Does therapy work?? (college, relationship, everything, anxiety)

[lizzytish]

I agree with Woof - I have also seen exactly what Mordant describes.

[kat949]

Originally Posted by lizzytish

Here is some food for thought. It's from UK Clinical Psychologists Call for the Abandonment of Psychiatric Diagnosis and the. You can go to the link to read the whole article.

May 13, 2013


"In a bold and unprecedented move for any professional body, the UK Division of Clinical Psychology, a sub-division of the British Psychological Society, issued a Position Statement today calling for the end of the unevidenced biomedical model implied by psychiatric diagnosis. The key message of the statement is:


“The DCP is of the view that it is timely and appropriate to affirm publicly that the current classification system as outlined in DSM and ICD, in respect of the functional psychiatric diagnoses, has significant conceptual and empirical limitations. Consequently, there is a need for a paradigm shift in relation to the experiences that these diagnoses refer to, towards a conceptual system not based on a ‘disease’ model.”


In brief, the argument is that the so-called ‘functional’ diagnoses – schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, ADHD and so on – are not scientifically valid categories and are often damaging in practice. The statement argues that we already have alternatives, such as psychological formulation, and that there is a need to work in partnership with service users and professional groups, including psychiatrists, in order to develop these further."

Exactly. DSM used to label being Gay as a disorder. Talk about empirical evidence motivated by political b.s.

I'd advise giving social workers a chance if anyone wants to seek out therapy. Their model and approach tends to (at least they used to in the U.S.) include more of a holistic and systemic approach by including the individual in the environment, and the environment itself.

They really seem to emphasize biopsychosocial model even more. They're not just individually based, they proactively push for laws to pass to help marginalized individuals in society. They are truly at the forefront. But, trends may have changed now since there are so many budget cuts that affect the quality/delivery of treatment with red taping, etc.

[Marlow]

I have seen different therapists over the years, always for a short period and always with pretty good results. Nothing that any of them said really came as a huge revelation, but I think it's helpful to sit and talk to someone and have them challenge assumptions and help you explore things that are going on with you. As others have said, it needs to be a good fit, which can be hard to find.

My husband suffers from bouts of anxiety and depression and was greatly helped by a cognitive behavior therapist he saw four or five times several years ago. From what I could tell, the therapist showed him how to frame interactions with people in a different way which was very helpful. He talked to two other people before he found the guy that was helpful.

OP, if you've never seen a therapist and you can afford it, there's no harm in giving it a try.

[ocnjgirl]

Originally Posted by Woof

No, Mordant's post is completely accurate, in my experience.

You can disagree if you like, but I have gone to a psychiatrist without first going to a psychologist. There is no such requirement.

[Woof]

Originally Posted by ocnjgirl

You can disagree if you like, but I have gone to a psychiatrist without first going to a psychologist. There is no such requirement.

You can do that if insurance covers it, but if you go through a public health system such as county mental health, you have to go up the ladder to see a shrink.

[Rangerdude_Charlie]

My experience with therapy always felt like just a ranting or bitching session and then I would get angry about what I was complaining about. It never really felt like anything was ever accomplished in my sessions. I think in many ways I have learned to cope with life like most people. You learn to adapt and talk about things and work through things. I'm sure it works for some people and they say you have to find the right one. Right now I can deal with life for the most part.

[ocnjgirl]

Originally Posted by Woof

You can do that if insurance covers it, but if you go through a public health system such as county mental health, you have to go up the ladder to see a shrink.

But you can't say all therapists are worthless if you are only using as a reference those working in an over-burdened county system where there are too few therapists who are given too many patients as if they are on an assembly line. That's like saying all doctors are worthless because the ones at the free clinic you went to weren't good.

[mateo45]

There's a good reason why therapists are sometimes described as "paid friends".

[lizzytish]

Kat, seeing a social worker instead of a psychologist is a good suggestion. They can sometimes let you know of any services/programs that may actually make a real difference in your life.

[tijlover]

I benefited most from group therapy, the stronger-dosed confrontational type of group therapy, more so than individual therapy.

Confrontational group therapy: They'll "pull your pants down" in front of everybody if someone senses you're not being truthful, or playing games with them.