In most states, psychologists will not risk the liability of all phone sessions. They can not bill insurance for these sessions. The therapists I know who do,phone work are often not licensed PhDs.
I have been offered opportunities to do phone therapy, in half hour increments, from a few corporations. They will make money, and pay me. Uh no, my license is on the line.
Honestly, why are you so afraid of meeting 1:1 with a licensed therapist?
Ok, I don’t know what preconceived notion you guys have of me but long story short I’ve been struggling with this when I turned 12 ( something happened) and at first it didn’t bother me much but it slowly started to get worse. I noticed it got worse after I graduated from high school and so bad that I actually came close to ending it a couple of times and there were times that I almost lost my mind or it sure felt like it. Needless to say I never showed my true emotions or anything like that because on one hand I know that talking to someone isn’t going to help me per say and the only real solution isn’t possible. I just don’t know how to put my feelings into words but lets say that I’m very mentally strong and that I do have this “suffer in silence” attitude simply because that’s just what I did…me saying all this is still weird to me.
What is “this”? And there is nothing to be gained by suffering in silence. Go meet someone in person.
Look, if you don’t want to post it, that is okay. Even on an anonymous forum, perhaps you are not ready for that.
On the other hand, it might help you to articulate it in writing, if only for yourself, on paper. There is something about writing that moves us to be more specific, more clear. I often find that writing out a problem I’m dealing with helps me to become a bit more objective about it.
How about this: Would you promise to us not to hurt or kill yourself? Start there.
At the age you mention there are many things that make things tough, including changes in appearance like acne or weight gain. Many, many people struggle with this. Then when you get to early adulthood, other things can arise. If someone has Huntington’s or schizophrenia in their family, if they have inherited that, the symptoms may begin around that time. Then there are the diseases that can come at any time. I’ve known many many young kids with diabetes, cancer, muscular dystrophy. I had one little friend who had a brain tumor when he was only about 7. These are all scary and difficult conditions. I knew some kids who were severely burned over most of their body. All these little kids were helped by other people who had experience with over coming difficult challenges in their own lives.
I think having challenges makes people more empathetic to the challenges of others. I’ve also known people who have had relatively stress free lives. It does not always work this way but those people can end up pretty clueless about the challenges that others encounter. I think it is the people who have had significant challenges in their lives who end up having the most to offer other people in need. Sometimes the challenges were physical or cosmetic but poverty, being a victim of bullying, being raised in a family with parents who have significant mental health issues, being abused. They are all terrible experiences but they have the potential to make people kinder and more sensitive to other people’s distress. And, some of those 'survivors" come to realize that they have emerged with a certain gift that they can use to help others. A big (but useful) challenge for most people with a difficult past (for whatever reason) is to emerge from the challenge with that realization. That takes a lot of inner strength. But i do know plenty of kids and adults who have benefited greatly by encountering one of those people who found ways to get beyond their strife to help others. And then, of course, many of those go on to assist others.
Kindness is a catalyst. It can initiate changes in others without ever being depleted. Few things are like that in this world! You can serve as a catalyst to others too.
Am going to be direct here. Sounds like you are putting more energy into sublimating the issue than in dealing with it. If you are as “mentally strong” as you would like to be, then you would not have faced suicidal thoughts or thought you were going to lose your mind. If “talking” about it here, in vague, indirect ways is making you feel “weird”, then that might suggest that allowing yourself to openly address whatever your challenge is is hard work… and needs to be done face to face with a qualified professional,
c above
My situation is “similar” to that of dead pool. If you’ve seen the movie I can relate a lot to him when the people in the street start to stare at him and he sees his reflection or when he has the conversation with the blind black lady about how much looks matter. Everything he said and felt is how I feel about myself but I hate myself more than that and to make things worse I don’t have any super powers and my life before that wasn’t all that great nor do I have anything to look forward to…anyways thanks for your replies. I’m out and take care.
You are young and there are so many things to look forward to. You just can’t see them in your present state of mind. Thank you for sharing here, but please make the effort to get professional help.
Are you able to leave the house?
You’re a superhero with healing powers?
You deserve to be happy. It’s as simple as that.
Seeing a trained therapist will help you develop the tools that will enable you to be happy.
My kids’ pediatrician once said something that has stayed with me for the past decade or so: if you have to even ask whether or not you need to see a doctor or go to the ER, then the answer is yes. Your gut is telling you what your head wants to ignore: that you have a problem that requires professional attention.
Please, today, make the phone call. It’s your first step towards wellness.
OP, I hope you are still following this post. You don’t need to find someone online. Go to your college counseling center or to a local hospital and hold your head up high. Don’t let people define you because of the person they see. People shouldn’t judge you based on how you look so if they do that is on them – either they don’t know better because they are ignorant or they do know better (in which case, they are the problem). Either way, it’s not your concern. Your concern is taking care of yourself so that you can come to a place where you can endure the superficial nature of our society and move forward. People shouldn’t be defined by their packaging, their skin and bones and hair, people should be defined by who they are, what they believe, what they stand for. You have worked hard to get to the point where you are. Don’t let others’ failings keep you from achieving your goals. Watch this Ted talk and it might help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c62Aqdlzvqk
Ok so I’ve called 8 places and none of them offer over the phone therapy but I am still looking and for the record I don’t think any pep talk will help me but who knows. Anyways, I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. I can’t even see my own reflection without getting suicidal.
Thank you for updating! I’ve been wondering how you are.
I am going to send you a private message. If you don’t want to reply, that is okay.
Therapy is not a “pep talk”. Your messages hint at a disfigurement of some kind, which is most unfortunate. But there is also something called Body Dysmorphic Disorder, where a person perceives a flaw or defect in their physical appearance that is out of proportion with the situation. Its worth exploring.
I think they don’t want to do phone therapy because you can’t tell as much about a person over the phone. If a therapist is to help you, he or she needs the whole picture, and your body language gives part of that picture.
Why not give it a try? What do you have to lose?
I’ve taught a number of kids for whom therapy worked wonders.
I don’t know any licensed therapists who will do phone therapy. After a lengthy relationship, they may do occasional phone sessions. These cannot be billed through insurance.
I worry for the OP, who could find someone to do therapy on the phone. They are probably not licensed, and who knows what their training has been.
Second what JYM said about BDD. I work with many people with an eating disorder, and see BDD often. I’ve also worked with burn victims and cancer patients. People really can learn to feel better about themselves and make their lives richer.