First time counselling

[golfer74]

I had my first session of counselling yesterday.
For the last week I had been feeling pretty good and have gone back to work after being off with panic and low mood.
The doctor gave some anti depressents and my mood lifted about 10 days ago.
Now after having the first counselling session I feel like I have a black cloud over me again.
Not sure how I expected to feel after counselling I suppose I was expecting to feel like I was cured.
Has anyone else felt like this after first going to counselling?

Farmer

[gilliano]

hi,

i know what you mean, i think you build your hopes up expecting it to be a miracle cure,then you feel let down,for a short time,
dont be too down on yourself,you will have up n down days, at least you have made a start by going, stick with it and be prepared to have up days n down days we all do
youre not alone .

take care and give yourself time for meds to kick in

love gill

[decca]

Yea, you shouldn't expect much from the first session on the other hand you shouldn't have come away feeling worse.
Usually the first session is about getting to know each other , you expressing what you would like to gain from the therapy and the therapist letting you know what he/she can do to help your particular problems.
I do hope the therapist hasn't frightened you off the sessions.
Decca.

[Franz]

I've never regarded counselling as being about finding a cure, but being about having someone neutral to talk to.

I've fallen into the trap of expecting to be cured after a single appointment with a therapist or counsellor, but it doesn't work like that!

The irony is that the expectation of a cure can partially cure you, as you imply happened with you. If you could get in a state where every day you were absolutely convinced that the next day you'd be cured, you'd probably find yourself cured without even trying!

Belief is everything. I only wish I knew how to control my beliefs.

[noonoo]

After I had my first session I felt okay until the evening I had a huge panic attack, but i'm okay talking about things now.

xxx

[bluesparkle]

hi there. . .
stick with it if you can, i think how you are feeling is fairly normal i started counselling about 5 weeks ago and its hard but it is worth it. . . ive had some sessions where ive come away feeling like you do and some where im very much on a high. and sometimes what we have talked about has hit me a few days later.
let us know how you get on with the next one.
rach
x

[golfer74]

Thank you Rach I will let you know how it goes

Becks x

[Lilith1980]

Hi Golfer,

I think with counselling, it tends to take you to the place(s) you dont really want to go but have to go there to get to the route of the issues.

But counsellors are trained to do this, and also to ensure that by the end of your overall "treatment" with them, you are "brought back up" and dont leave the treatment in any turmoil.

Give it time hun :hugs:

Jo xxxxx

[never2late]

If you could get in a state where every day you were absolutely convinced that the next day you'd be cured, you'd probably find yourself cured without even trying!

Belief is everything.

How true!

[kendo59]

My GP warned me that the first couple of counselling sessions may make me feel a lot worse before I felt better, as a lot of painful things need to be discussed, which obviously will be depressing, and to not expect an overnight 'magic cure'. I know everyone can be different, but sometimes the counselling only starts to help after a few sessions, and even then, it may only help in the sense of helping you see things a different way, with a different perspective, to help you come to terms with a painful/traumatic experience.