has a psychiatrist ever given up on you?

[gearcube]

mine hasn't but he told me very plainly that he could not help with some of the issues I keep complaining about, and suggested that I see a psychologist.

Go figure.

[CheekyMonkey]

This information does not surprise me in the least.

[Targaryen]

Originally Posted by gearcube

mine hasn't but he told me very plainly that he could not help with some of the issues I keep complaining about, and suggested that I see a psychologist.

Go figure.

Why would he suggest you see a psychologist? Are they better with dealing with certain issues?

[gearcube]

Originally Posted by Targaryen

Why would he suggest you see a psychologist? Are they better with dealing with certain issues?

My brain tends to fixate on past negative experiences and the pills my psychiatrist has given me have had only moderate success in helping me move on.

The irony is that I've never worked with a psychologist who did not give up on me and suggested a psychiatrist.

So neither psychologists nor psychiatrists can help me. I wonder if there is a 3rd alternative?

Maybe I should start doing drugs

[ana futura]

Have you tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

I would recommend trying either of those, they're very straight forward and don't waste time. CBT and ACT therapists tend to get straight to the point.

[Targaryen]

Life coach perhaps?

I have been thinking about seeing a psychologists lately just to help keep me on track. I have only seen a psychologists when I was diagnosed with ADD so I don't have a lot of experience which was why I asked the question.

There is a psychologist in my area who specializes in ADD that I have been thinking about checking out.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by Targaryen

Why would he suggest you see a psychologist? Are they better with dealing with certain issues?

Yes, psychiatrists primarily dispense medication. Psychologists are a better choice for everything else. I would never see a psychiatrist for therapy, they are rarely as qualified.

[gearcube]

Originally Posted by ana futura

Have you tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

Yes

I would recommend trying either of those, they're very straight forward and don't waste time. CBT and ACT therapists tend to get straight to the point.

Well, in my experience they were a waste of time. I felt like an amputee dealing with an idiot who kept telling him to grow a leg.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by gearcube

Well, in my experience they were a waste of time. I felt like an amputee dealing with an idiot who kept telling him to grow a leg.

If ACT or CBT didn't work for you, I doubt another style of therapy would help. You could read up on the different styles and see if there's something that would suit you better.
http://psychcentral.com/therapy.htm

There is a lot of variation from therapist to therapist, so it's possible you haven't found a good match yet. It's very important that you feel comfortable with them and respect them, and that they ask you the right questions. You have to meet them half-way though, you have to actively want things to change in order for anything to come out of therapy.

My current therapist is more of a coach, but I really like her. I went through a few before I found one I clicked with.

If you are interested in learning more about psychology, and what you can expect out of therapy, the APA's site has a lot of useful info- http://www.apa.org/topics/therapy/index.aspx

[gearcube]

Originally Posted by ana futura

If ACT or CBT didn't work for you, I doubt another style of therapy would help. You could read up on the different styles and see if there's something that would suit you better.

The style of therapy my doctor recommended is the one where they connect your head to a machine and they show you images that represent the way your brain responds to different stimuli.

You have to meet them half-way though, you have to actively want things to change in order for anything to come out of therapy.

But my previous therapist picked up on the fact that I've never had a girlfriend and subtly tried to steer the therapy in that direction, and meanwhile I wanted to work on the same issues that my psychiatrist just told me he could not help me with.

My current therapist is more of a coach, but I really like her. I went through a few before I found one I clicked with.

I have a hard time "clicking" with people. This probably relates to the issue we discussed in the other thread concerning my not wanting to accept friends with glaring imperfections.

[ana futura]

Originally Posted by gearcube

The style of therapy my doctor recommended is the one where they connect your head to a machine and they show you images that represent the way your brain responds to different stimuli.

Neurofeedback? That's usually very expensive and insurance doesn't cover it. I'm interested in trying it myself for ADHD, but there is not yet enough research to show that is effective or justifies the high cost.

But my previous therapist picked up on the fact that I've never had a girlfriend and subtly tried to steer the therapy in that direction, and meanwhile I wanted to work on the same issues that my psychiatrist just told me he could not help me with.

You should be able to tell your therapist what issues you want to address. It's possible that your therapist felt that it was important to discuss other issues first, or it could be that your therapist didn't really listen to you and just went along with their own agenda.This is why it's important that you click with a therapist. You should be able to tell them if you are dissatisfied with the direction your therapy is going in. You need to feel like you have an open dialogue with them for therapy to be effective.

I have a hard time "clicking" with people. This probably relates to the issue we discussed in the other thread concerning my not wanting to accept friends with glaring imperfections.

I think this is definitely the part of the reason therapy is not working for you. Honestly I feel like my own therapist misses things, and doesn't get what I'm saying. Sometimes it's tempting for me to write her off or think she's stupid for not getting something I'm trying to say. But she is still really good at what she does, and even though sometimes we get off on a tangent that's not constructive, on the whole I feel like I get a lot from her. I feel comfortable with her. I had another therapist who would just drive me up the wall, and my meetings with him were pointless and maddening. There was nothing I could have gotten from continuing to meet with him.

I would try talking to a few different therapists on the phone. Many will offer free consultations. After you talk to a few, pick the one you liked the best, and try to be realistic about your expectations. If you don't like how something's going, tell them! They need feedback from you, and a good therapist will be receptive to constuctive feedback. A good therapist will also tell you why they think it's important to address an issue that you might not want to address.

[Fortune]

Originally Posted by ana futura

Have you tried Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?

I would recommend trying either of those, they're very straight forward and don't waste time. CBT and ACT therapists tend to get straight to the point.

I would also suggest dialectical behavioral therapy, as it is designed to address some of the issues gearcube describes.

[gearcube]

Originally Posted by Fortune

I would also suggest dialectical behavioral therapy, as it is designed to address some of the issues gearcube describes.

such as?

[Fortune]

Originally Posted by gearcube

such as?

This:

Originally Posted by gearcube

My brain tends to fixate on past negative experiences

DBT was intended to address such things (among other things). It's something that might be worth looking into if CBT or other options don't help.

[TheChemicals]

My psychologist looked at me with squinty eyes and asked me what i expected from her. She followed that by saying she didnt see anything wrong with me. I never returned. I felt like a normal guy for a long time....got a clean bill of health from a shrink yayayay.