what frustrates me about the mental medical field

[vanilla1969]

In order to get emergency seen you have to be thinking about killing yourself or others, hearing voices or seeing things. I don't understand that! To me anxiety and panic is just as bad.some days I feel like running in street screaming and pulling my hair cause I'm so scared and tired of feeling like this.

[sixpack]

In order to get emergency seen you have to be thinking about killing yourself or others, hearing voices or seeing things. I don't understand that! To me anxiety and panic is just as bad.some days I feel like running in street screaming and pulling my hair cause I'm so scared and tired of feeling like this.

yes it can be hard to get into a good therapist.

but I understand why emergencies--ie killing oneself and others (as those who are hearing voices can be dangerous) would be higher up in priority.


my child was put in hospital last year for thoughts of killing himself.     one week after he got into a SUPERB therapist.  had we called this practice, it would have taken 3 months to get in.

[vanilla1969]

to be honest I thought about telling her that but I knew they would hospitalize me for about a week and I have no one responsible to watch my little ones and don't want child protective services involved. I haven't really felt that way just have had thoughts if this is how those people feel like when they have took their lives, I'm to chicken to go through with it anyway.

[sixpack]

to be honest I thought about telling her that but I knew they would hospitalize me for about a week and I have no one responsible to watch my little ones and don't want child protective services involved. I haven't really felt that way just have had thoughts if this is how those people feel like when they have took their lives, I'm to chicken to go through with it anyway.

you should never lie or stretch the truth or say things you don't mean.  that will only backfire.

I know you are a wreck.  I've been there too.  But there are things you can do on your own... things that seem small but over time those small things add up and you start feeling better.

I am going to try and walk you through this.... no I 'm not going to reassure you that you don't have X    cuz we know that is like throwing good money after bad    But I will try and give you some helpful advice on how, even with short people running around your house, to start those little things. 

*now how old are your kids? some things you can do with kids and some you will have a harder time doing.
*what activities can you do with your kids?
*what hobbies can you do, while your kids are in your home?
*what things, in the past have you enjoyed that you can pick up again?
*what things can you try--that even though you may not realize it--that interest you?  Ie making jewelry, gardening, doing puzzles, knitting, stitching, reading......
*As I recall, you are divorced?  What enjoyable things can you do when your ex has the kids?
when is the last time you exercised? 
*do you have a dog?  you know my sister in law says:  the best thing about having a dog is it makes you exercise even when you don't want to......   AND the worst thing about a dog is that it makes you exercise when you don't want to.  LOL  which is true, OMG is it true...   
*what self-help books have you tried?  Have you tried any?  Bookstores and libraries have that stuff. so does the web.
*do you have a Wii?
*what is your diet like?   

[vanilla1969]

In response to sixpack:
*now how old are your kids? 12 and 13 and the defiant 16 year old will be home soon. some things you can do with kids and some you will have a harder time doing.
*what activities can you do with your kids? To be honest I don't know, I don't really do anything with them because I've been feeling so down and depressed since I been raising them without their dad.*what hobbies can you do, while your kids are in your home? Haven't had any hobbies in a long time and right now nothing draws my attention other than laying in bed TV surfing. *what things, in the past have you enjoyed that you can pick up again? Don't really know with this one either, now that I think about it I think I have been depressed most of my adult life. The only thing I use to do was hang out with friends and party if not that I was home raising my kids yelling and feeling like I got the short end of the stick. *what things can you try--that even though you may not realize it--that interest you?  Ie making jewelry, gardening, doing puzzles, knitting, stitching, reading......I did think about yarn looping making those pictures with yarn that you can hang on the wall.*As I recall, you are divorced? Never married.  What enjoyable things can you do when your ex has the kids? He can't keep the kids cause he has to have supervised visits cause he tried to molest my oldest daughter so I have my two youngest all the time. I have no mom, dad or sisters and brothers and the sister on her dad's side is sometimey on spending time with them. when is the last time you exercised? My therapist suggested walking if only for 10 minutes and I started doing that two week ago but not everyday.
*do you have a dog? No, Landlord wont' allow it. you know my sister in law says:  the best thing about having a dog is it makes you exercise even when you don't want to......   AND the worst thing about a dog is that it makes you exercise when you don't want to.  LOL  which is true, OMG is it true...   
*what self-help books have you tried?  I haven't read any Have you tried any? No  Bookstores and libraries have that stuff. so does the web.
*do you have a Wii? No
*what is your diet like?  Terrible, trying to learn how to eat since I was recently diagnosed diabetic.

