Is counselling bettter than medicine?

Recently been to my gp as i had felt really low,bereavement,family issues etc.He suggested counselling which i agreed to,rang and sorted this which may be around 6 weeks away before my 1st appt.Has counselling alone worked for them instead of medicines?or have most people tried a 2 pronged attact so to speak?What happens with counselling?

Hi there!.  Conselling is a really good idea.   Sometimes just talking to someone who has your back gives you the space to sort yourself out.  Maybe see a nutritionist or alternative practicioner who specializes in dietary advice/supplements.  Anti-depressants ought to be taken only after serious consideration.  They can be difficult to get off later on.  In the period while you are waiting for counselling maybe you could go get yourself a massage.  They more  physical wellness you experience the easier it is to deal with emotional issues.  Be well!

Will a steam room/sauna do instead?lol - Am open to the counselling,shame its a long wait but i go into it with my eyes open.Thanks for the reply.Was my first post.

Hello Again!  I guess from your reply that you are not v. familiar with counselling:  basically you do the talking, not the therapist, although the therapist might guide you towards thinking/talking about particular areas of your history that in the counsellor's assessment need exploring.  You park your baggage, so to speak, at the session, and pick it up again for further exploration when you go back,  As well as its therapeutic benefit, counselling is designed to give you a safe place to talk about things so that you can "resume normal activities" between sessions.  As for the sauna/steam etc. if you can't organize a massage  you could try a swim or anything that helps you stay in touch with your physical self.  

P.S.  its all good.  

Not familiar at all with it no but am hoping its better than the medicine route,i guess its a case of what works for some people might not work for another.I do the gym so a swim/sauna etc afterwards is always good,although some people think being in a sauna is a chance to overthink things as theres not much else to do in there unless somebody else is in at the same time to chat to!

Also a forum like this is great for Councelling from others in the same boat.

Have a look at "Schema Therepy" used by Concillirs .. not fully sure what its about but I think its about identifying which pigeon holes the issues are and training yourself to address these issues directly. Or something.

Being treated nicely by other people, massage, even online is well worth the effort.

I'm more comfortable in online conversation as I need to stop, consider, then act. So this form is great smile

I believe you need both, the meds help you with the symptoms and will raise your mood after a few weeks 3-6 weeks, the counselling can then take over and the meds can be feathered off if you believe the counselling if working for you.

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Yes it helped me.

Please search behaviorism and mental health on google, great website on it.

Thanks guys...i will try and look up said items over the weekend.