Not suicidal but still need help
QUESTION:
Unsure (18 year-old woman)I've experienced some problems in the last few years, but I'm not sure if they are as bad as they sometimes seem. You see, I started out only having troubles with eating disorders, I never really managed to lose much weight, but it still has not been dealt with. After about a year of eating and throwing up, or just not eating I began to feel sad and down all the time. Soon I was slitting my wrists, trying to hang myself, and taking overdoses of pills. I no longer try to kill myself, but I feel more down, lonely, confused and I guess depressed. I've tried to get help but I get too afraid or I tell myself I don't really have a serious enough problem to need help.
What should I do?
ANSWER:
Tina Reed, MA, LPC
I encourage you to seek professional counseling. Don't be overly concerned about how serious your problems are for professional help. If you feel like you need a place to work through your troubles, then counseling can be very beneficial. It is scary, at first, to open up to a stranger; but if you carefully select a qualified therapist, you will find that sharing information becomes much easier, not to mention helpful. Professional counseling, when handled by a competent therapist, can be a powerful, life changing experience. Once completed, you should feel a lot better about yourself and your life. Counseling can even help you set a few goals to help you improve your life. Also, even though you are no longer attempting suicide, I want you to make a pledge to yourself to seek emergency help if you should ever feel suicidal again. Have a close friend or relative on standby to assist you in getting to an emergency room. Ending your life is never the answer. There is excellent help out there. Start with friends, family, even your personal physician, for some good referrals. Don't leave this important decision to the telephone book. Anyone who is able to pay the cost can list him/her self in a public phone book. In the meantime, feel free to reach me at my private email address (TReed2010@aol.com) if you need to talk some more before you find a therapist in your area. I would be glad to help. Good luck to you and take care!
This question was answered by Tina Reed, MA, LPC. Tina is a licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Illinois, and is also certified by the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice.For more information visit: http://members.tripod.com/~mothereagle/Therapy.html