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Camembert What help is there for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity?
  • replies: 20

Hello everyone. A dear family member has what's called "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity," which means he is very sensitive to things like smells and odours (eg, the smell of shampoo, perfume, tea, flowers, plastic, in fact most things.) These triggers ... View more

Hello everyone. A dear family member has what's called "Multiple Chemical Sensitivity," which means he is very sensitive to things like smells and odours (eg, the smell of shampoo, perfume, tea, flowers, plastic, in fact most things.) These triggers produce symptoms like coughing and sore airways, etc. It means he can't do a lot of things because he has to avoid many things and places. There is debate about whether MCS is a psychological problem or not. Some Drs think it could have a psychological element to it... so I want to try to get him some help from a psychologist or mental health professional. (He's already done all the things suggested by MCS support groups, like avoidance of triggers, natural supplements, air filters, etc.) I tried looking up the psychologist directory, but have no idea where to get help for this, as I don't know what category it fits into. I can't find any mental health professionals online that have this as an area of specialty or know how to deal with it. I have no idea where to go or what we can do! This problem is making his life so difficult. Any help would be appreciated!! Thank you!! Camembert.

P12 Difficulties Understanding Treatment
  • replies: 189

Counsellors and psychologists to whom I have spoken have told me to identify my long term goals and strive for their achievement. But my attempts have been unsuccessful because I lack the practical skills for achievement and that has caused me greate... View more

Counsellors and psychologists to whom I have spoken have told me to identify my long term goals and strive for their achievement. But my attempts have been unsuccessful because I lack the practical skills for achievement and that has caused me greater dissatisfaction than before I attempted to achieve the goals. What is the reason for this strategy and why are counsellors and psychologists unwilling or unable to give me practical advice? I identified the technical topic most interesting to me, looked for collaborators, and asked for support to pursue my interest. I found only two people in Australia with similar interests and believe they are unwilling to collaborate with me because by discrediting me their circumstances will improve. The feedback I received about my requests for support is that the topic is not relevant to society. Instead I am expected to perform a job for which I am imperfect and therefore I am excluded because my processes and ideas are different to the industry. Is it true that society's objective is for greater normality and what is the reason for such a strange aspiration? Why does society reject people who are different? Why does society not allow me to pursue my individual interests and talents? What is the purpose of living if society has no use for my talents and the role that society would have me fulfil causes me trauma? I was told that independence will not cause me long term satisfaction. Yet, as I have tried unsuccessfully for more than ten years to form a friendship, I question this assertion. The prevailing strategy suggested to me for gaining friends is to participate in activities I enjoy as there I am most likely to meet others with similar interests and beliefs. What is the purpose of living if society directs me to one outcome but it cannot provide the means to achieve that outcome? Surely independence is a far more effective solution. I'm pretty sure I am lonely. I would like to have a friendship or at least feel welcome in society. But my efforts never seem to work. People make suggestions but I must be special because they don't work for me. The harder I try, the more independent I become, because my methods appear stranger to others, and the less liked I become. I really don't understand the society in which I live. I wish I wasn't so sad. I often cry uncontrollably and am unable to sleep when I realise I will not achieve my desires and there is nothing I can do about it. My life is apparently meaningless.

Garry08 Anger destroying my relationship
  • replies: 7

Hi,I have allowed my anger to control me for a long time and it has always caused me so many issues. I’ve been in a relationship with my partner for 13 years. She has taken so much from me over the years but I guess she still had faith in me that I w... View more

Hi,I have allowed my anger to control me for a long time and it has always caused me so many issues. I’ve been in a relationship with my partner for 13 years. She has taken so much from me over the years but I guess she still had faith in me that I was better.I am generally a good person and I would never physically harm her but lately things just seem to be at an end in terms of her patience. She has three daughters, the eldest is in college the younger two are in high school. The eldest daughter and I are now very close but when she was a teenager it was very different. She hated that I was there and her father wasn’t but now she understands what I did for her and refers to me as her father. I previously had issues with alcohol and decided that it was better to quit than risk losing them forever. Now, over two years later, I don’t drink but still have these outbursts where I will yell, say hurtful things, slam doors and even break stuff. I have tried so hard to not do these things but it seems to happen anyway. I don’t want to be this person and I don’t want to lose my family.Can anyone help me with some advice please?

