Does anyone here get counseling?

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I need help.
I need someone to talk to who can understand and accept me and help relieve some of this pressure/fear/misery!
I have some outdated Prozac.. it helped a LOT years ago.
I saw my Dr. awhile back...a month?
She (wisely) did not want to just write another prescription, she told me to have blood drawn and gave me a form with a bunch of tests to have done, but my severe phobia of heights is so bad I can’t even get in the elevator door!
The elevator is about 3 feet away from a large window, and the lab or whatever is on the 4th floor.
I can’t even get TO the elevator door.
Can counseling help?
Either the phobia, or the depression/anxiety/pressure that has been miserable the past couple of days?

Last edited by Sylkat on 30 Apr 2021, 5:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Is there another place you can go that does the same thing?

Until you've had your bloods done it sounds as though you won't be getting any medicinal help. There are good reasons for that in terms of checking for deficiencies, and also checking you don't have any hidden health conditions that any tablets might exacerbate. But it creates a catch-22 if you can't pursuade yourself to take the elevator.

Maybe get there 15 minutes early and walk up the stairs? Is that an option?

Counselling can help with things like anxiety and depression but only to a certain extent if you're on the spectrum, in my experience. It is really important to find the right therapist for you. If you don't get on well with the therapist it won't be worth the hassle, but with someone good it is.

Counselling for phobias has a high success rate I believe, though it can be uncomfortable as you're pushing your boundaries. Also needs commitment, as success doesn't happen overnight. But it does work for a lot of people. Hypnotherapy can also be useful.

I appreciate any suggestions;
I’m kind of stuck with this place; it’s for employees, and I NEED to use health plan through my health plan doctor.
Next chance that I’m there, I will try to find stairs; thank you so much

I don't do lifts or esculators.

It's excellent exercise to go up and down the stairs.

Hugs Sylkat! I hope the stairs will prove a good alternative for you! What a pity that's the only place you can go for your testing! Are you sure? Maybe if you double check there's another place - but in the meantime the stairs are a great idea. I've had tons of counselling in my life for various reasons: primarily for trauma, but also for anxiety, depression, phobias, etc. Right now I have a trauma psychologist, a neuropsychiatrist and a PTSD OT (occupational therapist for trauma). I'm actually wondering if an OT might be a good choice for you? Perhaps you can find one that works on practical ways to approach your phobia since it's like an occupational (life skills) challenge?

I agree with Redd_Kross that finding a good counsellor is hit and miss. If you have coverage you might want to look around or try some on Zoom, even a 15 minute introductory "hello" with each person might help you know which person feels right. Many autistic people don't respond well to CBT therapy but I'm sure there are other ways of dealing with phobias if you think it's important to pursue.

Good luck, and hugs!

What is CBT therapy?

It's a very common type of psychology counselling called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive ... al_therapy

To be honest it doesn't work for me. I feel like it is based on a notion that I can somehow change my behaviour at will by changing my thinking patterns. Most of my behaviour is rooted in autism which can't be changed by wishing it away or changing my thought process. A lot of it also involves visualisation, and I have a documented disability with visualising things, visual memory, etc. My disability is called Aphantasia. Anyway, there's a lot of visualising and thinking things through or challenging your thought process to make new connections and a new reward system in your brain. It's not the only form of therapy out there, but it's very common and like I said, a lot of autistic people report difficulty with this form of treatment but that doesn't mean it won't work for you.

Other types of treatment for phobia might be more person-centred (based on you and your strengths / weaknesses rather than a preset format). Exposure therapy or DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy - more based on actions than thoughts), are both quite common for phobias as well.

Oh.
That is DEEP!
I’ve pretty much accepted my fear of heights as permanent; it’s always been there...shrugs.
What I’m hoping for is SOMETHING to tone down the anxiety and depression that has hit pretty hard lately.
It would be nice to have a formal diagnosis of Autism or Aspergers or whatever is going on with me.

Are you pursuing an ASD diagnosis? I'm sorry but I assumed that you had already been assessed. If you're autistic but having trouble finding ASD support it stands to reason your depression and anxiety might start to spiral. They're often comorbid with ASD, and might feel more pronounced if you're having trouble finding someone to identify / validate your autism.

Whether you're autistic or not I hope you get those blood tests done and your doctor will start to treat the depression and anxiety. Sometimes GPs will do a bit of talk-therapy (acting like a psychologist for you), and sometimes they will refer you to someone they deem more specialised. Again depending on your insurance I hope you're able to shop around a bit with therapists and find someone who feels like a good fit. You don't need to see anyone more than once if you don't like their style or they don't seem to take your concerns seriously. Mental health is very important so I hope you're able to follow up on this - and the first step seems to be those stairs!