# First Session tomorow morning



## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

As the title suggests,I have my first counciling session tomorow
For some reason I'm less anxious about psychologists than
everyday people.I think it's because I know they are getting paid.
Just wanted a thread to talk about how it went.Her name is Helen
I kind of wanted to talk to a male :sus I hope it goes well..I really don't
know if I have the energy to find someone else if it doesnt.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

My first psychiatrist appointment is next Tuesday & I've got a male therapist. I hope mine goes well also, I'll let you know


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## TorLin (Nov 14, 2006)

good luck.
stay calm and be yourself be honest.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Good luck! I'd be really interested to hear how it goes.


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## Black_Widow (May 23, 2008)

Good luck Loner_Girl and Canadian Brotha. Hope it all goes ok.


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## kimcb7 (Mar 15, 2009)

I'm going to my first appointment on the 31st. Hope yours goes well.


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## LonelyHeart87 (Jan 26, 2009)

I've had a male and female therapists, and I think it's easier for a girl to talk to a girl and vise versa. Be very honest, and don't hold back! Good luck!!


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## staystrong12 (Mar 11, 2009)

good luck to lonergirl, canadianbrotha, and kimcb7 ! im seeing a therapist right now...and the main thing im working on right is is strategies that i can use to make myself feel more comfortable in situations that i feel uncomfrotable in...be totally honest ive learned that there is nothing to hide when i see my therapist.


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## ladygrey (Mar 27, 2009)

my first one is on the 30th..


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## mind_games (Nov 30, 2008)

Good luck LG . 

If you think you are gonna have a problem explaining your issues, you could try writing it all down on paper and handing it to them once you get there.


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

Been to my first and second appointments now.
Still wished I had a male psychologist, but it's been okay. 
I've asked her if she could set me up weekly challenges since if I make
them myself they will obviously be to easy...so now I have to call
her to make my next appointment :afr she's a clever wee thing.


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

How challenging will you find it to call her? what will happen if you don't? Was the therapy what you wanted/expected?

Gosh, I sound like the spanish inquisition! I understand those are pretty personal questions, I won't be offended if you don't want to answer.


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## scaredtolive (Mar 19, 2009)

Good luck. I've found female therapists easier to deal with than males. They seem more in tune with what your feeling and thinking. I've been to a male before and he didn't really seem interested in what I was talking about.


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## ladygrey (Mar 27, 2009)

I just got back from my first session..it was alright, what the woman said to me was stuff anyone could have said..she wants me to write down what I'm thinking when I'm in social situations (which is nothing because I freak out and go blank), and to come up with a phrase that makes me feel better..
wtf?
should it be like this or what have you guys experienced? and i thought she'd give me a prescription for something, and she didn't which made me a little sad since I really think it could help do stuff to my brain..cuz that's what's stopping me from enjoying being in social situations. ughh

thoughts? advice?


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## scaredtolive (Mar 19, 2009)

ladygrey said:


> I just got back from my first session..it was alright, what the woman said to me was stuff anyone could have said..she wants me to write down what I'm thinking when I'm in social situations (which is nothing because I freak out and go blank), and to come up with a phrase that makes me feel better..
> wtf?
> should it be like this or what have you guys experienced? and i thought she'd give me a prescription for something, and she didn't which made me a little sad since I really think it could help do stuff to my brain..cuz that's what's stopping me from enjoying being in social situations. ughh
> 
> thoughts? advice?


Did she mention a long term plan like CBT or medication. Personally she sounds like a quack. I don't how how writing down what your thinking is going to help you. She doesn't sound like somebody experienced with SA to me. Every Dr. I've ever been to mentioned CBT and medication. That's pretty standard treatment. This kind of Psychotherapy might be useful for other disorders but not for SA. I would maybe go to her again and ask her questions about SA. You probably know more than she does. You might want to find a Psychiatrist that specializes in anxiety disorders and knows what they're talking about. It's always a good idea to quiz them in a non-threatening way.