Eliza_V Skin picking on face
  • replies: 4

I can’t stop picking my face. I’m obsessed with bumps and spots and it impacts my daily life. I don’t have acne but I cant resist the urge. does anyone have any tips or help?

I can’t stop picking my face. I’m obsessed with bumps and spots and it impacts my daily life. I don’t have acne but I cant resist the urge. does anyone have any tips or help?

GeminiLion Pyschologist left and no replacement
  • replies: 2

Hi. I have been seeing a pyschologist for a while. Before she left, she gave me option to be discharged from the clinic or be put on a list for her replacement to takeover. I choose the latter. Heard nothing for a while and not well, I call initially... View more

Hi. I have been seeing a pyschologist for a while. Before she left, she gave me option to be discharged from the clinic or be put on a list for her replacement to takeover. I choose the latter. Heard nothing for a while and not well, I call initially and was told no replacement, and the second time, yes they have hired a new replacement. Replacement or secretary never contacted me when advised they would. So rang again and a bit of ping-pong, Im not sure who I spoke to be it receptionist or pyschologist herself, or someone else, but got told they are no longer offering services to historic patients. Only new patients with very specific situation will be sent to another department for limited counselling session. That they decided not to replace the specialised service. I am upset for other clients, and wrote to MPs, Dr's etc about how dangerous this is. Only got one response who said they were aware and there is difficulty finding qualified pyschologists. ATM, I calm down, still lost, but feel isolated. They say contact this or reach out, but I dont have that option. I am consider tapering off. Feeling really lost.

max89 GHB withdrawal. i am a litttle worrried
  • replies: 2

for the past 3 solid weeks ive been dosing GHB all day long its been helping me get through a depressive state but its gotten to the point where im using it from the moment i wake up till i go to sleep at night, and even then im sleeping less then 3 ... View more

for the past 3 solid weeks ive been dosing GHB all day long its been helping me get through a depressive state but its gotten to the point where im using it from the moment i wake up till i go to sleep at night, and even then im sleeping less then 3 to 4 hours im using atleast 30ml a day ive been reading about withdrawals and its got me quite worried... ive kicked meth habbits before, cannabis but after reading about the come down its got me quite woirried anyone got any advise? i was thinking of microdosing for a day or two, 1ml in the morning, 1ml at night just to get my body ready for the withdrawals any advise?? thanks

madfickle I am desperate.
  • replies: 8

I'm 26F and have been struggling with mental illness my entire life. I have had multiple diagnoses and I don't know what's right and wrong, but I'll just list them all: 5 years old: ADHD, ODD, conduct disorder 6 years old: Autism 8 years old: Depress... View more

