A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:Hi, I have a quick question. I'm 25 and I have just been diagnosed with depression, and will be starting therapy soon. I guess I just wanted to hear from anyone here who has been to therapy about what to expect.I'm curious to hear about your experiences. How did it help (or not) help you? Reply to this Question
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female
reader, So_Very_Confused +, writes (28 August 2014):
 I've done therapy for years. I haven't had the need for a while but I can tell you that if you are doing it properly when you come out of a session you will feel exhausted.
Therapy is hard work if you are doing it right.
if the first therapist you work with does not feel like a good fit, don't be afraid to find a different one.
A
female
reader, Euphoric29  +, writes (28 August 2014):
Dear OP,
I've been diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder some years ago. In the meantime I recovered and feel completely healthy. It wasn't a fast process, but I am happy I managed to get out of this black hole and my life is filled with hope and energy again.
First, I had 2 therapists in their 50s (psychoanalytical training) who didn't do too much to help me. They were rather passive but friendly, listened to my problems without even taking notes or remembering most of the things I said. Then, I found a younger, more enthusiast therapist (trained in cognitive behavioral therapy), who really listened to me, sometimes challenged me or gave me homework to do. It helped to know myself and improve the situation. What I found very helpful was also, that I kept on doing therapy after I had recovered from the worst, to do some prevention of further episodes.
There's some advice I'd like to give you out of my own experience, because I wish I had had some "guide" or good advice back when I was so down:
- Choose a therapist that you really like and feel a connection with. If you are seeing somebody who doesn't seem interested and who doesn't help you to see things from a different perspective, change the therapist. Otherwise, it's a loss of time and money.
- If you find a good therapist, trust in him/her, give a thought about what he or she has to say, and if he/she suggests some exercise or homework to you, try it out.
- Antidepressants are okay if you're so low down that you can hardly deal with everyday life anymore. But antidepressants don't solve the problems that got you into this depressive state, so it's better to still work on the issues with a therapist, even if you take medication.
- Depression is (in my opinion) NOT a coincidence, it has to do with your personal history, with your way to deal with problems, and with your surroundings. It's important for you to know how you got there and how to avoid getting there again in the future.
- For me, there were two important lessons I had to learn in order to stay healthy: 1) Taking good care of myself!! That means surrounding myself with real friends. Eating good food. Doing things I find interesting. Working in a job I like. Getting enough sleep, etc. 2) My depression often had to do with being treated unfairly. I got depressed... when instead I should have gotten angry and fight for myself, or at least work on the solution of a problem. I was a pushover for too long and that got me in this painful mood. Maybe you find your personal "trigger" for depression and a new way to deal with it. Like, being more assertive and not exhausting yourself while trying to please others.
Ok, that's it. I wish you a good start to therapy. You've already made the first and most important step: You reached out for help. Congratulations that you were so brave.
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A
male
reader, Biscuit35 +, writes (28 August 2014):
About 8 years ago I went through some depression alcohol abuse problems... I ended up seeing a therapist once a week and it helped me tremendously... She was very kind listened to all my problems and gave back positive life changing feedback in regards to my health. When you're all done with your first session, It's like a weight has been lifted.
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