Experience with seeking help? Advice?

[razziledazzile]

Hi all, so I visited the doctor once more for the same problem for a third time and she seemed genuinely concerned, not for my physical health but for my mental health, as well as really put it into perspective how it’s not fair I am putting my mom and bf through this making them come with me constantly putting this stress on them and putting myself at risks of multiple medical tests and not trusting someone who went to school 8+ years for this. She recommended I get help, and I guess my concern or question here is did therapy/medication work for anyone? She said she doesn’t have a deep knowledge in psychiatry but would like to think they’d give me medication for my anxiety. I don’t feel like this will help me because the only think that eases me is getting an actual negative medical test for what I think I have at the time. I have had therapy in the past for PTSD/depression and didn’t find much help in that, but never mentioned my health anxiety. I am finally seeking out help, and would just love to hear your advice or success stories.

[BlueIris]

The best advice I can offer is that no, therapy and medication won't fix things. What they will do, however, is help YOU fix things for yourself. Unfortunately, my experience with mental health issues is that there's no magic wand and the only real fix is an open-minded attitude and the willingness to work hard. All those medical tests you keep having? They provide reassurance in the short term but they don't help with the root cause, which is faulty thinking patterns.

The single thing that's helped me most over the years is learning to accept that my thoughts aren't rational, and to trust people whose experience and/or healthy mental state gives them greater insight than I currently have. With this in place, medication has provided something of a fire blanket that (usually) stops the terror getting completely out of control, and therapy and meditation have taught me how to deal with irrational thoughts - everybody has these, it's just that anxious people give them more weight.

All the professional help in the world won't do any good until you're open to accepting the fact that your current worldview is wrong, though.

[ankietyjoe]

Why did you have therapy for PTSD?

You say you have health anxiety, but what concerns do you have overall about your mental health?

[ErinKC]

Therapy was a complete life changer for me. I've been seeing a therapist for more than 4 year and it's wonderful. I haven't done any medication except Ativan for if I have a panic attack, which is rare.

The reason that a medical test is the only thing that eases your mind is because you have health anxiety. When you treat that, you'll be able to live your life without medical tests.

Also, typically in the US primary care doctors do most of the prescribing for meds. If you see a therapist, they will not be able to prescribe medication to you. You'd have to go to a psychiatrist, which can be harder to find and less likely to take insurance.