Cheer Up Love: Adventures in depression with the Crab of Hate by Susan Calman

Author:Susan Calman [Calman, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2016-05-04T23:00:00+00:00

ONE important topic I’ve conspicuously avoided so far is the matter of psychiatry, therapy and psychologists. The professionals when it comes to dealing with my sort. And there’s a good reason for my reticence, it’s because (and don’t get upset with me immediately) I truly believe that sometimes therapy doesn’t work. Not because the method is incorrect or that it’s a bad thing to do, but because it’s really, really easy to talk to the wrong kind of therapist. I’ve personally had some horrific experiences when I’ve sought help, which put me off doing anything about depression for some time after the event. Often people don’t share these stories because to do so is to admit that you sought help in the first place and also because there is a certain sense of failure that falls heavily on your shoulders when something that’s meant to help doesn’t.

If you input a quick Internet search for ‘depression and treatment’ you’ll find numerous pages with lots of different types of counsellors and therapists, each offering a way of helping. I’ve spent a great deal of time researching the difference between psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychotherapy and counsellors (honestly, the cold winter nights fly by in my house) and I’m sure you can have a fun afternoon doing the same. The fact that there are so many ways to seek help is a wonderful development, but the fact that there are so many treatments available can also be incredibly intimidating when trying to choose the right one for you.

Let’s start with some basics because when it comes to therapy there are numerous exciting sounding ways to spill your soul. The most common talking therapies offered on the NHS are psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling, family therapy, couples therapy and group therapy. Each have their own distinctive role and some may suit needs better than others.

Alternative therapies often work well for people with anxiety and depression, and I’ve also had a fairly successful track record when I’ve broken out of my comfort zone of conventional treatment. I’ve used acupuncture to eradicate the migraines that often accompany my general feeling of malaise. It’s a slightly strange feeling to pay someone to stick pins in your head, but once you get over the fact that you look like a character in a horror movie it feels rather relaxing.

More recently I used hypnosis to try to calm the anxiety that I feel when I have to fly. As I mentioned earlier, I take Diazepam when I have to travel, but I realised that it would become awkward to drug myself when travelling solo. I decided to see if I could find a more natural way to control my feelings, and part of me was hopeful that it might also assist my general feelings of tension and worry. It’s important to know how difficult this task was. I wasn’t just a bit upset about getting on a plane. For years the very act of getting to a foreign place was as difficult as getting more than one woman on Mock the Week.

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