Is therapy a good idea?

It's been around one and a half years since my mother died of cancer. She was diagnosed when I was in year 7, and she passed away when I was close to finishing year 8. I'm in year 10 now, and it's my second year in boarding school. I'm in the school with my older brother (who's graduating this year) and my dad lives overseas in Asia. 

I want to say that I've been fine, but I'm not sure I can. I've been trying my best, but sometimes it all gets a bit too much for me. Around this time last year, I changed my phone number from Indonesian (where I'd lived before) to an English one, and I saved all the recently used chats, whilst the other ones lost all the messages. I'd completely forgotten that I had a few messages with my mother on there, one including a voice message she'd sent me wishing me a good day at school. When I realized what I'd done later that night, I had a complete breakdown, I was sobbing for an hour and my roommates had to comfort me for half of that once they heard me crying.

Of course I miss my mother, but it's not like I cry every day of losing her, but sometimes I think that therapy or some kind of counseling would be a good idea.

My friends think I might be depressed, I think I might have anxiety. I don't even know. I might be overreacting. I've been putting this post off for so long cause I'm scared of whatever reactions I might get from it. 

And honestly, I think therapy would've been good for me when my mother died, and I might have talked to my dad about it (if I wasn't terrified of asking him - because I don't want him to feel like he's failed because I'm sad), but now he lives on the opposite side of the country and I see him maybe 3 or 4 times a year, so that's hard. And I might have asked the staff at the boarding house or at the school's medical center, but I don't want to have any kinds of sessions at school because people would find out - and not many people know about my mother. 

Basically the question I'm asking is: Is therapy a good idea. Is it worth it having? Because even if I'm not depressed, or I don't have anxiety, I still don't feel happy or good. I constantly worry over my every move, thinking I've done something wrong - avoiding touch from most people because it makes me feel uncomfortable... I feel like I'm picking out the worst things to make it seem worse than it is. Oh well.

 

Any answers would be appreciated, thank you so much,
Em XX

  • Hi Em,

    I am sorry to hear that you have lost your mom, that is very hard at any age. I think therapy is a good idea, it helps to be able to talk to someone who is trained to help people deal with these types of situations. A therapist can help you with coping skills if you are ever feeling down or anxious about things. It helps too, when you hear how normal what you are experiencing is and how other people have the same thoughts/feelings and that you are not alone. 

    You did the right thing by reaching out here, good luck to you. Let us know how you do, if you want to.

    Laura xx

  • Hi there,

    I read your post and just wanted to say to you, yes therapy is helping me. I lost my twin brother to cancer in July 2019. Like you I am suffering from anxiety, panic attacks and depression. I found it hard to speak to friends and family as I was so worried about their feelings and their pain.  I had to reach rock bottom until my mind and body was so exhausted I had to ask for help. I went to my doctor and just asked to be put on anti depressants, but she's didn't want to give them to me, instead she recommended I contact Sue Ryder. You fill out an online form for counselling and then you have your sessions in your own home via video link. I have only had one session but I have found it has helped me and I'm looking forward to talking at my next session. Try it. You haven't anything to lose.