LogFAQs > #972298951

KogaSteelfang posted...

He never really addressed any of my issues, gave advice or useful insights. He'd spend most of our sessions on the phone to other patients. After all that time, the only change he'd suggested be made in my life was to go on a walk every weekend. Which I did,except once it was cold and rainy so I skipped it and when he learned that he told me I wasn't worth his time. Alongside a bunch of other stuff he'd said that hurt. So I quit.

Holy shit that guy sounds like a dumbass lol. Don't let one dud turn you off from therapy altogether, that guy was worthless

KogaSteelfang posted...

I don't know how to stop. I used to be fairly optimistic and positive natured, but that changed in my 30's. I wish I could just go back to that mindset.

Well, if you're unfamiliar with it you could try CBT (Cognitive Based Therapy). It's basically the practice of being aware of your thoughts and making a conscious effort to improve them (while also recognizing positive things in your life).

https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-New-Mood-Therapy-ebook/dp/B009UW5X4C

I read through that book because I was reading a different book about American culture that stated that merely reading the book on CBT was almost as effective in combatting depression as antidepressants.

Studies have consistently shown that cognitive therapy (CBT) is as efficacious as antidepressant medications at treating depression and can have lasting effects long after treatment has stopped.1 However, a recent individual patient data metaanalysis showed that antidepressant medication is slightly more efficacious than CBT in reducing overall depression severity in patients with a Diagnostic and Statistic (DSD)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6502416/

Some people need antidepressants, so I'm not saying just training your brain with CBT is some sort of magic cure that supplants them, but certain studies show that CBT can be almost as effective. It's possible CBT would help you, or antidepressants, or a combination of the two. If your mood is severely affecting your life I would recommend seeking the advice of a medical professional and finding out more (some therapists specialize in CBT too, so that's something to consider). I will say one thing as an armchair psychologist: the negative voice in your head is an evil bastard that you need to eradicate. That's not your "true self," or the way you really feel deep down inside, it's just a little bitch that you need to toss into the trash.