THANK YOU. Therapy isn't as expensive as you might think, provided you actually do a little research digging. And besides, if you can afford food, housing, clothes, internet, cable, transportation... then you can afford mental health services. You wouldn't leave a broken bone untreated. You shouldn't leave a broken brain untreated either. There are so many resources. There are a million and one foundations that offer either free therapy or that give out grants to people. There are organizations that provide group therapy for free (like Alcoholics Anonymous and Weight Watchers, there are also certainly local organizations that provide free or inexpensive group therapy). A lot of universities offer therapy for students who are depressed, stressed, with substance abuse problems, or who have been assaulted. My school is really good about that --they even offer group therapy for stressed out graduate students working on their dissertations! There are national and international crisis centers with 24-hour response telephone lines and online chats. There are millions of people who want to pay it forward and help you. A friend of mine, for example, went through a very rough period and had her therapy paid for by someone else. Now that she is well again and is financially well off, she pays it forward and helps others out who are not financially fortunate because she sincerely believes in the power of therapy and how it can change and save lives. There is also insurance, if you have it. A lot of companies provide coverage for mental health. And if you don't live in the United States, doesn't the universal health care system help you finance that? Frankly, citing your finances as an excuse to remain unwell is for quitters. Take initiative. I know when you are feeling low, it is hard to seek help for yourself, but you've got to grow a pair and suck it up and look out for yourself because not a lot of other people will. There are people who would LOVE to help you. People make this their life's work. They want you to feel well again. But they will never know that you need help until you step up and ask for it. And if you cant ask for help from someone who actually can help, then please don't ask people who you know cant help (like unqualified writers on the Internet, for example).
My problems are vast and I don't know if therapy will help remedy them, but I'm sure its worth a try. I still have a former therapists contact information saved in my phone, so if anything I suppose I can set something up with him. I'm just losing my mind at this point and I feel like I'm going to internally cause some damage from this amount of stress I have to endure. Day in and out, I sit in my room rocking back and forth for hours trying to figure everything out. It has been driving me insane. I can't seem to identify my goals. I mean, I have things I would enjoy doing in the future, but for some reason I feel like something is preventing me. Like acting for instance, I would like to try it out and see where it may lead me ,but something is preventing me from wanting to pursue it. I think its because there is no guarantee whether or not it will take me anywhere in the future. I also have a very poor social life and not many friends. have not been able to have many 'normal' teenage experiences growing up, like going to house parties and getting drunk with friends and having a good tiem. I've never been able to do that. I just sit here day in and out trying to figure out what the hell to do with my life and I already know that sitting here won't help me and I just want to change things so bad but I don't even know what the hell I want. I just have things I want to experience and fulfill but in terms of what I want to do with my life, I just DON'T KNOW. Yes I'll get a job soon, but so what? There isn't anything in particular I want to buy with the money. I would also like a relationship right now as well but overall I am SO confused right now. I'm in the worst place in the world and as days continue, I am getting more and more depressed because I can't believe I'm letting things get this bad. If only I knew what to do. People all around me are moving places and fast and yet I'm falling behind. I want so much for myself and I just want to succeed in life and all I know is I have to figure this out quick before I lose it.. Thanks for all your help guys. Much appreciated.
Looking for a girlfriend right now is a bad idea. Wait until you feel more stable. Relationships can only be healthy when both people involved are happy, whole and confident. If not, there's room for problems -- i.e. if one partner becomes controlling or abusive but the other stays in out of pure fear of loneliness, or if one partner isn't happy and wants to wrap things up but doesn't feel free to because he/she doesn't want to worry about having their partner's suicide on their hands. Calling your therapist sounds like a great start. One of my close friends is currently getting her degree to be a therapist, and I can tell you that people in the field chose it for a reason. They really do want to help, and chances are the therapist has seen worse, so he's not going to judge you or anything.
Why don't you join a group or something, there are a million free things to do to get you out and meeting new peoples. For instance join a scrabble group, or go to the chess park and play chess. Err, bowling league, try them all if nothing else you are getting out and doing something. I am lucky enough to be in the position in my life where I can take crap jobs and not care about the pay. So when I feel I need more human interaction I take a McJob getting to meet the people in what ever town I am living in at the time has been a blast. Other things I do if I don't feel like punching a time clock (since I do own my own company now) is find a cause and volunteer, animal shelters, aquariums, museums, schools, church, political campaigns, even free babysitting so a busy mom and dad can go out would allow you time to A get to hang out with some very interesting kids and B you might hit it off with mom n dad Hope that helps some.
Yeah I'm currently involved in campaign activity and it's a lot of fun, and I get to network with people who have the same values I do. Not everyone's thing, though.
Call the therapist. Sure, they might not help. But they might. I realize that you may not want to take a step without knowing if it will succeed, but I strongly suggest that you do take this step. Take the chance. Call the therapist, make an appointment, go to the appointment, tell them what you've been thinking about and struggling with. If you find yourself saying, "I'll call the therapist after..." or "I'll call the therapist once I figure out..." -- don't. Don't delay, don't give yourself some job that you have to complete or figure out before you can call them. Just call them. ChickenFreak