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## ladygrey (Mar 27, 2009)

scaredtolive said:


> Did she mention a long term plan like CBT or medication. Personally she sounds like a quack. I don't how how writing down what your thinking is going to help you. She doesn't sound like somebody experienced with SA to me. Every Dr. I've ever been to mentioned CBT and medication. That's pretty standard treatment. This kind of Psychotherapy might be useful for other disorders but not for SA. I would maybe go to her again and ask her questions about SA. You probably know more than she does. You might want to find a Psychiatrist that specializes in anxiety disorders and knows what they're talking about. It's always a good idea to quiz them in a non-threatening way.


yeah, thanks. I went to my school's counseling center..I think she's a grad student? I'm not sure.. I think I'm going to call and see if someone there specializes in SA or anxiety. If not, I guess I'll have to go somewhere with my insurance (school is free). and that would mean telling my parents I have SA..arggh
But thanks for your input! I think this forum is great!


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

Madison_Rose said:


> How challenging will you find it to call her? what will happen if you don't? Was the therapy what you wanted/expected?
> 
> Gosh, I sound like the spanish inquisition! I understand those are pretty personal questions, I won't be offended if you don't want to answer.


I like questions ^.^

Well we went through a list of suggestions of things I could do.
I think she was testing what my comfort zones were, If I said yes too easily
she thought of a slightly more difficult challange. She was really impressed that I had brought it up, and said that she did intend to introduce that but didnt want to push me too hard. I can't remember
what the 'easy' ones were.

Calling her was, terrible.
Not so much the speaking because she was all "I'm so glad you rang!"
which I thought was really cute. But the before and after were...yuck.
If I didnt call her she was going to call me on weds to make a time (beacuse she didnt want me to avoid going all together if I couldnt do the challange)
and the next session we would have had to talk about why I didnt make the call. lol.

It's kinda what I expected, but I'm still adjusting to talking to a female.
I don't know why is puts me off so much.
I guess I see females roughly around my age kinda threatening.

ANYWAY TANGENTS GALORE..haha hope that answers you're questions.

Are you thinking of going to see a psych? Madi
Thanks S2L too!


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Weeeel, thinking about it, but unlikely to do it any time soon. I don't trust shrinks, I can't see myself opening up to one.

And yeah, I'm most scared of females my own age too. Well done for calling her! Hope it all helps.


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## ladygrey (Mar 27, 2009)

so I went to my 2nd session today, and still don't feel any better..and I havent been put on meds, so it's all just talking, and I walk out feeling frustrated more than anything. I don't know what to do. I don't think my "therapist" understands that social anxiety is not just someone not wanting to talk to people and when they do they freak out...it's more, and she's like "it's okay, I used to be shy too"
um...so shy it had a huge effect on your life??? she doesn't get it! and something unrelated, kinda..she doesn't know what facebook is. My grandparents know what facebook is. wtf!


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## scaredtolive (Mar 19, 2009)

ladygrey said:


> so I went to my 2nd session today, and still don't feel any better..and I havent been put on meds, so it's all just talking, and I walk out feeling frustrated more than anything. I don't know what to do. I don't think my "therapist" understands that social anxiety is not just someone not wanting to talk to people and when they do they freak out...it's more, and she's like "it's okay, I used to be shy too"
> um...so shy it had a huge effect on your life??? she doesn't get it! and something unrelated, kinda..she doesn't know what facebook is. My grandparents know what facebook is. wtf!


when they say "it's okay I used to be shy too" that means it's time for a new therapist. This person sounds like they have no clue what SA is. That's the same thing some of my family members told me when I first told them and they didn't go to school for a decade to help people.


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## ladygrey (Mar 27, 2009)

scaredtolive said:


> when they say "it's okay I used to be shy too" that means it's time for a new therapist. This person sounds like they have no clue what SA is. That's the same thing some of my family members told me when I first told them and they didn't go to school for a decade to help people.


yeah..I need to look into getting a new one.
and the first time we met, I told her, "I think I have social anxiety disorder", and she didn't seem to know much about it as a disorder other than shyness.
she started comparing my fears of talking to people to her fears of reptiles. 
umm...:um
it's like talking to someone my age who has no training..I'm supposed to feel like I made some sort of progress at the end of the session, not like she's trying to relate..right?


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

Madison_Rose said:


> Weeeel, thinking about it, but unlikely to do it any time soon. I don't trust shrinks, I can't see myself opening up to one.
> 
> And yeah, I'm most scared of females my own age too. Well done for calling her! Hope it all helps.


