How much help have you had from "professionals"?

[CTB Fella]

Myself: Fuck all help.

They just section me, when my overdoses are extreme, but that's it.

No therapy, no care co-ordinator, nothing.

How about you?

 

[chr74]

im in the uk and was supposed to get a care coordinator but that was months ago and havnt heard anything

same with cbt, was told i would start that, havnt heard anything

services are really strained i guess

 

[CTB Fella]

im in the uk and was supposed to get a care coordinator but that was months ago and havnt heard anything

same with cbt, was told i would start that, havnt heard anything

services are really strained i guess

Talk is cheap, and they have plenty of it, right?

 

[LittleJem]

I don't think they can do much. Most they do is want to talk to me about a 'safety plan' which is annoying because I don't want that. Or suggest I distract myself from suicidal thoughts. Yes, sure. Like I do need to go for a walk, but when I walk I have suicidal thoughts. When I stay in I have suicidal thoughts.

I know nothing can help me apart from medication and I just need to choose the next one. Then whether or not it helps is TBC.

 

[heartbroken12]

Talk is cheap, and they have plenty of it, right?

Yeah.

The illusion of help when it isn't there is so dangerous :( Wasted years putting myself in their hands… waiting… feeling more and more like a sick person and like I couldn't help myself. The mental health services in the UK fail vulnerable people.

 

[CTB Fella]

I hate that there's no diversity in the staff who are meant to be helping.

Most of them are from Africa, when the people offering support should reflect the service users.

Most of them are lazy, too.

 

[chr74]

@LittleJem yea im the same, i can go for a walk but the problem is my mind comes with me, which is a suicidal mess

 

[senzim]

Myself: Fuck all help.

They just section me, when my overdoses are extreme, but that's it.

No therapy, no care co-ordinator, nothing.

How about you?

I've attempted recovery before but the sad reality I faced was that they didn't care about me. For example, two years ago I had gone to counsellors provided through my school at the time and they downplayed my suicidal thoughts as exam stress/friendship issues. They only really paid a little more attention when I self-harmed. Then I attempted a year ago which resulted with me being taken to A&E and they made me wait 10 hours ( for 4 of those hours they didn't realise paramedics had forgotten to sign me in). Near around 11pm they finally got back to me, I spoke to a few doctors and they ruled me off to be dealt with by a GP. That's why I don't care about myself and find my mental illness a comfort because it's been there for me to fall back into when reaching out for help did effectively nothing.

 

[Hollowman]

I've dealt with six psychiatrists aka con artists over the last thirty years. Been on at least twenty five medications, it was all for nothing my life is shit. If I stick around much longer it's going to get a lot worse.

 

[chr74]

it does make u start to think doesnt it, that perhaps literally the only thing what can help us, is ourselves.

 

[Ambivalent1]

Decades of empty platitudes. TheRapy is a joke.

 

[SilentSadness]

I have had professional mental health counseling, including antidepressants, and it was of course all useless. I have also spoken to hotlines and other services and they are useless as well. It only strengthened my belief that my problem is life itself and the fact that I'm alive, rather than me. Other people have only made me feel worse, often it is intentional because I am generally disliked.

 

[jacarandash]

ive been to my fair share of psychologists, however am not seeing one at the moment because all three of them quit on me - the first one after two or so years, and the last two within a few months of each other. ive given up on therapy, i don't think i will get help if each person im ready to open up to will just up and leave.

my psychiatrist was okay, he didn't do much other than give me medicine though, which no longer has a noticeable effect on my mental state. he left too, though i have had him for a few years. all i need to do now is find a new psychiatrist and get prescribed new meds that might make me feel better

 

[aquarian122]

Not much.

 

[NotHuman]

I've seen at least 10 different therapists consistently over the course of life, countless psychiatrists, and a couple social workers.

