Feeling like Your Issues aren't Serious Enough to warrant help

[Squizzy]

I am at the point in my depression and anxiety that I have thoughts of going to get help again, getting back on my medication or at least trying to actually handle therapy this time ...

However every time I seriously consider taking action, a little voice in my head tries to talk myself out of it ... I am afriad that people will laugh at me because of my pathetic problems, or that there are much worse off people out there so why should I be so weak and I don't really need help ...

I think this comes from my mother, who, during my last attempt at recovery, often said things like, "We all go through times like this in our lives, even I have, you don't need to see a therapist just pull yourself together." She also says, "why are you so depressed? you have a good life"

I guess I just can't decide whether or not to take action. Another part of me says, "maybe this will go away if i just let it be." I read other people's posts and many people seem to have it a lot worse off then me and I don't really feel like I deserve to be so sad and hopeless. I have experienced a lot of bad things in my life but nothing like sexual abuse/rape, or my house burned down, or my parents died when I was two, or anything like that ... no severe trauma... it doesn't make sense why I shouldn't be able to cope.

[Delicate]

I feel that way too, and I feel extremely guilty now I'm getting help because I don't really believe I deserve it so I don't accept it fully.

That's really harsh what she said to you, I'm sorry. I think people tend to relate things to their own situation naturally but sometimes that can be too much and there's no way your mother can fully understand your problems because of that, they're your problems.

For you it's a problem if it's causing you problems in your life, and what a couple of people said to me when I was thinking about getting help is that there's always going to be someone worse off than you. But your main priority should be you.

[Darren07]

Trust me, with what I've been going through with this debilitating disorder I know it's serious and it does warrant help. It may not be inherently deadly but it sure can lead to death, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately we only make up 3-5% of the population so people just dont understand.

Ignorance.

[malone]

Originally Posted by Darren07

Trust me, with what I've been going through with this debilitating disorder I know it's serious and it does warrant help. It may not be inherently deadly but it sure can lead to death, if you know what I mean. Unfortunately we only make up 3-5% of the population so people just dont understand.

Ignorance.

Ignorance exactly. There really is a lack of understanding about this. People would tell me things like "oh, you just have to go out there and meet people!", unfortunately it doesn't work that way.

You shouldn't feel guilty for wanting and seeking help. Our brains are wired so much differently than that of other people and we simply need the extra support to function normally in society - something that comes so naturally to others.

[illlaymedown]

I actually was abused sexually, verbally, and physically when I was growing up and I still say you deserve to go get help just as much as any of us Don't listen to the voices and don't listen to your mom. She just doesn't understand although she means well. I would get help if I could afford it and my family would start caring about me and help, but even now I get the feeling I don't deserve it. No matter how much worse off other people are you can only feel your pain and you need to fix you, then you can be useful to help others someday

[odicepaul]

I too need help right now, and I make excuses for not going in. I'm homeless should be a good excuse for being ****** up in the head. Or is it that I'm homeless because I'm ****** up in the head. No mater what the level of my illness, I should get help and I'm choosing not to out of fear, and just plain old ignorance. My point being that if you need help, it is never too late, nor too early or (****** up enough) to get help.

[Black_Widow]

Originally Posted by Squizzy

I think this comes from my mother, who, during my last attempt at recovery, often said things like, "We all go through times like this in our lives, even I have, you don't need to see a therapist just pull yourself together." She also says, "why are you so depressed? you have a good life"

I guess I just can't decide whether or not to take action. Another part of me says, "maybe this will go away if i just let it be." I read other people's posts and many people seem to have it a lot worse off then me and I don't really feel like I deserve to be so sad and hopeless. I have experienced a lot of bad things in my life but nothing like sexual abuse/rape, or my house burned down, or my parents died when I was two, or anything like that ... no severe trauma... it doesn't make sense why I shouldn't be able to cope.

My mum's said similar things to me before too in the past. I know how hard that can be from having experienced it. And it was also extremely hard for me to seek help when first trying out counselling/CBT treatment. But I know now, from the amount of research I've done (as well as seeing the therapist I did), that depression and anxiety can affect people for all kinds of reasons (whether they're major or minor). And even mild depression is enough to disrupt a person's life. So even though you might not have experienced some of the types of situations that lead to major depression/trauma with some people - it doesn't mean that you don't have your own valid reasons for suffering depression, or that it doesn't disrupt your life for valid one's.

Of course the decision as to whether or not you get professional help is yours, and yours to make for when the time feels right for you. But from my own experiences with seeing a therapist I would recommend giving it a try for at least just a couple of sessions - if you can bring yourself to. I had alot of doubts about seeking help myself to begin with. But though I'm still not over my problems yet I did gain alot of extra perspective about my problems that I would have never done had I not given it a try - which enabled me to accept them better. I also learned some self help techniques that to some extent has helped my depression and anxiety at times. You might find that you unexpectedly get something out of it, even if right now it doesn't feel like that. And if for some reason you don't feel the first time things are working out, you can quit the sessions whenever you want - and there's always the option of switching to another therapist.

I hope things soon improve for you. Sorry to hear about all that.

[odd_one_out]

My former therapist once mentioned how common it was for her clients worry about this even though their problems are serious enough.

I have gotten used to seeking help now, but it took a few years. This week, I will even have a social worker visit my home to assess my needs.

Originally Posted by malone

You shouldn't feel guilty for wanting and seeking help. Our brains are wired so much differently than that of other people and we simply need the extra support to function normally in society - something that comes so naturally to others.

Good point. And these support systems exist to be used.

[secretlyshecries]

I have experienced a lot of bad things in my life but nothing like sexual abuse

Ha. Funnily enough my mum has asked a couple of times what my problem is, sort of implying I don't have the right to be depressed because I-- and she even said this-- had never been raped before. She always uses rape though, she never says "it's not like anything traumatic happened to you.".. it's always rape that's her example. She can be ****ing weird, I tell you.