[Linz]

- How did you get help?

I didn't know what was wrong or why I was feeling the way I was, because I had episodes of emotionally unstability where it wasn't normal for a 7 year old. My parents put me in an "emergency" appointment one night when I freaked out and attempted to stab myself.

- What happened on your first appointment?

It was kind of like an interview really, my parents were there as well, considering how young I was, the therpist asked some quuestions about what was making me feel this way and if anything happened in particular to cause me to try to stab myself, but nothing did and I wasn't sure why my emotions were out of control myself.

- How often are / were your appointments?

I've been in therapy now for almost 11 years, and they fluctuated depending on what was going on in my life and how intense and how often my episodes occured at the time. Nowadays, I have once a week for one-on-one with my therapist, and group 4 times a week, with a meeting with my psychatrist at least once a month.

- What advice can you give to anybody that is anxious about visiting a counsellor / their first appointment?


I would say to anyone looking into therapy, or even if they're being taken into i by their parents: try your best to not resist, IT JUST MAKES THE PROCESS FOR YOU TO GET FARTHER ALONG DOWN THE ROAD OF RECOVERY SO MUCH LONGER. Don't get me wrong, it's deffinitiely hard to express your feelings to a complete stranger, but jut starting off with simple things like what makes you frustrated or stressed instead of depressed and in a rage, will help build a relationship between you and your therapist so you can talk about things that really upset you. It could take weeks, maybe even a few months (on average for most people) for you to be able to trust the person you'd be talking to. The most important thing of all? BE PATIENT, and NEVER EVER give up on your recovery. It's normal to be anxious on your first oppointment with someone you haven't met, but remember, if you click with them, they could guide you into the peace of mind you want to be in.