Steps to Getting a Therapist and Prescription?

@nicePomegranate8363

i m sorry for th experience

really breave step i hope you ll be ok soon

hug

@nicePomegranate8363 I'm not even sure I have depression but I'm sure there's something I can do to make myself feel more useful.

hi i have low mood wich i think is a leeser from of deppression and now im worried its getting worse and i dont know how to set up an appiontment by my self with out my parents knowing so i can talk to a gp alone cos if i ask them to make an apiontment theyll ask questions the reason

@nicePomegranate8363 - Hi there. I see you've already asked your question in January, so I hope you are still around. Even if not, I think it is an important question to be answered for others who also feel like you. So here goes...

I'd say the first step is definitely going to your GP (or house doctor). They can help with entry level medication. If you need more than that, they can consult with a psychiatrist or refer you. They should also be able to give you a few possibilities for therapists. If you have problems with the medication you should definitely go back to your doctor and discuss your problems because they can change the dosage or change the medication or add something etc. NEVER just stop psychiatric medication. You will cause a bigger problem than what you started with. Also don't try to lower it on your own, because the doctor will know best how to get you off it again safely. If you feel that you want to go straight to a psychiatrist I won't discourage you. When it comes to psychiatric medication they just know better (it's their speciality after all!). But chances are good that you will have to wait for an appointment. It can take even months. My advice is to make the appointment and go see your GP in the meantime. You can always cancel the appointment later. If you cancel the appointment 24 hours before the time (or longer), there will be no problem. It's better to make the appointment and cancel it than wait until you have a crisis and then not be able to get an appointment.

If your GP can't give you the names of therapists or if you don't click with anyone he/she suggested, you can Google therapists in your area. 2 things to remember: 1) You don't have to stick with someone you don't feel comfortable with. 2) Especially if you Google someone, check the person's education, training, certification and you are also free to ask them how they work. They will not think it's strange, because not all therapists work in the same way. They might even be able to help you get to someone who is more suited to your needs and personality.

Don't be afraid to ask questions and keep looking until you find something and someone you can work with. Good luck!

@nicePomegranate8363

That's an amazing and brave goal, congratulations. I have struggled for years as well and just recently started to reach out for help (first from a friend, then from my doctor).

This week I told my doctor about it for the first time. When I made the same-day appointment, they asked why I was coming in, and I explained that I have been struggling with anxiety and depression and that it is getting to be too much to handle on my own, and that I's like to explore medication. When I got there a few hours later, they had two questionnaires waiting for me, where I had to rate my symptoms on a "how often?" type of scale. I realy didn't even have to say too much. The doctor asked most of the questions and did most of the talking, and I just had to answer honestly. I left with a prescription and at least feel like i have a little bit of hope for feeling better in the future.

I have not been in touch with a counselor or therapist yet, although I have been thinking about it and doing a lot of research. From what I am learning, it's most important to choose someone you feel comfortable with, and feel is the right fit, and feel you could open up to, and not worry so much about referrals or recommendations. I'm not sure where you live, but in the US there are 2 sites that I have most helpful when searching for a therapist: www.psychologytoday.com and www.goodtherapy.org. These sites let you filter by insurance, condition, location, gender, and a whole bunch of other stuff. They give you profiles of and statements from the therapists, and they show you a picture (which was very important to me and helped ease my anxiety a little bit). Again, I haven't actually started therapy, but this is a good place to start thinking about it.

Good luck with everything and let us know how it goes. Reaching out is always the first step towards feeling better.

@nicePomegranate8363

My journey to getting the help that I need has been a bit of a more recent and definitely more interesting one. Basically last Thursday I was just having an awful day and I couldn