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...but I would rather see a cat.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/wyeVF.jpg)
Cats
- Will listen no matter what I have to say.
- Are soft.
- Don't give patronizing advice.
- Are free if borrowed from friends.
- Don't secretly judge me.
- Can't speak English and therefore are incapable of talking about me to others.
- Share a love of towels and other common interests.
- Are fun to play with.
- Understand why hiding places are awesome.
- Won't dig for awkward memories and feelings.
The idea of paying someone to listen to me is depressing. It seems wrong to open up my intimate thoughts to a complete stranger. A psychologist is like a whore for emotions... You pay a whore and they will listen to just about anyone. Is that supposed to be fulfilling? I guess there's many different kinds of psychologists, but I have it my head that I'll be given missions like 'talk to a new person each day' or 'smile at strangers' (like I couldn't decide that for myself). Or maybe the psychologist will just sit there nodding his or her head and force me into a very one sided conversation (I hate talking to begin with).
The go to answer for anyone with emotional problems is 'get professional help.' I can only assume TV and movies are to blame for this automated response. Maybe a journalist wrote some article about how sad it is that so many people who are depressed refuse to see psychologists. It's so cyclical! They refuse to see the psychologist because they are sad! They are sad because they refuse to see the psychologist!
If I imagine society is like a human body, then I must be a cell which is not responding properly. In the interests of the human body, of course I'm supposed to want to respond properly to its environment! That's for the best of the body! Are the cell's interests ever considered? Well, the difference between me and a cell is that I'm sentient.
My problems are probably very trivial. Probably everyone has had them at some point. There, now half the replies to this thread will be redundant. My mum says she thinks I've been depressed since I was 10 years old. She's not really an observant person, but she might be right about that. Your brain changes when you're that age. It's supposed to change around adulthood too (the whole reasoning behind voting age), but I must be mostly thru that by now and it's probably worse than it was when I was a teenager.
Here is a reply I foresee in this thread "you probably have chronic depression; drugs might help you."
Well, I thought just having the bullet points would be a shitty thread, so there's the emodump to go with it. There's so many things one isn't allowed to talk about because it just fucks up one's life. It's usually easier to just smile and pretend you are happy... "Sometimes when you force yourself to smile it eventually becomes genuine." There's truth to that saying. I think most of this post is so negative because I'm being told there is something wrong with me. I have happy moments, I really do. It's not that bad... I'm just not happy all the time, okkaaay? Watching StarCraft: Happy. Listening to lawnmowers and people yelling at each other: Frustrated. Writing: Happy. Reflecting: Sad. If I'm sad more often than I'm happy, it's only because my life is sad, not because there is something wrong with me...
Bluurrhhg, Bllaaarg. Cat belongs to my friend. Feel free to remark upon its cuteness.
 
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I agree. And I'd also argue that cats are more theraputic than shrinks anyway! Most shrinks have their own serious issues.
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Wait, so are you really depressed? :O Hope you cheer up--pay a visit to the cute animals thread :3
Though nothing is a therapeutic as an actual cat...I'm allergic to them so I can't really do anything other than stare hopefully at them ><
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you probably have chronic depression; drugs might help you
Oh, the cat is soooo cute 
No seriously, maybe you should listen to the advice of your parents. Shure, being at the psychologists is awkward, especially if he touches you makes you uncomfortable and feel like an idiot, but at least you will feel better (after many lessons).
If you have real depressions, and I hope you have not, then even a psychiatrist won't be enough. If you're just naturally a kind of sad person, then it's okay. Some people are happy by being sad. You are unhappy when you are forced to smile, am I right? You are still young, the most important thing is to get a decent job, else you will feel even worse...
Omg, my advice sucks, but at least the cat is cute
I'm gonna change my signature.
Oh, and I forgot the most important thing. Having depressions HURTS ESPORTS! And not going to the psychologist also HURTS ESPORTS!
