that on my own...it took a long time to break things down. In the past I could only see all of it...which is why it took me downhill without hope.

      I do not know if any of these things pertain to you or not. But if they do...then I hope you just take one tiny bite...making sure it isn't too overwhelming. Perhaps for you...it would be just to find one phone number of a therapist and write the name and number down on paper. And that's all that you do! Bite one is done. Honestly and so truly...that is a BIG bite. If you can't take that bite today...(writing a number and a name) don't worry and don't beat yourself up (if you are one that beats yourself up for not getting something done).

      I don't have much more to say at this point...I am sure I wrote too much. I hope this makes sense. PS: There is no step 2 and don't let your mind go to step 2 at this point! That just makes things so much harder.

      All of what I wrote comes from my experience...so maybe none of what helped me will help you. I just wrote it all in case it would be helpful.

      I am truly sorry that you are going through all of these things : (

    • EF4468
      EF4468

      Posted

      not to mention my memory isn't the best

  • diane98246
    diane98246 EF4468

    Posted

    I feel a bit confused and I bet you do too . . . because your situation seems like you probably do have depression and anxiety but on the other hand you have very real situations that are causing both these things.

    I would advise a therapist to help you sort through which of the elements of your situation need to be dealt with and how to deal with them, and which of the elements of your situation are depression and anxiety. In therapy it would be come clearer to the therapist if you need medication or not.

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