does professonal help actually help?

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I've been playing around with the idea of getting professional help (using the counseling services on my campus) for my depression. Somehow, I find it hard to believe that someone can actually help me. I was curious to hear about other people's experience with psychologists and the like, and if it helped them or not.

For me it made life much worse as i was forced to accept as good all the things i knew at my heart were bad
My experience with the so called pro's left me with deep disgust and enhanced my despair of the human race
Reading online material and other AS experience only served to enhance my initial hatred of psychologists
Most of them are some kinds of super NT ,coward conformists and uncreative and in sensitive to an amazing degree
But u might luck out to meet someone who is the exception to this lot so who's to say/

Last edited by nara44 on 26 May 2010, 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

I'm an NT. I have been to a psychologist who "treats" kids with AS--and she told me that people with AS should not date NT's!! ! (Note: she doesn't tell her AS clients that she holds this belief.)

AS isn't a personality disorder. It's not like you do x number of years in therapy and it goes away.

If you're really depressed, exercise, get meds, read books on nutrition and follow them, and get more sunlight.

Also, if your issue is PTSD, EMDR targeted at that specifically can help.

However, if you're depressed because of your AS, supposedly talk therapy is BAD.

It seems like working on more self acceptance and acceptance of others is key. Buddhism, perhaps?

i've done it a lot myself (had therapy and counseling). i basically like it. it may help you being more conscious and aware of your feelings and emotions. word of warning: don't expect too much!

I remember talking to those types, 12 years ago. I had this one woman, who was a super NT and she belittled every single thing, that I told her, and she laughed at me. She also had her own little goals for me, to dress like my oversexed female peers and blend in, with them.

I saw 8 different 'pros' over 3 years. Yea, fun. The first was awesome, she just let me do what I wanted while asking the occasional question. The next few were just insane, like this one lady that asked Sis and I to draw a picture. She looks at it, says that 'the shape of the tree tells her our parents were divorced', and we laughed. No, our file and the argument said parents had about visitation that weekend right in her waiting room would have clued her in there. The last one was just plain rude, always insisting that my dad knew everything that went on in the sessions even though I'd ask her not to tell. I learned not to talk pretty quick.

So in my personal opinion, it's all going to depend on the competency of the counsellor. If you get a moron, then you're never going to get anywhere. You should know within about 4-6 sessions if someone is going to be able to help you, and if you 'fit'. It's kinda like having a paid best friend, you tell them your problems, they work it out with your input.

For those who experience depression, it's either organic, meaning you'll need drugs to help, or its caused by the environment, often without you even realising.

In Ireland we have Aware a charity that is specifically targeted towards helping people with depression, they have a helpline and group meetings. Would there be anything like that where you are?

Therapy can help if you are determined to get out of the situation. CBT is supposed to be especially good for this sort of thing, but it requires a lot of homework and follow through on the part of the patient.

If you feel hopeless though, you may not get much out of that. A psychotherapist may help and so can drugs, but you need to be careful not to fall into the 'sick role' (where your disease defines you).

There won't be a quick fix unfortunately, and if you're impatient at all, self help books are a cheaper and more proactive alternative (or add on). Exercise really helps too.

right. exactly.

i noticed you say "don't know" in your diagnosis.

if you do have AS - be careful of the therapist digging for repressed emotional undercurrents to something that may in fact purely be a product of your wiring. it could make you feel like a malingerer, defective, or just frustrate you to meltdown.

if you're not sure, it may or may not clarify things as i think most counselors don't even know how to recognize it, let alone work with it.

but, obviously it helps some people. as they say, your mileage may vary.