COUNSELING

Should I get counseling? A simple question but with a variety of answers. For me I was diagnosed with clinical depression for several years and from time to time I did have counseling. My choice was to talk with a psychologist to gain more information about the struggle I was having.The main focus for the talk therapy was to get some problems out of my system and to have someone who was objective give me insights into what was really going on.

I have never had group therapy and have mixed feelings about it but for some people it is a good choice because it lets you know that others are struggling with the same problem. Isolation is not the way to handle being bipolar but I have to admit that this choice is sometimes the path that I take.

Another benefit from counseling with a psychiatrist is to gain input about your medication and whether or not it is working for you. Perhaps you don’t think of a psychiatrist as someone to give counseling since their primary function is to monitor medication but they can be useful in helping you to make small changes that will help the medication work better.