What do I do next?

[jess_colleen]

Hi, i'm 21 and have just found out about emet (before this i thought I was just a freak!!)
I've had emet since i was 4 years old and i'm ready, now i know exactly what it is, to try to treat it so it doesn't rule my life anymore. Can anyone tell me what i should do next? I live in the UK and am reluctant to go to the doctor because i feel they will have no idea what i'm talking about and will just want to give me medicines or have tests!
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[olschesky]

welcome to the forum.......i know i've gotten alot of relief and support just by finding this forum. knowing that you're not alone in this feeling should make you less anxious.

if you can find a therapist that deals with phobias that would be excellent.....i've not found one yet. my regular dr put me on antidepressants after running dozens of tests for any gastro problems......found nothing physically wrong.....and the tests weren't difficult to have either. the prozac stops my obsessive thoughts about v and n and i'm able to carry on pretty normally with my life. i know i'm not "cured" but am pretty happy with the life that i have now..........the bad days are few and far between and i seem to be able to "talk myself" through the anxiety.....

hoping you find lots of good comfort here........always seems to be someone here if you need to talk

again, welcome

[jess_colleen]

thanks for your reply, this forum has made me feel so much better, just knowing i'm not the only one is comforting!
I think i need a therapist rather than a doctor as i KNOW it is nothing physical! I am very anxious so have thought about going on anti-anxiety medication but i am not sure if this is the best thing to do...i don't think i need anti-depressants as i'm not depressed, more anxious and fed up of feeling anxious!

[randall3329]

You can self refer yourself through your local mental health service and they will help you with where to go from there x

[jess_colleen]

do you know how to find out how to get in touch with your local mental health service? i'm completely clueless as i've never really had to do anything like this! thanks for your help

[randall3329]

I think in your area it would be kent and medway nhs and social care partnership. They should have a website with contacts, if that fails phone your gp and the recptionist should be able to give you a number to call x

[orton99]

Hi Jess, I saw my GP about a year ago now and was referred to Talking Therapies, which is an NHS service and they took me through 12 weeks of CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). If I remember rightly you need to be referred through your GP (ie you see your doctor first and they arrange it) as unfortunately you can't just ring up yourself. Well, that was my experience anyway. I had to wait for a couple of months for it to start but it was very useful when it did get going.

If you want to look at my "My CBT Treatment" thread in this Treatments forum then please do, as I went into as much detail about most of my weekly sessions with the therapist so hopefully anyone wanting to start CBT could find out what it's all about.

In the meantime I would strongly recommend The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund Bourne from Amazon, which has lots of excellent advice on anxiety disorders and phobias and what you can do to reduce them.

Hope this helps. (And well done for taking a step towards getting yourself help! Good luck!)

[jess_colleen]

Thank you for all your advice! It has been very helpful. I will definitely read up on your CBT treatment thread, have you found it to really have helped with day to day anxiety for you as this is my biggest struggle.
I will check out that book too, i think i've seen things like that before but was reluctant to buy as most of them don't work, but as you have recommended it i will give it a try!
thank you again, its lovely to know i have support