Thank you Red, Tiana and Davit. I really really appreciated your posts.
Davit, I have had a counselor for over a year now but in December she said I was going to be just fine. A week later I was not fine, so I went to a new person, a psychologist (the counselor was not a psychologist, just a counselor). Within 10 minutes of meeting me the psychologist said I was fine, and clearly not depressed.
On the one hand it is nice to have someone say "you're fine" because the part of me that wants to be fine, that wants to believe this is just grief over the loss of a family member 2 years ago clearing out of my system, well that part of me likes hearing that.
But then I come home, and a bad spell happens and I am not frustrated that people who are supposed to be helping me are assessing me as "fine". I am VERY good at concealing my inner turmoil in public. 5 minutes before walking into her office that day I was in tears and spiraling about negative thoughts and then I was calm enough in front of the psychologist for her to determine I was "fine".
I am going to keep going to new people until I find someone who can "see" what is really going on. I am not trying to intentionally conceal my issues around them but short of walking into their office for the first time in the middle of a manic episode where I am convinced my pain will never end and my life will never be good, I don't know how to find someone who says something other than "you're fine". my doctor didn't listen to me at all and wanted to give me effexor without doing any consultation with me at all. she said it would help with my depression and sleep, two symptoms i didnt have at the time. I now have to find a new doctor, hopefully one who will listen.
When I went to the psychologist I told her I was struggling with panic but even that was something i have self diagnosed because no one has given me any evaluation (except to screen for depression) never mind assessment or diagnosis of anything yet. so she talked about how to calm my panic, but really i might be manic, and i struggle with feelings of rage during my episodes. i have no idea if i have panic attacks or mania.
i am starting to think that most counselors and psychologists are no more useful to me than a book i could buy at anybookstore. so far i havve not received much help, although my counselor did help me with enforcing boundaries with family members. other than that she does a lot of talking about simply accepting things as they are. she doesn't seem skilled with helping me with my problems. i went to someone who did some sort of hypnotherapy thing to try to help me clear out my anger in a safe space. it felt good, but it certainly didn't ensure i am not dealing with episodes at home about 3-4 times a month. and it was very expensive so i am not sure how much of her services i could afford.
i admit i don't like that this site is public and wish that the forum was at least for members only or that the chat function was not disabled.
i appreciate everyone's advice. Red, I did appreciate your sharing your experience and yes, I have turned away help when I am feeling good and then the next day or week I regret it. I will have to stop doing that if I want to connect with someone to help me through this.
Davit you are the most honest with me of everyone I know right now. The hopefulness I had when I first joined this site last year is waning - I am starting to feel very worn down. and worried that i have more than just panic , or that i don't have panic at all but something that only gets worse. i am worried that life as i knew it is over because i will never be "healthy" again. not that i ever was, but having that label of being x or y disorder is hard to swallow. i am getting upset lately abouot "what is wrong with me, am i going to be able to have a life, a job, career, holidays, etc.." I am worried that if you tell me things I don't want to hear, I am not feeling that inner strength to hear them right now. but i know i can't move forward unless i do deal with the difficult realities. its not a good place to be these days. i cherish your honesty and all yoru honest words have meant a lot to me.