Welcome to the group. I appreciate your honesty and I can understand where you are coming from. Physical health gets much more funding and attention then mental health in our society. The thing with mental health though, is that it requires a different kind of approach then physical health. The medical model which western society values can sometimes not apply to mental health. Medication often times does not "fix" depression it just masks it temporarily to help you work through treatment and learn knew ways of being. So, try to keep an open mind when with your counsellor or psychologist. They are using evidence-based treatments but it may not seem as clear cut as physical heath remedies. It sounds to me like the psychologist might be using narrative therapy and the counsellor might be using visualization to help you contain negative thoughts. Perhaps you could ask them to explain the theory they are using and why they think it would be helpful. This may give you more confidence in what they are doing.
If you are interested in the science behind mental health I encourage you to look into neuroscience or find a practitioner who is able to explain things from a neuroscience perspective. I think once you understand what is happening in your brain and what a specific treatment is doing in your brain then you will be more likely to commit to it. For example, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (what the program is based on) is focused on the premise that if you can control what you think and do you can control how you feel. This is very over-simplified so it might seem discouraging to some - but research proves that is does work and I am sure others here can attest it does work. The problem is we are fighting against our brains patterns. We are actually programmed to see negative more easily then positive. This has once served an evolutionary purpose but sometimes it can hinder us more then helps us. To change this tendency we must practice examining our thoughts and then changing them. This will be uncomfortable at first and it will take time. Try to think of it as creating a new pathway in your brain. Currently the synaptic pathway is unused so it is covered in grass and other obstacles. But the more you go through the path the more it becomes engrained and eventually it just becomes automatic. Does this make sense to you?
Definitely agree with how the health care system doesn't seem to take mental health seriously. As a very outgoing and self reliant person I find it very difficult to admit when I need help. I usually exercise regularly and am involved in loads of outdoor activities. I'm now eating barely the equivalent to one meal a day and have no energy or motivation to do anything aside from lye on the couch and all but cry trying to will myself to get up to take a shower. After going to my doctor he recommended I take antacid for the nausea and maybe when I start eating again I'll feel better.
I'm also new to the program..Hope you find some form of progress and I'm sorry for your loss.
Hello to whoever's reading this. I've just started the 16 week program and decided to introduce myself rather than lurk which would be my usual impulse so I guess that's something. I'm here for depression obviously so I guess I'll give a bit of background. This started about 3 years ago after the death of a parent and I went through mourning and sadness, pretty garden variety stuff, and started to settle into a "new normal" after a few months. After a few more months of things being pretty good I fairly quickly went downhill to a place I'd never been before. I'd always thought depression was just acute sadness but this was a place of self loathing, anxiety, and just the absence of anything else.
I managed a few months before my very caring wife convinced me to see my family doctor which I did somewhat reluctantly and I suppose that brings me to the crux of the matter. I certainly don't wish to minimize anyone's experience and what works for them but I feel like when it comes to depression you get shuffled off to deal with pseudo-practioners instead of real health care professionals. If I had cancer, or diabetes or some other illness that could be diagnosed with a positive blood test I really feel like I would be getting different care. My brain feels physically different-slower, bogged down, broken-and my body aches and tires easily. In this time I've gone from running marathons to struggling to run 20 minutes when I can convince myself to get out the door. Walking the dog is exercise enough right now. My doctor never offered to prescribe me anything and I didn't push the issue so that's on me. My treatment has been a counselor who told me to imagine putting my negative feelings in a box and burying it, to a phychologist who wanted me to name the different parts of my personality and talk to them. Again, not trying to disparage treatment that I sure works for some people. Even the email I just received for this site said that "with a little hard work and determination, you can conquer depression too" like I'm trying to lose 10 pounds for bathing suit season.
I am going to stick this out though. My analytical mind likes the steps, testing etc. So here we go.
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