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United States12238 Posts
Psychologists have education and training in that field and are able to analyze behaviors and recognize patterns, similar to how a programmer is able to diagnose a software bug and recognize why it's happening and what's wrong in the code. If your parents are paying for you to see a psychologist, you might as well go. What he says may surprise you and you may learn handy ways to address any (real or perceived) psychological issues you may have.
It's up to you to decide what you want to do with the information he gives you. You can dismiss it as an incorrect diagnosis or you can entertain it and see what happens. A lot of young people get depressed, yeah, but only you know the severity.
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They can be really helpful, I think everyone should see a psychologist at some point in their lives.
We all suffer from alot of similar issues so why not see people actually qualified to help you overcome them. Friends and family might love you but they often give detrimental or unhelpful advice.
Psychologists are not a cure-all but it's kind of cathartic to have an understanding, non-judgemental person sit there and listen to all your shit. You can also pick up lots of little tips (e.g. breathing/correcting irrational thoughts), some of which will stick with you, that help you manage social anxiety, perfectionism and depression (the ones I have to some extent).
Your problems are not trivial if they inhibit your ability to enjoy life. Why not see a psychologist? The same way you'd see a dentist if it was painful to eat.
One other thing, if you do a couple of sessions and have trouble opening up, try a different shrink. The ones I've been to have all been very decent people and far from patronizing, they're used to dealing with ultra-sensitive individuals after all.
Cute cat.
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Absolutely refused to ever speak to a psychiatrist/therapist of any kind, and it was the best choice I could have made. However, every person is different, so just because I am better off without seeing a therapist doesn't mean you are. Remember, there is zero point in you going if you don't want to go. If you don't want to be there, you can't be helped. Therapy is something you have to do for yourself, not other people.
Get a cat. :D
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That's unfair to call Psychologists "emotion whores". There are serious mental problems people can have that psychology helps.
But I will agree that depression is a very different matter. It's a complex problem that is different for everybody. I've seen a couple different psych's myself but only for short periods of time. I think they helped a little, there are always tidbits of wisdom you can gather from anybody. But ultimately overcoming depression takes a lot of time in my opinion and there's no quick fix. My mom tried to get me to take pills, and I tried them a couple of times, and I am absolutely and utterly against them.
Anyways, speaking from my own experience, I've made an effort to be happier and over the past few years things have improved, though I often still do feel depressed and things aren't perfect, I'm just able to manage it a lot better.
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I went to a shrink when I was having problems as a young lad with severe anger issues stemming from bullying. You'd think the solution would be, "Make the bullies stop doing their bullying." However, that option simply didn't exist in the world outside of myself, so I went. It didn't affect me right away. In fact, I felt the usual, and I emphasize usual, feelings of betrayal by my parents and the futility of the exercise.
Once I gave up resisting to my own sense of self pride and stopped making excuses, it actually started working. It is not as if they change who you are, which was my primary fear at the time. If anything, you become more 'you' than ever because you start shedding the elements that make you doubt yourself and your ability to make substantial changes in your own life.
Looking back, my problems weren't that uncommon even though they were "serious". Realistically, I wasn't being fixed as much as I was being improved past the norm. I can understand that it seems like you're going in broken and expected to come out fixed, but sometimes it's just going in unorganized and coming out fine-tuned.
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Male cats are really nice, social and fun but female cats are just agressive and well not cuddly at all.
As for psychologists I have alot of truble talking to them since I for an unknown reason look down on them as if they were inferior. Cant really explain that but I really doubt it would help to see one if you dont think it would help. Kinda like a placebo I guess.
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You're confusing a psychiatrist with a psychologist. The first prescribes you drugs, the other is more an emotional guide, helping you through your problems to either correct poor thinking or dissolve absolutes or analyze why you think the way you do.
That's for starters.
Secondly: http://videobb.com/video/T3BO0jWjUnQ1
It takes a lot of bravery to open up to a "stranger" in most cases, a psychologist won't even touch on anything important on the first appointment or even the second. Generally, they'll get to know you and help you if you want to be helped. They're only there for one reason, like a whore, and that is to appease your need to express without judgement or fear of being criticized.
