i became house bound with severe panic attacks 6 mths after i got married.

i had had anxiety/panic attacks for years before this, but they became debilitating. My GP took one look at me, and recommended me to an excellent counsellor (she'd actually had "issues" in her life, overcame them, and trained to be a counsellor.)

apparantly, my body rebelled on me, i wasnt supposed to be as happy as i was.
counselling helped, and by my 6th session, (i had to sign up for 6) we hardly had anything to talk about.
I had issues from when i was a child....my grandparents practically raised me for the first three years of my life, then my parents took me full time when my GP's "adopted" my baby sister.

my very supportive husband was with me the whole time, through my euphoria after my first session (which i had to leave the house for ) to my crash and burn a few hrs later, (how could i have such resentment for my mother )


i still suffer from anxiety/depression, but have had one major PA in 14 odd years, when i couldnt return to the shop floor after a break.


counselling gave me the tools to cope

and i dont know what id do without my mum these days



goodluck
[Edited 12/17/09 1:03am]

prb said:

Finding the right counselor is important. Being patient, open and keep a journal. It is good to write things down, before you go so you can tackle the important stuff. Then journal in between seeing the counselor because once you open up and start talking, you will have a rush of feelings and things you want to tackle on the next visit.

Best wishes Connorhawke.
Many of us have been there.

Luckily the one I will be seeing has actually helped my neighbour a fair bit, but I will take the advice of making sure they're not a 'quack', so to speak, before deciding whether to go back again.

All of you posts have been wonderful, to be honest. You've actually put my mind at ease a lot.

Luckily the one I will be seeing has actually helped my neighbour a fair bit, but I will take the advice of making sure they're not a 'quack', so to speak, before deciding whether to go back again.

And thank you all for sharing your stories. It is very very appreciated.

MrsMdiver said:

Hey Val
yes, journals are great to look back on , to see how far you have come.

and good friends to "vent to" when you feel the need to

prb said:

Hey Tracy
Funny thing is, I rarely go back and read them. I have found when I do that, it stirs up too many feelings that I do not want to relive.
I found it helped keep my thoughts straight at the time though. When my anxiety and depression hit, my brain gets jumbled and I have trouble focusing on one thing at a time.

Yes, good friends to vent to help.


Thank you.

it is nice to talk to someone especially if you can't talk to anyone else about things. Or if you feel you can't find a way out of things


see how you go after a few appts.

MrsMdiver said:

Thats goes both ways, thank you

i dont deliberately re-read them, just come across them and think how far i have come...from the simple things like going to work, buying lunch, running errands...they were all major things for me....
going into a supermarket to get a few things for dinner became a major achievement

baby steps, baby steps

I suppose it depends on what you're going in for.

I went to a counselor last year for about 6 months for help with anxiety and it really helped. My insurance covered most of it, so it was just over $12 a session and that was well worth it for me.

It might take a little bit to find the right fit with a counselor, though. My first experience with one was awful but after a while I tried again with a new one and I haven't regretted it since.

missmad said:

Hy Miss M, how are things with you sweetie?

OK everyone I just wanted to ask.....do many people here feel the need to seek counselling? Or have done so in the past.

I'm going to be heading to one within the next few weeks, just booked the initial appointment. There's a lot of shit I feel I have to come to terms with.

But seriously, part of me thinks it's a waste of time to go and see one...not to mention money.

Maybe I'm just wondering if other people here find or have found it useful....dunno

Damn there are some good people on the org!

connorhawke said:

and dont you go forgetting it

I think they get swamped around Christmas. The initial consultation with a GP only couldn't be done before Tuesday....so I guess I won't have my first one until around New Year. Must be people with the fabled "Christmas blues"

prb said:

Never. Especially the Oz contingent

connorhawke said:

Too right mate