I suggest you try it, can always switch/ take a break and look for another one later.

LOL @ "she doesn't know what facebook is. My grandparents know what facebook is. wtf!"

I'm starting to worry about what Im reading..starting to think I might read something that is counter-productive to what my goal is and will just end up confusing me.. :/

4th? Session tomorow.


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

Doc said she thought I had moderate depression,which was news to me :eyes haha. (as well as anxiety and I sensed she wanted to say something else but hesitated) Apparently we're going to gear up for
some behavioural experiments? Not looking forward to that too much.

But I feel like I have a real chance.
Things *can* get better, it's going to take a lot of work though.
But then again..all things worth it do.


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## ladygrey (Mar 27, 2009)

Loner_Girl said:


> Doc said she thought I had moderate depression,which was news to me :eyes haha. (as well as anxiety and I sensed she wanted to say something else but hesitated) Apparently we're going to gear up for
> some behavioural experiments? Not looking forward to that too much.
> 
> But I feel like I have a real chance.
> ...


:clap :clap :clap :clap


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

I think Im wasting her time.
It seems as if she actually gets excitment when I tell her my most 
terrible secrets but when I have a session and don't have anything dramatic
or 'break-throughish' I feel boring. Like she isnt interested in me or what I'm saying. I had to wait in the waiting room for half an hour last week, normally she just comes out to the waiting room for me but she must have forgotten me. I had to go to the receptionist to ask her to call my.dr and it took 10 minutes to go from her office to the waiting room. Every chair in the waiting room was occupied by a man. I was 2 minutes from bolting out the door and never coming back. She didnt even say sorry.

I don't want to go anymore, I don't want to feel pressured
to come up with something 'interesting'
I don't want to go and have to think about the possiblity of her forgetting me again.



Going backwards..


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## Madison_Rose (Feb 27, 2009)

Sorry to hear that


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

thanks maddi,

I even feel pressure to be 'successful' with the therapy when
I post here..

Don't know what to do anymore.


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## DepecheEyes (Aug 19, 2008)

Loner_Girl

Out of curiosity, is your therapist a clinical psychologist or a clinical social worker?


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

She is a clinical psychologist, but also an intern from the UK.
I don't know, at first I felt really positive about everything
but now it feels like I'm going in slow-motion.
I really wanted to cancel my appointment which is tomorow
I'm petrfied that she will keep me in the waiting room again waiting
with all those people. I don't understand why she would do that.
Some sort of cruel joke?
I talked about how waiting with all those people made me feel and she didnt
even say a brief sorry? Maybe I'm over-reacting? 
Saying sorry seems like something someone should say?

I bring up things I would like more information about
for example the possibility of going on some sort of benefit.
(Being reliant on family is really bringing me down) and she seems
keen to help and that she will find out and tell me what she found out on my next visit..and then nothing? maybe she is overworked?
I don't like to remind her, it just seems rude.

Sorry writing so much.
Ugh I just don't know what to do.
Life seems so busy right now I just want to sleep for a week 
that would be nice.


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## Girl_Loner (Mar 17, 2009)

I've stopped going, missed one of my apointments about 3 weeks ago and havent wanted to call.

Not feeling that great.


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## timeout (Aug 29, 2009)

*first session*

Good luck loner girl my first is on the 11th


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## timeout (Aug 29, 2009)

*Depression & Anxiety*

Girl loner depression often goes along with SA at least in my case it did I have been on paxil for about 7 years i am not depressed but i still have SA really bad im glad to hear your sticking with your theropy you know I get very tierd of facing the monster every day I will judge my first session if I feal she knows what shes talking about I will continue. Girl Loneer you dont have to prove anything to anybody dont let people have power over you. easier said than done. Ask yurself this question why do I let people have power over me? Hang in there Gir loner


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## LostPancake (Apr 8, 2009)

Girl_Loner said:


> I've stopped going, missed one of my apointments about 3 weeks ago and havent wanted to call.
> 
> Not feeling that great.


sorry it didn't work out - it doesn't sound like she was a very good fit.

are you going to try with a different therapist? this is how i found mine - http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/prof_search.php

it's really helpful to be able to see a picture of them, you can kind of get a feel for their personality a bit.


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