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Hey, how y'all doing? Good, I hope. I'm feeling a lot better since I went back on my Risperidone. More stable in mood and all that. Whatever. It's a tool. I'll use it. No shame.

Frank Decent wrote: It's a tool. I'll use it. No shame.EXACTLY. My lexapro softens the worst of my anxiety and depression. Doesn't cure it, but, is a tool that helps me do the work.Good on you brother.

It's pretty incredible the difference just 3 sessions of talk therapy is making. Definitely starting to move out of that situational depression I've been in the last few months. Letting go of some really old shit, that's been weighing me down for far to long.Godspeed friends.

I started using online therapy. The billing cycle caught me short. I'm not sure if betterhelp.com is a scam or not. I feel like I need facetime with a therapist, though. I definitely need to at least talk to a therapist, though

Been a rough week. Mom was hospitalized with pneumonia for 3 days. She's 62, and we finally get along. Little hard to think about her mortality. Had a small (5 minute)siezure monday morning, which completely wiped me out for 2 days.Yesterday, on my way to therapy , about half a block from the office, shit my pants. My guts are so messed up from 6 years of antisiezure meds, synthetic hormones, and chemo. Had to papertowel bath it in the mens room at my shrinks office building. And then do an hour free balling in wet jeans, totally freaked out that I stank of shit. She said nothing.Tomorrow is the 6th Anniversary of my craniotomy. I'm stil alive, which is joyous, but, definitely struggling.

VaticanShotglass wrote:Does anyone have experience with social workers? I've never had experience as a client, but I am enrolled in a BSW program (full disclosure: I am in the very early stages, as in a first-year student, so my knowledge is somewhat limited to basic ideas, and misrepresenting my level of knowledge would be a huge code of ethics violation, so I won't). In that vein, I have a fair amount of experience with them, because my professors are practicing social workers. I can give you an idea of what they do from my class notes.Basically, the job of the social worker, if they're doing their job, is to help the client set and meet goals (i.e. implement a planned change process). The big thing is connecting clients to services. They use all kinds of neat terms like person-in-environment (acknowledging that people affect their environment and environments affect people) and spend a lot of time thinking in shades of grey, thinking about systems, and drawing circles. They work not only with clients, but also as agents of systematic change.Their #1 priority - literally section 1.01 in the Code of Ethics - is the primacy of client interest. They are not dudes with pills and plans. Their job isn't to judge you and throw their idea of what you should do at you. Their job is to help you do what's best for you. Part of this is respecting the client's right to self-determination (except in cases where there are compelling professional reasons to violate this - you know, like a client who is, beyond a shadow of a reasonable doubt, going to commit suicide). Another part of this is respecting the client's right to confidentiality (See Jaffee v Redmond - same privilege rights as doctors and lawyers) except in cases where there is a duty to warn (see Tarrasof v U of CA - basically, if you tell them you're going to murder someone, or beat your kid, or, in some states where the law says so, give someone AIDS, or other things of that nature, they have a duty to break confidentiality). In other words, they're there to tell you what services are available to you, to help you set goals for yourself, and help you implement plans for action. They will (should) respect your right to make your own decisions, your right to confidentiality, and, unless they're really into violating the COE, will go over all of this with you as part of getting informed consent (big thing). At the same time, they will be doing what they can to make the system less fucked up. It's a professional obligation.But... here's where Janeway is both right and wrong (you can be both, shades of grey, neat, huh?): who can be called a social worker depends, to a degree, on who they work for. At least in some states, maybe all, I don't know, county social workers don't have to be licensed or hold a degree. That covers the random person with a title part. On the other hand, being a state-licensed/certified (whether they're licensed or certified depends on the state) social worker requires, at a bare minimum, a BSW from a program accredited by the CSWE. Literally every CSWE-accredited BSW program in the United States has the same content and requirements. They take this stuff very seriously, because social workers can have a lot of authority and have, in the past, taken part in oppressing people. BSWs are always supervised, usually by an MSW. And even an MSW isn't sufficient to practice without supervision, they have to have two years of field experience and apply for independent licensure and pass another test to get said licensure. They don't hand out social work qualifications like they do in business school.Mind, no profession's standards can catch every bad egg. But the standards in social work are fairly high. Janeway is also totally right about finding a worker whose personality fits your needs. Suggest reading a bit at NASW's website.

