Psychotherapy is Making Me Worse!

[Plasma]

So my mom recommended I see a professional so I took her advice and I'm SOOOO embarrassed and anxious telling my psychiatrist and therapist about my problems. All I tell them is that I have anxiety and they don't realize how BAD it is because I don't go into detail. Every time I talk to people or even go outside I get so anxious that I grind the hell out of my teeth leaving me with horrible jaw pain. I HAVE TO BEG MY MOTHER TO COME WITH ME BECAUSE IT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER! At the end of every therapy session I feel so exhausted and more anxious! How does this make sense? I thought therapy is supposed to make you feel better!!! I started taking Sertaline and I hope this stuff will work. :( I feel like I'm going crazy and wanna rip all my hair out!!! What should I do if therapy is making me feel worse?!

[psych_student92]

For psychotherapy, or any form of treatment, to help you you will need to be as open and honest as possible for the psychiatrist to get a complete understanding of your symptoms/history/triggers, because that is the only way they can tailor your treatment to be effective specifically for you. If you can be honest with your mum around then keep taking her to sessions, otherwise I recommend getting her to wait outside while you speak with the psychiatrist. How you're feeling is completely normal, it is extremely nerve-wrecking talking about problems that have often been hidden from others for a long time, and you won't feel better straight away, but it is the first step along the path to reducing your anxiety and you should be proud of yourself for seeking help in the first place :)

It may also be a problem relating to the psychiatrist. Not everyone responds to the same psychological approach, so if you are still unhappy after sessions you could consider looking for another psychiatrist as well.

[The Intolerable Kid]

Could be you need to select a different therapist that you're more comfortable with. I am very dubious about therapy myself for a variety of reasons, but one thing I know for sure is that it's useless without some degree of trust.

[Boo Bass]

If the therapist can't make you feel comfortable, find another one.

[Plasma]

I'm gonna try letting my mom talk to my psychiatrist with me... BUT I'M STILL NERVOUS AS HELL! Wish me luck.

[two1two]

I'm gonna try letting my mom talk to my psychiatrist with me... BUT I'M STILL NERVOUS AS HELL! Wish me luck.

Always a good step, but slowly going on your own once your comfortable is going to help you the most. It's really suppose to have you clear your mind and get anything off your chest. It's like an open forum, but there is no one watching you. I think you should be fine, but as others said if you feel that nervous find another one who will help you.

[Anne1221]

I think it's a great idea for your mom to come with you, and maybe she can help you to see if this psychiatrist really is helping or not.
How long have you been on the sertaline?

[Plasma]

I think it's a great idea for your mom to come with you, and maybe she can help you to see if this psychiatrist really is helping or not.
How long have you been on the sertaline?

2 weeks. It obviously probably didn't kick in yet and need a higher dose. My anxiety makes me clench my teeth. I've had jaw and ear pain for over half a year now because of clenching. I don't know how much more I can take this!

[Plasma]

I am at the very edge of my suffering... I am pretty sure I'm going to end up in the hospital or dead once I can't handle this anymore.

[Nowuccas]

View http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/06/30/ssri-antidepressants-suicide-risk.aspx?utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20160630Z3&et_cid=DM111937&et_rid=1551550365

Psychiatrist: Anti-depressants not for kids: view https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/10122373/psychiatrist-anti-depressants-not-for-kids/ My comprehensive post about antidepressants / anxiolytics like sertraline is at https://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110921032742AAZn9qX

It seems to me that the wrong choice has been made in the approach to therapy. Psychiatrists are likely to begin by prescribing a SSRI like Zoloft / sertraline, which is usually fairly well tolerated (see www.drugs.com re side effects) but not very effective. If that doesn't produce the desired result, they usually switch to another SSRI, or SNRI.

"Every time I talk to people or even go outside I get so anxious" - this indicates social anxiety to me. I'm of the firm opinion that you would be much better off discontinuing both the sertraline, (no weaning off is required if using less than 2 weeks; a 50% dosage for a week if using it longer, but less than a month) and Googling "clinical psychologist, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, (your location)", and selecting one who conducts, or can arrange group therapy sessions with other social anxiety sufferers.

My previous post about social anxiety may be viewed at: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?33912-My-SA-Dealing-with-thoughts-of-judgement&p=223666#post223666

Some non pharmaceutical anxiolytics (anti anxiety products) are shown below:

HERBAL ANXIOLYTICS: (passionflower, valerian, St. John's Wort, etc.) http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34269-5-Powerful-Tools-You-Probably-Haven-t-Tried-Yet&p=225415#post225415

NON HERBAL NATURAL (NON PHARMACEUTICAL) ANXIOLTYICS: (5-htp, etc.) http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?34355-Help-Please!!!/page2

[Anne1221]

I did have to switch therapists until I found one who was kind, compassionate and caring. Then I was able to open up and he was able to help me. Does yours (he/she) seem to be caring? Does he/she give you good recommendations of things to try to feel better? There are good therapists out there, you just have to find them. Do you have the health anxiety that a lot of people have? Do you have anxiety about the future and everything else like I have, or do feel anxious being around other people? Is it more anxiety or more depression? I used to grind my teeth too and now every single night I wear a night guard because I was hurting my teeth. I am sending you hugs and hope you can feel better.

[Two One]

In order for psychotherapy to be effective you need to be 100% honest about everything. You need to tell your therapist anything and everything that causes you to worry or experience negative emotions. It is possible that this isn't the right therapist for you, sometimes finding the right therapist is trial and error. That's fine. There's nothing wrong with that. I understand wanting a therapist that truly cares enough to help you. That being said maybe you should look for a different therapist, one you are more compatible with. However, when you find a therapist that you are comfortable with you must share everything with them. Sometimes psychotherapy can cause an increase in anxiety because you are deeply analyzing your psychological problems. Good luck.

[Plasma]

I made an appointment early with the psychiatrist. My mother couldn't come with me because she was working however I have good news. Since my social anxiety prevents me from expressing how I felt because of feeling embarrassed and judged, I typed everything down on a piece of paper and gave it to the psychiatrist. Upon giving her my letter, I WAS TREMBLING LIKE CRAZY AND COULDN'T SPEAK PROPERLY. She then told me that she's happy I opened up and increased my sertaline dose to 100mg and gave me 2 weeks worth of klonopin for bedtime. So guys, if you have social anxiety or embarrassed to talk about stuff, just type everything down on a piece of paper and give it to the psychiatrist.

[Anne1221]

Great idea to put things in writing! Good for you.

[Emptyoystershell]

The best you can do is express yourself as clearly as you can. If you do not feel like your therapist is help you, you should seek a new one. I shuffled through many before eI found one I am content with. You are definitely not crazy for not having the right therapist.