Starting Therapy tomorrow and I have a question

I called my insurance company to ask if I was covered for a referral to a counselor. I have my appointment, but my question is, my primary doctor doesn't know I have anxiety because I've never told him, is there any way he could find out that I'm going? I don't necessarily care if he finds out, but I'm just afraid that he'll be mad because I didn't talk to him first. Will I get in any kind of actual serious trouble if I go to therapy just for anxiety without consulting my doctor first? I won't be taking medications or anything. My guess was that it's ok, if the people made an appointment with me then I assumed this was ok but I'm not sure now.

thank you for your response. i feel much more at ease now.

i really feel that my anxiety is severe. do you think i can overcome it and live normally without medications? im not exactly sure what happens in therapy...because if it's just me talking, then i dont see how its worth it. do they do techniques and such? i really don't want to have to turn to meds, especially because i havent seen my doctor, but i just wonder if this will even help me without medications

ok, thanks.

im still really nervous. this therapist im seeing, it says they're an LPC, also a psychologist. do you think that they hopefully have some specialty in anxiety?

im sorry i keep posting about this, im just really really fearful that this person isn't going to be able to help me with anxiety. i want this treatment so bad but i just keep thinking that they're not going to be experienced enough in dealing with anxiety and wont be abel to help me really. i dont wanna go in there to just talk...cause that doesn't help.

does anyone who's been in anxiety therapy actually know what they do?

Hi

Your primary care physician may never know you're seeing a therapist unless you tell him and if you tell him, he'll just be glad you self identified a problem that is effecting your well being and are getting help.

I suffer(ed) from terrible anxiety that caused me to be hospitalized for 7 days and be totally out of it for that time.  Therapy hasn't done anything for me; the only thing that worked was medication.   I do go to therapy now to try to talk myself into finding the joy in my life and work again. 

Just because therapy didn't work for my anxiety doesn't mean it won't work for you.  Just don't be afraid to take a medication if your therapist recommends you see a pdoc so you can be prescribed some medication.  I am sure glad my therapist referred me.

Best of luck to you on the anxiety.  It is a very horrible thing.

GG

Hi, there!

Try to shut out the anticipatory anxiety until you know for sure what your therapist's recommendations are. Whatever s/he might suggest, know that it's their job to help you follow through smoothly.

To answer one of your earlier questions, some types of therapy are just about you talking through your "issues." I've done some of those, and they did help somewhat with my depression. Now that I'm tackling my anxiety, and thanks to a move cross-country, I have a cognitive behavioral therapist. She recommends actions I can take, or thinking or behavioral tasks I can practice to be more active in shutting down my negative thinking. For me, I needed to get through the first several sessions before I could reasonably even ask, "Is this helping yet?" Do be aware of how you're feeling as you begin this brave step, but try to allow the process to unfold naturally before you force yourself to a yes or no commitment about continuing.

percycat