I'm 26F and have been struggling with mental illness my entire life. I have had multiple diagnoses and I don't know what's right and wrong, but I'll just list them all: 5 years old: ADHD, ODD, conduct disorder 6 years old: Autism 8 years old: Depression, Anxiety, OCD 19 years old: Borderline personality disorder (this one is 100% BS), DPDR, pseudopsychosis (idk what this one is and it has never been addressed as far as I'm aware, but it's still on my records) 20 years old: PTSD I have not been successfully treated for any one of these. I was close to 100% compliant and optimistic with new treatments until about 2 years ago, but I have now completely and utterly lost all hope. As a child I had a paediatrician, psychiatrist, psychologist and occupational therapist, and since I turned 18 I have nearly consistently had a psychologist and psychiatrist. I have also consistently been given scripts for medication since childhood which keep me up for days and give me the worst brain fog. There were a few other meds as well, but due to severe side effects I was on them for less than a month. I am well aware that I was over-medicated in childhood. Some of the doses I was on exceeded the recommended max for children and teens. I have also done CBT countless times, DBT twice, ACT, interpersonal therapy, ketamine therapy, ECT, TMS, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, mindfulness therapy, and EMDR. The last couple of years I have been refusing things I have already tried - which is basically everything from what I'm being told. But I am being met with accusations of cynicism and not wanting to help myself. I don't think I have ever learned anything from therapy - nothing that particularly resonates or is useful anyway. Nobody listens to me, nobody believes me. From my experience, psychologists latch onto one thing you say that their textbooks teach them how to manage and zero in on that. It's nearly impossible to get them to see the big picture, and it's impossible for them to not jump to conclusions about how I think or feel. I have never felt heard by a psychologist/counsellor/social worker/psychiatrist/etc. in my entire life. I know I'm supposed to help myself and therapists provide tools, but I don't know what the hell is wrong with me. I don't know what I'm feeling, but I am constantly in absolutely excruciating agony from whatever this is. I am inherently a bad person too. I am selfish, I hurt people and don't feel guilty about it, I have an extreme amount of rage and need for retribution when I feel there has been an injustice against me, I am a pathological liar just to make myself look better/superior, etc. I am just about ready to give up because I see no hope. I don't see any opportunity to be better. If this is how I'm going to continue feeling, I can't live. I simply can't.

javalava13 Struggling to know how to speak to my psych
  • replies: 2

Hi, I've been going through a pretty low stage for the past few months and have gotten used to this very low bar of mood. I've also just been very in my own head (more than normal) so have a few things I wanted to come to this forum to share and I wo... View more

Hi, I've been going through a pretty low stage for the past few months and have gotten used to this very low bar of mood. I've also just been very in my own head (more than normal) so have a few things I wanted to come to this forum to share and I would love any advice. I've been having some suicidal thoughts which I was speaking to my psychologist about. I've been feeling slightly better after about 3 weeks of these intense thoughts (I think?) but I'm just so confused where I'm at. I have a real issue with judging myself for feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts, often thinking I am just trying to get attention when I open up about this. I have been having less of the really concerning/harmful thoughts but I am still incredibly low and never don't just want to disappear. I don't really know what the problem is or what I'm asking for advice on but I am just having trouble explaining where I am at to my psych because while I am still feeling incredibly low and hopeless, I am not feeling at risk so think I'm judging myself for complaining at all. I also don't know if I am actually doing enough to get out of this spot because sometimes I feel like I just want to sit in the low emotions and am not trying hard enough to feel better, but I feel too guilty/ashamed to admit that. Another thing I was hoping for advice on was talking about was how to speak about a fear of sex or intimacy with my psych. I have raised it once or twice so she knows about it briefly, but it is something I really, really want and feel I need to fix, or work through, as I feel so insecure in every part of my life because of it. I don't know how to raise it, or ask her to focus more of my sessions on it, because I feel so uncomfortable talking about it. Just for context, I am 26 and have literally done nothing remotely intimate with anyone because I am so uncomfortable. I know this is a lot and I am jumping around, but honestly any advice would be incredibly appreciated.

Succulent Queen Replies
  • replies: 4

Has anyone else noticed a lack of people replying to others posts on BB forums?I havent been active for a couple years and on returning this is something that stood out to me.Just pondering why that might be...

Has anyone else noticed a lack of people replying to others posts on BB forums?I havent been active for a couple years and on returning this is something that stood out to me.Just pondering why that might be...

Succulent Queen Transcranial Magnetic Therapy
  • replies: 2

Hi All,I'll keep this short as today is absolutely rubbish.Has anyone out there tried TMS and what is your honest opinion/results.Anything you can tell me would be wonderful. Thanks All.

Hi All,I'll keep this short as today is absolutely rubbish.Has anyone out there tried TMS and what is your honest opinion/results.Anything you can tell me would be wonderful. Thanks All.