[MrFrenz]

How exactly does it work?

I am supposed to be seeing a psychiatrist at my hospital because of an incident a couple months ago. I was planning on killing myself due to some physical malady that has plagued me for over a year. They have done multiple tests and regardless of my complaints and information, they have found nothing substantial.

Now that you have a little back story, back to the original question. What exactly is therapy? I don't feel like I need it, but when I start to talk to them I feel like I'm bottling things up.

This SAD (self-suspected) does have a large effect on my life. I avoid jobs that I could normally do because I can't stand being around large groups of strangers; have never had a romantic relationship because I lack the fortitude for intimacy; twitch when someone touches me unexpectedly; shell up in mixed company. This sucks, to say the least.

They already have me on Citalopram Hydrobromide as an anti-anxiety medication because I have a history of panic attacks. It seems to help a little, but it's still just a medication.

So, even though they want me to talk about my thoughts and feelings on violent and suicidal fantasies, do you think I should say something else about my suspected SA? I don't feel that I'm any more "natural" in public than I ever was, just a little calmer.

Any guidance on how it's all supposed to work? How do I open this can of worms to them?

 

[Black_Widow]

Going by my own personal experiences, a very important aspect of therapy is putting the mental health professional in the best position possible for giving effective suggestions by telling them as much as possible about the types of things that intefere with your life. If you strongly feel that SA is one of those things in addition to the other things you've mentioned , then would definitely advise you talk about it also. Unfortunately I've never seen an actual psychiatrist, so am not 100% sure about how sessions with them work - but would guess that in your first session they will ask you various questions and also give you the chance to ask about anything you feel you want to. You might find it helps to jot anything you want to ask about down on paper, so that you have it to refer to during your session. I know that's something which helped me, when I first started seeing a therapist.

Hope that helped, and good luck with everything!

 

[My911GT2993]

I had a councillor a couple yrs ago.
Basically, they might do it differently but it involves talking, long honest talking.
It involves your therapist giving you good advice, and methods that work.
May involve meds, up to you. And may involve exposure therapy.
Sorry if this didn't help, but that's the basics. Oh also you will need to learn about yourself and the way you think, in order to help you.