Therapists are all cut from the same cloth trained to believe that A) false beliefs are the source of all misery, B) cognitions are infinitely malleable at will, and C) challenging our beliefs with positive affirmations, semantics, and constant activity is the path to wellness. Once they realize that my issues are very real and don't ease simply because I write down otherwise in a CBT worksheet and keep "putting myself out there", they either cut me off saying they can't do anything for me as though I'm a blemish on their otherwise perfect record of ruthless therapeutic efficiency or they give up making suggestions and just encourage me to talk while stealing glances at the clock strategically positioned on the wall behind me.

I've been on virtually every drug for depression, anxiety, OCD, and ADHD including antipsychotics, and went ahead and got ECT and TMS for the Xbox achievement while I was at it. Only ever side effects. Virtually any psychiatrist I see now will tell me that drugs won't help me, the rare exceptions being the ones who just care about my money.

Turns out help is not so helpful even though these people are revered throughout society as modern day witch doctors.

 

[Unending]

About to start with my next round of mental health treatment. Thus far the only things that even remotely help to mitigate symptoms are the things that will lead to a downward spiral a.k.a. the unhealthy coping mechanisms. Hoping for something better this time around as I've been through the ringer over and over again but I use the word hope extremely lightly.

I wouldn't be surprised if I've already sought out more treatment and recovery than most people do in their life time if you include all the self help/life style change stuff I tried as well.

 

[Riu]

When I was little, and in elementary, I made a comment about how it would be easier to die than live through the hardships of life. They called my parents and got me a therapist. He would ask me questions about school and random questions like how the rain makes you feel or something. I don't remember that well, but I remember him asking me about how storms make me feel, and I didn't take him seriously so I said something along the lines of, "It makes me feel popular because when the rain hits my windows it's like a bunch of fans banging on my window for me." I said that because I thought it was really insane and psychotic and just wanted to see his reaction. He barely reacted and all he said was, "That's interesting," so I stopped making up weird crazy stuff because there was really no point. This continued until I went to middle school, I don't think it helped that much but it was calming to just talk to someone and do random activities. He asked me a lot of questions at first but then it just became a way to skip class and play cards or build stuff with shapes.

 

[WaitingToGo]

I concur with other people. Here in the Netherlands it's the same I've had sod all real help. My GP sent me to a crisis center who were as useful as a chocolate teapot. The second visit there the psychiatrist looked bored and I left there feeling worse. Then they kept cancelling appointments. After the crisis center I've seen a psychiatrist once and I now see a psychiatric nurse and a therapist. And the last session I'm also getting the CBT bullshit. I've filled in the sheet which I'll show her this Thursday. I signed an agreement that I would do as they suggest and not self medicate but if/when I feel like medicating I just will. I just think they have no idea what to do with us. I'm now taking Venlafaxine after a brief spell of Olanzapine and a decade on Citalopram.

 

[EternalOblivion]

To be honest: for more reason than one, I've never seen a professional consistently. Right now, I have the opportunity to find someone potentially competent with my current insurance—but there's a huge part of me that's terrified to reach out. I've spent so much time perceiving myself as innately broken, I can't imagine meaningfully changing for the better.

 

[SantasHelper]

I've had like 5 therapists and I'd say 2-3 of them dropped me because I was "too self aware" and that they couldn't help me. Diagnosed with PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety

 

[unnormal9]

7+ years of it. I am still suicidal.

 

[cogmachine]

psychologist (didn't do shit) at 11-12 years old, she ghosted us at one point after a certain number of appointments. psychiatrist at 13-14 years old, wanted to put me on drugs (ssris) after no more than 2 sessions. both of these were involuntary. the time i decided to go by myself to the psychiatrist i told her that i "no longer need help (lie, but just wanted to get away from her)", as she kept trying to get me in some sort of a daycare psych ward. she obviously took it personally and also ghosted my dad when he tried e-mailing her. these people are a money and mind drain that want to keep you in a perpetual state of suffering so you could be their piggy bank. the price of life, i suppose.

 

[Heavenbound]

The entire health care system is a joke.
Sick to death of doctors... I can get more results from a Voodoo priestess.