[sixpack]

vanilla

take a look at your answers.  some things (like everybody)  cannot be changed.  BUT there are quite a few things in those answers that you can work on.  Which things can you change? 

[sixpack]

vanilla

take a look at your answers.  some things (like everybody)  cannot be changed.  BUT there are quite a few things in those answers that you can work on.  Which things can you change?

recognizing that those things you change will take hard work and beating back the "I can't" stuff that BEASTY likes to throw at us.

[floridaguy65]

Hi V:) You've posted a lot lately about your struggles, and this is groovy. That is what this forum is for, IMHO...having a place to come to vent, get some things 'out there', find some comapssion, an occassional reassurance perhaps, and just a place to come where you will not be judged, so to speak. Sixpack has taken the time to try to open up your eyes, I guess, about some of the possibilities that can help us seek out some relief. They will always remain possibilities until we try to embrace them. In order for us to have the best, most powerful chance to find some balance, we have to take an HONEST assessment of what is going on in our lives, what we are doing to help (or hinder) our situations, what we are doing as far as actions and habits that have been shown to help most anxiety peeps (eventually:). This assessment can be tough as we are struggling with some mental health challenges and the input and output of the assessment is going to be filtered through our anxiety issues. All we can do is really try to find a moment of clarity and do the assessment. It doesn't have to be a negative experience and, in fact, we should try to frame this exercise in a positive light as it is a step in our healing path. Seeking a healing path IS positivity, it is hope, it is strength, it is calm, it is security, etc. How wonderful!:)

Nobody is trying to make anyone feel guilty or bad about what's going on, currently. The important focus is what happens next - what your steps will be to try to help yourself as best as possible. Little things (small habits and, seemingly, meager actions) CAN make a difference. In the beginning of learning how to better help ourselves we are not looking for mountains to be moved and our anxiety to be lifted miraculously. I know that's what we want - we want to see dramatic results quickly (an anxious mind has little patience - I know:), but we are looking for some small successes in the beginning. Successes, which are overwhelmingly determined by our actions and habits, will build momentum. When we begin finding some of these successes, the 'work' doesn't seem so laborious or exasperating or time consuming. To me, so many of the wonderful, life affirming habits and exercises and techniques that we can embrace for our anxiety help are so incredibly great for ANYONE, anxiety or not. Those 'normal' peeps can improve their lives, as well....but us anxiety folks kinda have to do it, IMHO:) And it just isn't THAT hard....considering the alternative. And, us HA / AD peeps pretty much have ALL lived the alternative:)

I have found inspirations in some other people's struggles (and not necessarily anxiety peeps). So many peeps have overcome more than me and have found some level of happiness and success that they thought, likely, would never be found. When I feel sorry for myself (which can happen, none of us are immune to this, at times), I do think of some others and their trials and how they persevered and found some peace and triumph. I used to feel that nobody felt as badly as I did - that nobody suffered like this - that nobody could understand, etc. All these thoughts were so amplified and filtered through my mental health challenges. They were, of course, false intrusive thoughts, but at the time they made me feel helpless and hopeless.

We are NEVER helpless and hopeless. Just do not hope this anxiety crap simply goes away. And, so much (not all, of course) of the help, throughout your trials, will come from yourself. And, this will never change:)

Peace and Feel Well:)