How does therapy work? I've never been to therapy before

All it is, is someone intelligent to talk to, dude. And many aren't even all that intelligent, just have a list of shit to talk about to come up with some diagnosis for you to work on.

It's for people who have more money than sense, honestly, and a close friend and confidant is a million times more valuable than someone you're paying to listen to you whine and bitch once a week for them to tell you "Hey, it's fine, see you next week"

>>18417694
I don't have any friends I trust enough to talk about my problems with. In fact I don't even have any real friends when I think of it.

>>18417687
It does depend a little bit on what you're going to therapy for. If you're going in just to have a place to vent your anxieties and frustrations, it basically becomes like bitching about things with someone.

Which honestly is useful, while friends are good for that kind of thing you can burn them out. Paying someone to listen to you is lame when framed that way but it helps lighten the load on your friends / support.

If you go to therapy to change a behavior (in my case, I'm trying to speak to people better and be less nervous). Then they can help you understand those feelings and root out where they come from. As well as provide mental frameworks to help you work around those problems. I've had therapy legitimately help me with social anxiety. I haven't gotten to the point where I can get a girlfriend or anything, but it helps me sperg out less in public.

One thing I'd add - when picking a therapist, it might help to think of what kind of person you need to talk to. For example, I usually work with women but I'm starting to realize that they don't understand my troubles speaking to women. So I'm thinking of switching to a man in the hopes that they'll understand my situation better.

Give a therapist a few weeks and see how you feel. Best of luck anon.

>>18417721
The way you describe it makes it seem like a waste of time for me. I already know how I feel and what's causing it but that doesn't make me feel any better. If that's pretty much all they can do for me then I can just save the money for a 12 gauge or something.

>>18417687
Avoid gestalt therapy, fucking sham. The efficiency of other branches depends on the nature of the problem and your personality, though anything will do if your are completely lost.
>what do you have to do while you're there
Organize your goals and fears in writing, and bring that (literary, or metaphorically) to the therapist.
>how do you convince yourself to take the first step and even contact them
Find one phone/address that suits you, for starters.

You might also dive into related literature to see which branch seems more aligned, and/or apply knowledge yourself.

>>18417694
sorry dude that's bullshit. this may be true for you, but I suppose for the majority of people it's not.

it's true that it's basically "just" someone you can talk to. but if you're the kind of person who doesn't want to share his personal problems with friends, than that's exactly what you need.

I like to think I have at least 2 very close friends. Yet, I would've never been able to really talk to them about my depression and social anxiety. Because they don't understand it. I mean, I don't even understand it. How would they, right? It's not that I didn't occasionally bring it up. But it never lead to anything. Only when I started talking to a therapist who knew about depression and social anciety I started getting a better grasp of it myself.

>>18417687
just do it. Just google for a praxis close by and call them. Or write an email if you're too shy. But I guess it depends from country to country. No idea.

In my case, they asked some questions about myself and what kind of therapist I would prefer (gender, age) and then they selected one for me who had free slots available. After the first therapy unit, I could decide whether I wanted to keep them as a therapist or try another one

>>18417740
I mean go for it if that's what you want.

If you know what your feelings are, and what's causing them, but will not or can not act to change it - they can help with that too.

Also maybe you could share some more details here so we know what you're looking for.

>>18417758
I really don't want to talk about it and in retrospect it was a mistake to consider going to a therapist in the first place.

>>18417792
Wow, dude, I don't even know you, and I'm afraid you're about to go blow your brains out or something. Relax man. What is it? Drugs? Anxiety? A girl?

>>18417792
dude just go see a therapist. it's literally not even a big deal. it's like getting a new hair cut or going to the supermarket or the dentist or to school or whatever. if you don't get anything out of it: I can assure you at the very least it's chill to have someone who listens to all the bullshit you normally wouldn't tell other people. and if you get something out of it: even better

>>18417792
If you're going to blow your brains out anyway, why not give it a shot?

You literally have nothing to lose.

yes no one here ever explains the logistics

say i want to eat a bullet
which type of therapist do i look for?
how can i find one that takes my insurance?
how can i manage to find that in my bible beating shithole of a suburb where everyone specializes in marriage counseling, porn addiction, and gay conversion?

>>18418259
I could use one of them there porn addiction counsels. Don't discount it, man. All that shit helps. Maybe the reason you want to eat a bullet is because you fail at relationships because you're addicted to jacking off to girls that might as well be a figment of your imagination?

>>18418268
the couple times i masturbate to porn are the only moments of my life i enjoy anymore

im sick of you nofap shitters and people telling me to get a hobby

>>18418268
Oh sorry I went for a walk. That isn't me. I have too many problems to list. I just don't feel like my life in particular is worth living. And continuing to live is really painful and hard. But I know that killing myself is just as paianful and hard. So im just stuck right now. I know that killing myself is probably the right thing to do but I just haven't done it yet.

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>>18417687
Therapists are basically impartial 3rd parties you can vent your problems to, and get a more medical (and hopefully intelligent) position on. Most of the time, when you're depressed or suffering from something that requires medication/therapy your family/friends will be very supportive while not being helpful, constantly saying "I'm here for you" and "If you need anything talk to me" just for them to throw a bunch of vauge shit your way like "Do what feels right" or "Do what makes you happy"

I see, and saw my therapist as being someone whos impartial and well-versed in the topic, you have to remember that therapists are A) educated, and B) Don't know you personally. Therefore their only interest is giving you their opinion, not the opinion you want to hear. My therapist of 3 years did some good explaining of things when I was suffering from depression/anxiety. And ultimately the venting eventually got me out of my slump. It may take some time, but you do create a bond with your therapist as time goes on. But because that bond is built on a foundation of impartiality. You'll never feel like he's just another yes man like your family or friends.

If you feel like getting a therapist I'd say give it a shot, it's definitely useful, I'd go as far as to say it got me out of my depression, Just spend a few sessions establishing the situation and don't waste any time during them. Get right down to the nitty gritty of your issues. The therapist is there to hear your problems and give you his two cents. And hopefully having an alternative point of view will help you with your issues. Hope this helps anon, good luck.