Yes, she was very helpful. She gave me helpful advice and clearly explained her thinking. She was very direct, but I appreciate that (my doctor is too, but he is -- like the psychiatrist -- also compassionate).
She had a good sense of humour too. Opinions may vary but I find it helpful to laugh looking back at the things I've done at times. And cry. The psychiatrist and current psychologist are places where I feel comfortable doing both.
edit: a medication change, or addition, helped too
I’m glad it is working out with the psychologist. I prefer directness too, but as you say, it needs to be done compassionately.
I find studying really helpful as part of the management of my mania as it gives me something to focus my thoughts on, an outlet for the constant discourse in my head as it were. I was trying to explain this to my manager yesterday, who was concerned that I might overcommit.
I can identify with that. I haven't done formal study for a while but doing my own studies or a language (or other) in-person class has been a good outlet and focus for me.
I have found it helpful for settling and focusing my mind to write out the text of an Italian novel, reading it out loud as I write, and looking up the words I don't know, and writing them on top in a different colour.
The best I've ben offored so far for depression is access to certain websites ...... nothing alas 'face-to face'. Oh well.
My equivelent to the creative, 'write out the text of an Italian novel, reading it out loud as I write, and looking up the words I don't know, and writing them on top in a different colour' is to design and make (yet another) another model aircraft.
And then, when I have more energy, fly it.
Mind Over Mood by Greenberger & Padesky is a good basic CBT self-help book aimed at supporting folk with depression.
The issue with a lot of primary care stuff is it tends to ignore that shit has happened.
There’s an academic article called: Moorey, S. (1997). When bad things happen to rational people: cognitive therapy in adverse life circumstances. In Frontiers of Cognitive Therapy (pp. 450–469). Might be worth ordering from your local library - though will be somewhat heavy on the technical language.
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She had a good sense of humour too. Opinions may vary but I find it helpful to laugh looking back at the things I've done at times. And cry. The psychiatrist and current psychologist are places where I feel comfortable doing both.
edit: a medication change, or addition, helped too
I find studying really helpful as part of the management of my mania as it gives me something to focus my thoughts on, an outlet for the constant discourse in my head as it were. I was trying to explain this to my manager yesterday, who was concerned that I might overcommit.
My equivelent to the creative, 'write out the text of an Italian novel, reading it out loud as I write, and looking up the words I don't know, and writing them on top in a different colour' is to design and make (yet another) another model aircraft.
And then, when I have more energy, fly it.
And then glue it back together.
The issue with a lot of primary care stuff is it tends to ignore that shit has happened.
There’s an academic article called: Moorey, S. (1997). When bad things happen to rational people: cognitive therapy in adverse life circumstances. In Frontiers of Cognitive Therapy (pp. 450–469). Might be worth ordering from your local library - though will be somewhat heavy on the technical language.