Does anyone have experience with social workers? My life has been a mess for ages. I've had psych care except for this year. It seems like that system is akin to going into a little genie bottle and getting help while you're in that little artificial break room, but it can be really hard to connect it up to outside resources. I was supposed to have a social worker years back when I was hospitalized, but somebody messed up the paperwork and I got dropped. So, what do social workers do? Is there any water in that well?(I'm not talking about a social worker who works as a therapist. I'm talking about whatever else social workers do with people who are just complete disasters.)

Pasta wrote:Been a rough week. Mom was hospitalized with pneumonia for 3 days. She's 62, and we finally get along. Little hard to think about her mortality. Had a small (5 minute)siezure monday morning, which completely wiped me out for 2 days.Yesterday, on my way to therapy , about half a block from the office, shit my pants. My guts are so messed up from 6 years of antisiezure meds, synthetic hormones, and chemo. Had to papertowel bath it in the mens room at my shrinks office building. And then do an hour free balling in wet jeans, totally freaked out that I stank of shit. She said nothing.Tomorrow is the 6th Anniversary of my craniotomy. I'm stil alive, which is joyous, but, definitely struggling.This sucks. I know you are working hard to keep your life on track. I really appreciate that. I also appreciate the kindness you have shared on this board. I really hope you catch a break. I know that's not offering any help. Reading about you getting through stuff has been inspiring. That doesn't really help you at all. Anyway, I'm not doing a very good job at this so I'll stop. I can't really think straight these days. But thanks for helping kill some stigma. That really is something that has helped me and likely others.

Janeway wrote:^if you let any kinda professional into your home i hope you have musical instruments set up and see if they jam with you... just because any random person gets a job with a title like, just make sure you take advice or authority from someone you jive with. folks like to wear authority and point and tell other folks what to do all the time, if you're making it easier on someone make sure you trust them first before giving in.don't know your situation but sounds like you're looking for outside help from a pro which means there isn't anyone inside the family that's leading the social work charge. before shopping for folks with pills or plans in hand, give your eating and sleep and sexy time habits a quick check and make sure you're balanced and that you have adequate care in your life, like talking to a relativive on the phone for an hour even about dumb stuff. there are ways to get your mind and your living right even just in preparation for professional help. but maybe some self care in advance and in addition to will help supplement overall mental um, fluidity. K1. Thank you for your good intentions. I'm going to try and respond to some of your post. Part of it is that I need a distraction from the several different searing pains going on right now, but I'm also being sincere.2. Something, something, home. I got run out of my home. I'm currently sitting in my truck grafting wifi from my parents' house some several states away. I do have an address, but my mail may or may not be misplaced by my wife for months at a time. There is a small room with a door on it at my parents'. I've been living in it for the past few weeks.3. Music something... See #24. Authority... I'm trying to save my life more than I'm trying to start a band or something.5. No one inside the family leading social work change... No there isn't my parents are feeding me and worry, but they do not have these skills nor have they ever really had much luck with me other than wishing I was better.6. Eating... I'm mostly living off junk. My guts have felt like fire for several months. I think there is something really wrong.7. Sleep... I can't seem to get any. This has been dysfunctional since I was 10. 8. Sexy times... I can only respond to this with crying so I won't.9. Balance and adequate care... I don't have the energy to cry. If I had something like this it would be amazing. I was in a psyche ward several years ago. It was pretty nice. 10. Self care... This is what I've been failing at horribly. I wish I weren't, but I am. I don't know how to fix this, hence the question about social workers.

Oh, yeah, looking at strengths is a big thing. You've recognized that you don't like your situation, and that you want to make changes, but are unsure about whether or not you want to reach out to a social worker. That's great! You have something to start with. You have at least some idea of what you want to do. I hope you can find someone who can help you. They're out there.