My problems are probably very trivial.
No problems are trivial, purely the thought-processes behind them that make them seem trivial. Consider the idea that if these problems were so trivial, why are you so affected by them? In the grand scheme of life, your problems may be trivial in comparison to starving children and sex trafficking, but in your life, aspects and values. It might be a huge thing and an underlining issue as to why you act or feel the way you do now.
If you trust those who love you, what do you have to lose by seeing a psychologist? While a pet may soothe what ever is bothering you, a psychologist can remedy the roots of that bother.
Fuck everyone said everything I wanted to say.
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That is indeed a cute kitteh!
And I beg to differ, cats speak and alternate version of English called "lolcat". They even translated the Bible! http://www.lolcatbible.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
And concerning the rest of the post....
Your mother's concerns aren't necessarily bad. We have this idea of what is "normal behavior" and a lot of times when it deviates there might be an issue. In my RA experience it wasn't difficult to tell that someone was struggling. That doesn't mean I recommended all of them get counseling. I referred two (and one of them was a suicide risk) because the situation we'd talk about was outside their control. And therein lies the need for people like psychologists...
Ever since I was 13 I would have occasions where I'd get REALLY nervous about getting sick. Nervous to the point that I'd stop functioning. It got so bad in 8th grade I was having episodes daily. It was weird, but I just figured it's how I was and getting all worked up over something so irrational was just a weakness. It got a lot better in high school. They'd pop up every so often, but once again - this is who I am! Then my second year of college hits and I started getting these episodes nightly all winter. Then again the next winter. In fact, they escalated in to full blown panic! I haven't been officially diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder, but I saw a therapist for a year and took medication for 2.5. Turns out having frequent anxiety attacks isn't normal after all....
But you're not me. For all we know you're fine. If that's the case then there's no harm in going to the emotional brothel, especially if you're not paying for it! Psychologists certainly don't ask you to bare your soul on the first day. It's a working relationship and as they get to know you better they start asking deeper questions. I had several instances where the therapist and I would talk philosophy!
You shouldn't be worried about medication. First of all, don't ask for it. Second, if you're diagnosed with anything and they give you pills as treatment make sure that's not the only thing they're offering. For issues like depression (and anxiety in my case) medication are training wheels. They make sure you don't fall, but at the same time they eventually come off and you need to know how to ride on your own. In my opinion, treatment for any disorder (read: anxiety, depression, and attention disorders) that hands out pills without teaching coping tricks is worthless. I got off my medication almost a year ago and in that time got through my first year of grad school. The high stress lead to a number of anxiety and panic attacks, but this time I knew what to do.
So maybe you're depressed. And maybe not. We've all got our emotional junk and the stuff that screws us up runs rampant. I think this post is evidence that you're thinking about it, so take your time.
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On June 18 2011 08:49 RedJustice wrote:
Absolutely refused to ever speak to a psychiatrist/therapist of any kind, and it was the best choice I could have made. However, every person is different, so just because I am better off without seeing a therapist doesn't mean you are. Remember, there is zero point in you going if you don't want to go. If you don't want to be there, you can't be helped. Therapy is something you have to do for yourself, not other people.
Get your head out of your ass. How can it possibly hurt? You also can't know you're better off (which I highly doubt you are) if you've never tried it. Refusing to be helped is not a virtue, it's just stubborn.
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On June 18 2011 08:49 RedJustice wrote:
Absolutely refused to ever speak to a psychiatrist/therapist of any kind, and it was the best choice I could have made. However, every person is different, so just because I am better off without seeing a therapist doesn't mean you are. Remember, there is zero point in you going if you don't want to go. If you don't want to be there, you can't be helped. Therapy is something you have to do for yourself, not other people.
