mental illness/ suicide

[GeddyWrox]

So my friend needs a specific kind of counseling. And there aren't that many practices in the area that specialize in it. So in the meantime, we are just trying to find her traditional counseling that can focus on past sexual trauma and her other current issues. It's awful how difficult this is. I have two licensed therapist friends that are helping me search. They have given me over a dozen leads on people/practices to call. I've left probably 10 voice mails since last week. I have had two call backs, and those both just gave me more numbers to cold call.

If I am getting this frustrated, how in the Frick is a person with chronic depression supposed to do this on their own??? I've been there. There were entire weeks where I didn't shower or brush my teeth. It shouldn't be this hard to find help for someone who desperately needs it. If I were in that state and trying to find help for myself I would have given up long ago. UGH

[thrill]

If I am getting this frustrated, how in the Frick is a person with chronic depression supposed to do this on their own???

First time I went to a therapist was due to a bout of what for me felt like acute anxiety and the byzantine nature of our healthcare system threw up road blocks at every step of the way. When you barely have the energy/capacity to get out of bed, dealing with that is nearly impossible. Then making an appointment that wasn't 2-3 weeks out was impossible. Eventually, I found that if you go to a big healthcare/hospital system, you can make an appt with a primary care provider and get a referral with their in-house therapist quickly. I went to an urgent care and they quickly got me to the system's counseling services, who got me on an SSRI and set me up with a therapist. These types of therapists are usually very generalized but can quickly refer you to someone more specialized to your needs quickly.

It doesn't help your friend who needs specialized care, but just wanted to share for any folks here who may have difficulty getting into a system/provider that is covered by their insurance as well as able to get you in front of a professional relatively quickly.

[GeddyWrox]

That is excellent advice. All this really needs to be easier to navigate, for sure. But it definitely doesn't help that most of the people in my circles have additional "uncommon" relationship structures. It's hard enough to find a good therapist with availability. Now try to find one who doesn't immediately try to "fix" your polyamory and other kinks. I have straight walked out on one therapist in the past because she just couldn't stop trying to "shrink" me into not being poly. F that. That's not why I'm here, lady. BYE.

[GeddyWrox]

Got to actually see my friend in person last night briefly. Gave her the biggest, longest hug in the history of hugs. Damn that felt good.

[GeddyWrox]

@IMADreamer, I've been thinking about your post. My friend needs a special kind of counseling called DBT (Dialectal Behavioral Therapy, I think. Something like that anyway). My understanding of it is to give the person skills to be mindful of their anxiety spikes, manic periods, or other trouble times and to give that person the skills to manage those times much much better/differently. I know you have a much different history, and your diagnosis would probably be much, MUCH different than my friend's, but I just wonder if DBT counseling might help you a lot. Might want to check it out.

[IMADreamer]

@IMADreamer, I've been thinking about your post. My friend needs a special kind of counseling called DBT (Dialectal Behavioral Therapy, I think. Something like that anyway). My understanding of it is to give the person skills to be mindful of their anxiety spikes, manic periods, or other trouble times and to give that person the skills to manage those times much much better/differently. I know you have a much different history, and your diagnosis would probably be much, MUCH different than my friend's, but I just wonder if DBT counseling might help you a lot. Might want to check it out.

I definitely think it would be worth investigating. I'm going to my doctor next week to try and see where to go from there.

[IMADreamer]

Just kind of checking in with you guys. (all of GRB) You all doing ok? I hope you are.

[GeddyWrox]

Good, here.

My friend still goes through rough stretches but she's hanging in there for now as well.

[heyzeus]

A good friend of mine was found dead in his car at a gas station in a small town far from where he lives over the weekend, so...I don't know. Last week a cousin died of a drug overdose. Not great.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

A good friend of mine was found dead in his car at a gas station in a small town far from where he lives over the weekend, so...I don't know. Last week a cousin died of a drug overdose. Not great.

Damnit, man. Sorry to hear.