How do you find someone to talk to?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
How do you find someone to talk to?
3
Thu, 09-09-2004 - 11:06pm
h0w do you go about finding a counseler, therapist, mental health person...whatever they are? i can't afford hundreds of dollars an hour either. i have bcbs, but i dont think they will pay for that, anybody know? the past three months i have tried zoloft, effexor, and now lexapro. nothing really makes me feel better. and i think a mental health, or someone specialing in that field would have a better idea what to prescribe me. plus i think i need to talk about my depression. is it better to see someone like that? does it really help to talk??? i just feel weird about telling my thoughts and feelings to a stranger, i dont know if i could. hope someone can advise......thanks
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-09-2004
Fri, 09-10-2004 - 3:14am
You might find this helpful, it gives some ideas on what to look for in a therapist.

Remember you always have the right to change therapists if you are not comfortable the first one you try. It's good you are wanting to get help with your depression. Good luck.

http://www.metanoia.org/choose/

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Sat, 09-11-2004 - 2:30pm
I have some ideas for you. A good way to find a therapist is to ask your medical doctor for a two or three names. Call each of them and see who makes you feel the most comfortable.

If you have problems paying for a therapist, I recommend calling Catholic Charities. They can give you free counseling at their facility. They help anyone in need, regardless of if you are destitute, or just can't afford the extra money for counseling.

A psychiatrist can prescribe you medication, but they are expensive and usually ask you to come in every month to see how you are doing on your medication. They usually only give you 15 minutes for $100 or more.

There is a website called www.crazymeds.com that can outline for you the different antidepressants and their effects. It might give you an idea about what to ask you medical doctor about.

It can be hard to talk to a therapist at first. Part of the problem is learning to trust the other person. But they are trained and are legally bound to keep your sessions confidential.

Feel free to write me if you have any more questions. I'm training to be a therapist right now and have learned a lot.

Take Care,

MariaC

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-11-2003
Tue, 09-14-2004 - 10:31pm
tylixxa,

I have been struggling with depression for a few years now. I finally broke down and started looking for a counselor. As you are thinking, i just needed to talk to someone that wasn't a family member or friend about all that was bothering me. I found my counselor through a nurse at my local OB/GYN's office. She recommend a few to me and so I started calling around. I found my counselor within a couple of days. I was really nervous about going to talk to her for the first time. This person was a complete stranger to me and I don't like to talk about my thoughts and feelings with anyone. I was to the point, that when i first met with her. She asked what was on my mind and i just started talking. It has helped me to a point, but you also need to do anything you can to help yourself. My counselor now just sits and listens as I cry, laugh, or just talk about how i feel and what i think.

I think you should looking into this as much as possible, the longer you wait, the longer you are going to have to wait to feel better. I will say, the first couple of times you go, you may not feel better, you may feel worse, stick it out, it does get better.

I am still in a deep depression but I am fighting day by day to get over it. I am not currently on any antidepressants, but i would recomment Prozac. It helped me alot after my second son was born.

email me if you would like to talk!

hjb