Get a cat. :D
It's ignorance like this that make me truly question how people can live to a potential accepted by the general population. Mind you, I'm not being condescending of you personally, but rather what you're saying.
The idea that you refused to ever see a therapist and feel it was the best decision of your life is blatantly ignorant because if you never saw one, how can your actions be the best or on a comparative level if you never tried the contrasting side.
Nice Binary opposite champ, the bottom-line is, you're illusioned that it is the best decision you ever made probably by the anecdotes you've heard from those surrounding you or from the distortion of the media.
The best decision would have been to try for a session or two, if you don't like it: you can just step away and freely say that you felt more comfortable not engaging with a therapist than to do it.
Your approach is just lacking entirely.
Fuck this topic, I keep getting ninja'd hardcore
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There are far cheaper alternatives - e.g. Getting psychology self-help books out from the library. Truth be told a lot of psychologists aren't as well-read as the average person who is interested in psychology and reads up a lot on it.
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I'd venture to say the majority of psychologists become psychologists because of their own effed up minds or because someone close to them suffered from a mental illness. Of course, there are some that go into the field simply to help others, because they think they're so frickin superior in an emotionally well-balanced way. *rolls eyes*
Now let's see, psychiatrists dish out drugs - the majority of which have extremely bad side-effects, and the psychologists won't even talk to you until you see a shrink and are heavily medicated. lol
Nevertheless, when you're suffering from depression, it's not fun and some times you need a med for a jump start - the problem is, the idiots want to keep you on them forever.
When you're to the point where you can't get out of bed, you stop eating, your personal hygiene is non-existent, everything that once excited you no longer brings you pleasure - then seek help. You seem pretty content at present.
No offense to cat lovers, but dogs are more powerful in the emotional healing department. All pets are great at lifting ones spirits though.
Don't worry, be happy. lol
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You're confusing a psychiatrist with a psychologist.
At what point did I do that? I'm pretty sure I know what the difference is, ya asshat. The only time I mention drugs is in my imaginary reply to my post.
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On June 18 2011 09:00 Arkansassy wrote:
I'd venture to say the majority of psychologists become psychologists because of their own effed up minds or because someone close to them suffered from a mental illness. Of course, there are some that go into the field simply to help others, because they think they're so frickin superior in an emotionally well-balanced way. *rolls eyes*
Now let's see, psychiatrists dish out drugs - the majority of which have extremely bad side-effects, and the psychologists won't even talk to you until you see a shrink and are heavily medicated. lol
Nevertheless, when you're suffering from depression, it's not fun and some times you need a med for a jump start - the problem is, the idiots want to keep you on them forever.
When you're to the point where you can't get out of bed, you stop eating, your personal hygiene is non-existent, everything that once excited you no longer brings you pleasure - then seek help. You seem pretty content at present.
No offense to cat lovers, but dogs are more powerful in the emotional healing department. All pets are great at lifting ones spirits though.
Don't worry, be happy. lol
First paragraph is blatantly wrong. Where you got this particularly idea is beyond my own understanding, have you considered a therapist?
Wrong. You don't necessarily need medication due to depression (however it could be a chemical imbalance). That is the point of a psychologist/psychiatrist, to find out if you need medicine or not.
I bolded the next paragraph because it is right.
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On June 18 2011 09:01 Chef wrote:At what point did I do that? I'm pretty sure I know what the difference is, ya asshat. The only time I mention drugs is in my imaginary reply to my post.
Mm, I noticed that. Not sure why you're calling me an asshat when my intentions were purely benevolent (or why you singled that only misunderstanding out of a imitated reply similar to everyone else's with the same intentions).
Edit: I'm sorry if I implied you somehow knew less with my misreading/understanding.
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I would recommend you see the shrink once just to see what its like - it wouldn't be too hard just to try it out a one time and see how you feel about it afterwards (like a new food, right?)
I mean, there's no reason chef should be depressed because chef is awesome.
Also: I look forwards to your 7k :D
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EPT
