Talking therapies, have they worked for you?

I found talking therapies good. I never thought it would work for me but it did. The only issue was not enough sessions or access to the service. I'm now seeing a psychologist for CBT privately and my depression is more or less under control (I'm also on Prozac). I've only got 2 private sessions left and am worried about how I'll cope going forward. 

Best tool against depression is this, Music just trying to help as have been that low in mood (Depression) I forgot how much I paid out each week and how much to feed myself for over 6 years and infact still haven't worked it out but will on Thursday with support to help me back up on the ladder so to speak...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUVa6I3c2Ik

For me talking therapies can only help when I am back on the ladder of normal life, So I can listen and take in. Instead of my thoughts living in a negative world capturing all my thoughts, but only because I fought and watched friends die for it so have to question when things don't feel right....Yet I realise from people that haven't I am wrong...What ever happened to two sides to a story? 

No good teaching me to think positive once a week or some cases once every 6 weeks, then sending back into a negative world for the other 6 days? Brain training will always win! 

Hi, whyandconfused, I have tried many talking therapies, and each time I have come away with a different out look, they DO dig up many long forgotten feelings, and dealing with those IS tough. 

But having lived in a very negative mind set for a long time and very numb with it, it does take time, and lots of it to get better. I have been lucky to find groups where you can talk, or listen as you feel is right for you, I have had one to one counselling, and I am not sure which types they were. Each person had a very different technique, and coping mechanisms have been useful.

I have to add, for a long, long, LONG time, I found it very, VERY hard to actually vocalize my thoughts, so I wrote my thoughts and feelings down, to either give at the beginning, to the counsellor, and then talk through it, this I found to be very helpful and cathartic. I also found upon entering the room, there were massive silences which were meant to be filled by me talking, so for the first three or maybe more I was scared and had a vacant mind, rather than the buzzing mess I had had before! That I found weird.

I have also recently discovered EFT - Emotional Freedom Technique - it involves tapping various points around you head, and upper body - you do this by your self, and do not get touched by the therapist (in my experience). You do not say much, a brief statement of the issue and then the therapist taps, you follow and repeat what she is saying, as the time goes on, you find words pop up, and you deal with these as they appear. Sounds strange, but this has been helpful to me.

I have found, over time, I am more able to express my self, I have learnt to recognize my feelings. not hide them and as a consequence I have become more accepting of myself, my thoughts and experiences, they are becoming a more integral part of me, and they are not going to floor me or overwhelm me to a diblitating degree.

Having said this I still have very bad weeks, I am just beginning to emerge from a long down time, but I have learnt that this is part of me beginning to feel, and not hide OR be numb.

I hope this helps, I think everyone has a different experience with this. Be ready for a whole tide of emotions, they can be quite frightening, scary, overwhelming and tricky to handle, but you can do this. 

Music does help too.

I did talking therapy last year, one hour per week for 8 weeks. First few sessions I was just getting to know her and trust her then she started to dig deep from childhood and I put all my trust in her, by the time we were getting somewhere the 8th session was over, I then felt totally let down with no one there helping me, I felt so lonely and desperate I went to see dr who said I could apply myself for another 8 sessions which I did immediately. Well after 11 months I'm still waiting and thinking can I put myself through all this again, I don't even know if it would be the same councillor. I'm still lonely and desperate with depression,anxiety, stress,  fibromyalgia and CFS worst it's been. I am particularly bad this time of year with the build up and to Christmas to get through.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thank you for reading x

I tried talking therapy but find it doesn't work - it's hard to tell someone you don't know all your problems. I find it hard enough to tell people I'm close to how I'm feeling, never mind a complete stranger. I think an online presence is fantastic though, who needs to sit in a room with someone who thinks they know you when you can come online and talk to people who are going through the same illness? 

The first time I went to therapy was 10 years ago when I was 16...my mother decided to get involved and my therapist decided to divulge certain bits of information to her...massive trust issues there.

If talking therapies don't work, then like me at 46 need to seek medication to adapt us to this level to accept talking therapies? Just a thought.