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Therapy - who has some experience?

Posted , 3 users are following.

mum-to-be
mum-to-be

Hi there,

I know, this is a medication website. But I thought, whoever takes Citalopram, may have some experience with therapy as well.

Citalopram is a God-sent to me. I take only 10mg, tolerate it well and it helps. I get the feeling it does not help as well as it used to, but that may well be down to my increased demands on myself. After all I want to be able to go back to work one day!

I also know, that though the medication helps, I have some mental/emotional mechanisms which need changing. With the clearer perspective due to Cit, I feel this even more strongly. That's what therapy is for, right? Alas...

I DREAD my group therapy. I had single sessions with my therapist till the group started and liked going to him 1 to 1. I trusted him, felt able to voice my thoughts and feelings and all that. But on NHS only group therapy is available or a shorter CBT like therapy with a waiting time of ca. 18 months ':?' :?

I was initially not pleased by having to go into a group, but when I discovered this website, I changed my attitude. I find it really helpful coming here, think everybody to be supportive and feel able to open up.

But my feelings in my therapy I'm not even sure, where the big difference is. I don't feel safe there. But why?

Some things I can name. E.g. if I feel somebody is wallowing in their pain, I skip their post. But honestly, I can't really recall any post like that. But in my group, there is somebody like that, and Boy, that person takes up TIME. I feel all dragged down after listening to that person.

Also, reading a post doesn't go under my skin like watching somebody talk does, with all the body language of pain. It is a bit much for me. Not that I am cold hearted, rather the opposite. I feel the others person's pain too much.

As not be hurt so much, I took a bigger emotional distance at the last meeting. I felt afterwards that it didn't hurt that time round, yes, but it became somewhat of a pointless social exercise. Being able to be open is after all a key issue for the success of talking therapy, not being distanced more than if I would watch the news.

So, being somewhat at a loss, I paused for a week. Tomorrow I have to go back. Listen to me \"I have to go back tomorrow (dread)\". Surely, this isn't how it is supposed to be? It will only be the fifth meeting of the group, but as I found this site helpful, I thought I may send out a post, maybe some good advice comes back. :lol:

Thanks everybody!

Heidi

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Meganpooch
    Meganpooch

    Posted

    Hi Heidi

    I've wandered in from the fluoxetine forum (not for the first time).

    There's no way i would personally go to group therapy. Therapy to me is a personal thing. I know there are many people out there with depression but i don't want to hear all their problems face to face, sounds heartless i know. That's where the forum is great, you can be selective on the problems you reply to. I'm quite shy and would not want to express my feelings to an audience.

    I waited for 6 weeks for an NHS therapist but after the first session i felt we were going nowhere. Still, i kept going until the 4th session when i terminated our contract. I had lost confidence in her.

    If you don't feel comfortable with your present situation try a private counsellor.

    I searched the web for suitable counsellors and found one that charges £35 for 50 minutes. Prices do vary widely but i feel relaxed and comfortable with mine - i've had 2 sessions so far. What price can one put on health and happiness?

    I hope this is of some help.

    Best wishes and take care. x :wink:

  • Lizy
    Lizy

    Posted

    Hi

    I found your pieces very interesting to read. i have asked for CBT and have been waiting for an assessment for 6 weeks now. I have been off cit for 4 weeks now and rest assured i have had plenty of ups and downs.

    I had 6 one to one councelling sessions paid by my husbands work at a cost of £55 a go.They helped a great deal. But the thought of group therapy does not apeal at all. i have far too many problems in life to contend with without listening to anyone elses. what is the point of group therapy? surely most people feel the same.

    I also agree this site is great it helps a great deal and am pleased i have found it. I don't think of this as group therapy I wonder why it must be as you said Meganpooch you can pick what you want to read and reply to.

    Take care.

    Lizzy

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    Dear Heidi, Sorry to hearabout your feelings re group therapy. However, as a recovering alcoholic/addict I have not only attended a lot of groups I also got a degree in psychology and facilitated many a group. From my experience a group can be useful if you have a specific issue to deal with given that you feel safe in this environment. I found myself depressed and went to a proffesional and had CBT. He told me I was suppering from PTSD and had probley suffering for many years, using work and keeping busy to avoid it. It was helpful ish but did not get me to where I wanted to be. I have since been perscribed Cit. (with my therapists support) and it had worked wonders. I started on 10mg and am now on 30. It took 2 months. I now feel excellent and having attempted a reduction unsuccessfully I intend to continue as before.

    Best wishes Richard

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    I'm am sure there are some who benefit from group therapy and others that find listening to others talk about their own problems/experiences draining and def' not beneficial. I have not tried group therapy myself but have had 'friends' who always seemed to moan about every aspect of their lives and by the end of the conversation I left feeling like I had been a therapist to them. I also resented that they had taken no interest in me or my life. There will always be selfish people in life and being thrown together in a group situation serves to make these people stand out/and force you to be involved with them.

    What I do have experience of is therepy on a one to one basis. I am currently seeing a therapist once a week (privately and yes the cost must vary enormously as mine costs me £100 per hour session! - I am extremely lucky that my husband is just about managing to stump up for this). Although I have spoken very openly about the issues I have had with the therapist I am seeing and I feel quite comfortable in doing so (a new concept for me) I am starting to question if I am benefitting from it. I am on citalopram (30mg/mcg) and have been since January and feel that this has made the biggest difference to me rather than the therapy. I really don't feel that talking about problems and then having to search for the answers myself does any good. Sometimes we cannot possibly know the answer to something. We cannot always establish the reason why someone has done the things they have done. Does talking about it really help? Or does it just lead to unanswered questions?

    As negative as that may sound I do think that one to one therapy is more suitable to a lot of people. I also guess group therapy is more suited to those that prefer an audience!

  • Lizy
    Lizy

    Posted

    Hi Sophia

    I found your message very interesting. I wouldn't do group therapy for all the money in the world. But I do have experience of private one to one counselling and I did find this very helpful in deed. Purely for the fact that I look after a very large busy household and found that I had no-one to talk about what was happening. This is where the counselling helped it let me let off steam about everyday things and also see some things in a new light which were more helpful.

    I also have a few phobias and am in ill health and would like to try and find some copeing mechanism for the stresses this brings. So would love to give CBT a go to try and retrain how I think on some things.

    Lizzy

  • Meganpooch
    Meganpooch

    Posted

    Hi everyone

    I find that there is a common thread with all the 'posters' i have come across since joining this forum in January - everyone is a good listener. There are some very genuine caring people out there. It's just learning where to draw the line now with face to face contact.

    I used to find myself taking on everyone elses problems but not any more - there has to be give and take not just take.

    I am enjoying my one to one counselling sessions with my counsellor. It feels good to offload to a total stranger in complete confidence. I know it cannot go on forever, for monetary reasons if nothing else.

    Strangely i asked her whether she had anyone to offload on to - i was worried i might bring her down too and she's a professional but still a human being. She has a supervisor she offloads on to.

    The one i use says she does CBT so i might work this into the conversation soon and see if it's an option. I have my 6th session tomorrow. I've just come out of a week long low. What caused it? Pass.

    Hope you are all doing reasonably well.

    Best wishes and take care. x

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