Therapy questions...Need help

[Caseums21]

I'm 23 and I would not take pills. I won't even take pills for headaches, for a fear of them. So I'm really thinking about therapy. My dad bought me insurance to see a doctor for my stomach pains and I'm hoping the insurance covers therapy. I wrote down the things that started my whole anxiety thing and I didn't realize how many reasons I had.
I talked to friends but they joke around about it so I quit doing that. I can't say everything to my dad. So I'm having to have everything keep adding on and I'm afraid if I don't let some out, things will get worse. I don't have many fears but the ones I have are driving me crazy. I'm afraid of going to a therapist and him/her thinking that I'm crazy and won't know how to help without giving me pills.
So a few questions. I like in United States. Does your health insurance pay for you therapy? If not or you don't have any, about how much does it cost (if you know and I know everywhere is different)? If you ever went to therapy, do they ask you questions or do you just spill out your guts? Also, did it help you? If you can answer any of those questions, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

 

[slimjim119]

I don't like taking pills of any kind except when I get headaches. It's your choice to just go to therapy. If the therapist recommends medication, you can decline them. Don't feel pressured to do anything you don't want to do.

All health insurance is different. Under your plan you can find therapists who will accept it. Costs can be very high. Especially where I live.( NYC suburbs). I don't want to pay out of pocket if I can help it. In the initial session they will ask alot of questions to get an idea of a diagnosis. You will have to spill your guts if you want to get the full benefit of the sessions. It should help. Psychiatrists can prescribe medication and charge higher fees. Psychologists deal only with therapies and have lower fees.They can't prescribe meds. That may be the route for you to go. Best of luck!

 

[mustang]

If you don't mind me asking, why are you afraid of pills? OCD?
Have you tried grinding pills up, and placing them in your food?

Also, some but not all prescriptions come in a mouth spray or patch form. Ask your Doc or Pharmacist if theres anything available.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Caseums21]

If you don't mind me asking, why are you afraid of pills? OCD?
Have you tried grinding pills up, and placing them in your food?

Thank you so much for both of your replies. They helped a lot.

It's not OCD but I just never took pills for anything. I feel that once you stop taking them, the illness or whatever you take them for, will come back. I don't want that to happen. I read a lot of people overdosing on pills and something may happen. I don't want to take the chance. Plus, I like it to naturally go away without the need of pills. If people like taking pills and they help, I'm glad but it's just not for me.

 

[silentbutdeadly]

If you ever went to therapy, do they ask you questions or do you just spill out your guts?

I've never actually gone to therapy myself (though I have been meeting with a doctor for my SA, and been going to a class on dealing with anxiety in general) but I've heard that cognitive behavioral therapy is one type of therapy where they don't focus on your past, etc. but focus on changing the way you think about things, so they probably wouldn't ask you to talk a lot about yourself. So you might want to look into CBT. I've read that it's one of the most successful methods of reducing SA.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

 

[mustang]

If you don't mind me asking, why are you afraid of pills? OCD?
Have you tried grinding pills up, and placing them in your food?

Thank you so much for both of your replies. They helped a lot.

It's not OCD but I just never took pills for anything. I feel that once you stop taking them, the illness or whatever you take them for, will come back. I don't want that to happen. I read a lot of people overdosing on pills and something may happen. I don't want to take the chance. Plus, I like it to naturally go away without the need of pills. If people like taking pills and they help, I'm glad but it's just not for me.

I see what you mean. Although I want you to understand Anxiety is not a normal illness. I.E. Taking allergy pills will levitate your allergies while you take them...but will come back after you stop taking them. Therapy when combined with Medications will help permanently levitate your anxiety...
Think of Anti Anxiety meds as a booster to help you get to a point in your life where your happy and anxiety free and won't require the meds anymore. It's two different situations your thinking of.

And if your worried about the price, hell, I'm uninsured and both my prescriptions are $4 each at Wal Mart.

And overdosing on pills ONLY occurs when you abuse them. Taking the properly recommended dosage leaves you with a extremely slim dosage of overdose. I remember a friend of mine took 12 Clonazepan(obviously in an attempt to kill himself), and he didn't overdose.

I respect your position to not take medications, but I must implore you to just try them. After all, they could make the difference between day and night for you just like they have for numerous sufferers of Social Anxiety.

-Craig