Therapists aren’t people who you “pay to pretend to care about you”, therapists are people you pay to teach you how to care for yourself
Me: I am violently depressed.
Therapist: Oh! Sounds like you need to do YOGA! That will help!
Me: *signs up for yoga*
Me: *is violently depressed in Downward Dog*
Me: I hate myself and only see my flaws
Therapist: ok lets refocus on things you like about yourself. This week i want you to try and journal about good things you’ve for yourself and others.
Me: *does the homework* yeah but i still hate myself but feel bad cause i shouldn’t
Therapist: feeling like you shouldn’t hate yourself is a step in the right direction. Mental health is complex and isn’t something that will ~magically~ improve. We have a lot of hard work head of us but I’ll be here to help you.
TL;DR stop perpetuating the idea that therapy is unhelpful because the results are not instantaneous.
FUCKING THIS.
As a psychologist the amount of bullshit on this site, the amount of fucking dangerous bullshit on this site about how therapy is neurotypical bullshit and isn’t worth it and how exercise is pointless and good diet is pointless and that therapy homework is pointless DRIVES ME UP THE FUCKING WALL
Exercise is fucking important. good diet is fucking important therapy is fucking important. WHY???
because pills alone don’t help. they improve the hormonal imbalance (as does exercise and good diet which ALSO are a form of very real self care as your physical being is sorta connected to your mental one but go fucking figure right?), but guess what? the suicidal thoughts, the thoughts of harm, the thoughts of hating yourself, they’re still there. suicides actually increase when medicated. why? because suddenly you have the energy to fulfill thoughts of harming yourself. which is why you NEED therapy alongside pills.
it has taken you years, or decades to create your maladaptive thought processes and behaviours. that shit doesn’t disappear overnight. core beliefs don’t change overnight. these are the very fucking core of your personhood, your being and personality. THAT TAKES TIME TO CHANGE
STOP ACTING LIKE THERAPY IS SHIT IF IT DOESNT WORK IN TWO SESSIONS
^This!!!!!
The stigma that therapy isn’t worth it if you don’t feel better after the first couple sessions is such bullshit. It took me 8 months to tell my therapist anything personal but I kept going because I wanted to get better. I thought it was bs too when she kept telling me to think about other things and to distract myself when I have intrusive thoughts (not exact words whatsoever). Now it’s 2 and a half years later and I can successfully switch from thinking about all the ways I could kill myself to the song Slippery by Migos and immediately start laughing. You need to let it help you.
Y'all just need to find a good therapist and actually let them help, and help yourselves.
I needed to see this
I legit felt WORSE after my first couple of therapy sessions because I had to open up and deal with emotions that I would much rather push far, far down and away. But eventually I got through it and I have a better sense of myself and I’m doing LOADS better and can even now calmly discuss things that used to make me cry. Just. Therapy is very helpful, if you get the right therapist and give it time.
actually feeling worse is very common after hard sessions where you deal with a lot of shit, so yeah, everybody just keep pushing through. in my experience as a therapist the ones for whom therapy doesn’t work are the ones who expect instant results or for the therapist to fix their problems for them. that’s not how it works.
What megapotatossurus said!!!( I love the blog name btw)
XDDDDD
As someone who’s worked in a closely related field - YES!!! I absolutely agree with them.
I often see people blaming paychotherapists for not fixing their problems.
Just think about it!
When you hire a tennis coach you’re not going to expect them actually playing the matches for you?
YOU’RE THE ONE PLAYING.
Think of your psychotherapist as your coach, rooting for you from the stands. And whether you win a match or loose, they’ll be there to help you become better and prepare for the next one. They care.
But again- they’re not the one on court, not the one swing the one making the shots - you are! It’s your life, your thoughts and actions. They can’t live it for you.
And even if something isn’t your fault, it sure is your responsibility to deal with what you are going through. So LISTEN to what people are saying and try TO MAKE IT WORK.
Everyone’s a little different. Any method might need a little tweaking before it really does the job for you.
“You really should invest time in cardio.”
“I HATE JOGGING!!! It’s boring! I have enough negativety in my life.”
“Elyptic machine with TV?”
“ I don’t own one.”
“ Go to the gym.”
“Ewww…I hate the gym. Too many swetty people with good abs and I don’t feel stunning next to them.”
“ Swimming?”
“ Ewwww!!! Are you kidding, the water is coooooold!!!”
After going through every possible way they can think of to approach the issue the Therapist/coach slowly begins to wander whether you’ll do your cardio if they chase you around threatening to hit you with a chair.
What? They’re human too! And they really want to help. They’re just running out of options.lol
How it really could have gone is :
“ You need to start cardio. How about jogging?”
“ I really don’t feel like doing jogging.” * thinks* “ Can I ride the bycicle instead?”
“ Yeah. That works too.”
So… yeah. When you’re determined to make this work - you will. It’s true that sometimes it might be easier to work with one person rather than another just because. But you’re the one that has to be committed - like athletes are.
And ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ to all of you collegues out and helping people! Keep up the good work! You’re awesome people!
I used to see a psychiatrist, saw about ten actually, I’d tell him/her my thoughts and problems and how it all made me feel. Obviously they didn’t pay attention or care because more often than not, I was asked “and how does this make you feel?”
I don’t know how I didn’t scream “I ALREADY TOLD YOU, YOU DEAF A*****E!” They did nothing but increase my anger and depression issues.