 

[AnnonyBox]

I tried a bunch of online resources. ACT made me feel worse because I was more aware of suffering. Was told it was my fault when CBT didn't work. Got recommended to use a therapy chatbot. Ended up telling it to fuck off and deleted it. I don't trust psychiatry or therapy anymore, I certainly won't waste my money on them. In my opinion philosophy and environment do more for a person's happiness.

 

[Unwr!tten]

What I struggle with when it comes to therapists is that they just sit there and kinda… just validate you.

That's nice and all but, I have friends for that. I like concrete solutions like—

If I'm depressed because I'm in an abusive relationship, maybe help me get away from that person.

 

[catastrophix]

I've gone through five therapists
3 psychiatrists
10+ psych ward inpatient treatments
TMS treatments for 4 months
Literally countless number of mental health medications — Gone through at least 40 different pills, currently on 15+ or so pills every single fucking day :']
3 psych evaluations

I'm on SaSu, so you can imagine how much all of this bullshit helped (eyeroll). Most of my therapists stopped seeing me because they thought I needed a "more intense level of care" (aka, they were giving up on me). My current therapist actually helps because she specializes in dissociative disorders (I have DID), but because she's a specialist it's hella expensive. And the pills I take are basically so I don't get withdrawal, they rarely work.

 

[azzy]

Myself: Fuck all help.

They just section me, when my overdoses are extreme, but that's it.

No therapy, no care co-ordinator, nothing.

How about you?

first of all, they're literally failing you and their jobs.
their job is to keep people from ctbing but they just watch you overdose and offer little no help. shameless.

i've been forced into therapy since i was 11. from then i've had a lot of bad experiences with horrible therapists who impose more problems on me then i originally had. most of them have judgment on their faces and their "advice" is always the same: get coping skills, calm yourself down, do some "meditation". i don't think i've had one therapist treat me different then my current one, who is a psychologist that does therapy. even to find someone like him took years.

as for meds, i literally had to call out my psychiatrist for not giving a $&@* about me or what was going on and calling her a corporate zombie for doing little to nothing to sympathize or talk to me. after that i had a diagnosis with bpd.

either way, frustration is valid with these people. i don't understand why so many soulless, incompassionate jerks think it's a good idea to get a job in mental health work. you not caring about people's well being or being lazy literally can cost them their life that you "care about protecting".

in conclusion, im sorry you were failed by the system. you truly do deserve better people in your life.

I've attempted recovery before but the sad reality I faced was that they didn't care about me. For example, two years ago I had gone to counsellors provided through my school at the time and they downplayed my suicidal thoughts as exam stress/friendship issues. They only really paid a little more attention when I self-harmed. Then I attempted a year ago which resulted with me being taken to A&E and they made me wait 10 hours ( for 4 of those hours they didn't realise paramedics had forgotten to sign me in). Near around 11pm they finally got back to me, I spoke to a few doctors and they ruled me off to be dealt with by a GP. That's why I don't care about myself and find my mental illness a comfort because it's been there for me to fall back into when reaching out for help did effectively nothing.

the school counselors are mind numbing to me. their incompetence makes me wonder why anyone thought they'd be good at helping children.

then they feel like they "failed them" if the kid ctbs. like yes, you really did fail them when you have a literal student seeking a website like this out for help in the first place.

 

[another horizon]

Dependence on antidepressants which destroyed my emotions

 

[herenomore]

I hate that there's no diversity in the staff who are meant to be helping.

Most of them are from Africa, when the people offering support should reflect the service users.

Most of them are lazy, too.

What is wrong with them being from Africa? Guess you can find racism even on a suicidal forum.

 

[charlotte_]

Literally none. I've had one "therapy session" when i was at like, 10 years old, but my mom was involved and she says everything for me despite understanding nothing, so I won't even count that. Now, I struggle severely with trust issues, so I can't ask for help from almost everyone even the ones closest to me. Prob wont ever get any professional help