Q. When I was in high school, I had very few friends. At age 13 I hung out with a group of people who often left me out - I didn't have a lot of self-esteem in the first place, and this lead me to believe that people at school didn't want me around. I gave up trying with my old friends, and by the time I was in my final year at high school I didn't really have anyone I could consider a friend at all. I spent most of my time in the library, avoiding people. Halfway through my final year, I sought therapy - not for this issue, but it became our main focus. The therapist mentioned social anxiety, but I was ...  
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Q: Currently my life is completely unmanageable. Im not in therapy at the moment, but do see a pdoc once in awhile for meds. I am on Luvox for OCD and my dose was just doubled. Im an alcoholic and currently not allowed to leave my house because my parents are attempting to control my drinking. Im also working on not drinking but not having too much success. I started drinking because I was depressed and wanted a way out. Now I drink a lot to try and help me function (even though it helps with some things, it makes others worse). I find that if I drink enough the night before, I can actually shower and get ready in the morning, otherwise, I cant ...  
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Q: A friend's wife 34 had a affair with a 17 year old boy. She had been treated for depression for over a year before this and was taking paxil and xanax . When she got caught in the affair she tried to commit suicide and has since been placed in 2 psych wards. Was her judgement impaired due to the longterm depression? A: The best people to respond to this question are her doctors in the hospital who got to know her and treated her. I sincerely hope that there has been follow-up care. This woman has been struggling and needs support from her doctor, her husband, and her friends and family. The bast thing you can do as a friend to her ...  
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I was diagnosed with BPD in 2004. I feel this was in error and that not enough attention was paid to the issues I was dealing with at the time. I was serving aboard a naval ship where I was sexually assaulted and felt I was not getting help and that the crime was not being sufficiently investigated. That being the case there were outburst, that I still feel were justified, and a breakdown. The breakdown was a result of complete frustration at being almost raped then being told that my reaction lacked crying and real emotion and that I probably misunderstood his advances as force. Eventually he was convicted but I was outcast as a whiner who needed ...  
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Q. I know that I have issues that I need to deal with, such as anxiety, depression, and unsuccessful suicide attempts (obviously); and all of these recently have been becoming more worrisome. I have only ever once seen a psychologist for one visit, while in college (been out of college for 4 years) only so she could give a report to the college doctor; I was placed on a med (not sure what though and was only on it for about 3 months before not taking anymore). I am now very open to going to my pcp, a therapist, and/or a psychiatrist to hopefully decrease some of my issues. My question is who am I suppose to see first? My pcp, a therapist, or ...  
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Q. It sounds so crazy so why do i do it? Is it like another personality? I've never done it before and he's the only one i do this with.(for like 2 years now) Would it have anything to do with the fact my father died 3 years ago when i was 16 and i never dealt with it because I couldn't and still can't.Like every time the emotions almost get to the surface a wave washes over me and it goes away no matter how hard i try to make it stay. Or maybe because my mother was untreated for her bi-polar and very abusive(emotionally,mentally and physically) through my whole childhood. She had alot of bf who lived with us. Bad guys.A drunk, a ...  
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Q. Hi, I'm really troubled about therapy. I've been in therapy with the same therapist now for three years. In all that time, I haven't seen a single change or improvement in my life as a result. In fact, I'm a lot worse than when I started. My therapist is great and understands me really well, and I'm not expecting some kind of miracle or cure, but I think three years is too long to go without some kind of improvement. I also have major PTSD symptoms and none of those have improved any. The type that interfere with daily and biological functioning. I don't feel like I'm getting the help I need. I question it because I was in therapy briefly with another ...  
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Q. I went to a therapist for about 3 months last year for cutting because I felt so depressed and no one I knew anything about how I was feeling...It felt like a way for me to be able to control the pain I felt. Like no one could hurt me if I hurt myself first. The therapist said I was okay after 3 months. I thought I was too. But then I had a relapse at the beginning of last summer when my mom said she had a new fiancee and that she was planning on getting married. But she hadn't even told me about him until they were engaged. Then school was getting to be unbearable...My social life seemed to be goin ...  
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Q. I don't know why, but people ignore me all the time. I try to be friendly at work or what very little social situations I might be in, but when I speak, they just look away. I could be walking down a hallway at work, say hello to someone, they look right at me and keep walking. It makes me feel like I could die inside. I attend a group exercise class 3 nights a week, and everyone talks out loud to the instructor or the rest of the class, but when I say something, everything goes quiet, and my comment is totally ignored. I really am a friendly, funny and intelligent person. Being the last of 4 children in my family, I've learn to ...  
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Q. Avoidant Solitary Personality? or what? Over the years, my husband has become more and more reserved. He doesn't like to talk personal, even with me. He becomes irritated when I ask questions in an attempt to get him to talk. Evidentially, he sees these as attempts to pick on him. So often, he doesn't bother to tell me things, and as a result of our lack of communication, efforts or doubled or connections are missed. He prefers spending time alone, enjoying reading, watching history shows, and being very intelligent, thinking of innovative ways to make money or do business. He will however spend time with our young children. Oftentimes, he will go thru phases of ...  
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From a 13 year old: I have been comunicating on and off with the counsellor at school for a while. I don't want anyone to find out so I am very worried when we are talking, etc. I don't know how to ask her politely... is it possible to stop even if nothing has been accomplished? And how can I tell? Thank-you for this site. A: You might think this is weird but I tell my young clients that coming to see me is like going to the dentist. You go to the dentist if your teeth hurt. You go to the dentist for a checkup. But no matter how much you like your dentist, you don't hang out with him or ...  
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Q. I just started therapy again after 2 years of trying to handle this on my own. But it only took 2 sessions to mess it all up. I may be Bipolar. I was explaining some things from my past - sometimes I get really impulsive and I will binge a lot, spend a lot, and have some sexual indiscretions. The therapists asked a lot of really detailed, personal, inappropriate questions about the sex. He wanted to know every detail of every thing I did. Everything from what I was wearing to how long it lasted to how many times I...you know. I was very uncomfortable — and he should have seen that. I was staring at the floor, avoiding ...  
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