I might go see one soon because I've been diagnosed with moderately severe depression and my doctor wants me to take AD's
but I don't want to so he suggested I talk to a Psychologist, the one my mom suggested is one connected to her work place but I'm leery about going because I feel I may be going for a stupid reason
Also I'm worried he'll tell her what I talk about.
I guess it's just easier to say I don't trust them >->
What do you think of Psychologists?
Would you try talking to one before taking antidepressants
or would you go right to the pills
Here's the thing. I'm a psychology major. I plan on becoming a psychologist for a few years before getting my medical license and being a psychiatrist. So I'm the man to ask on such questions.
SSRI anti-depressants are relatively safe, depending on your age. I'm personally not for the use of them, depending on what it is making you depressed. If you had a traumatic childhood, you may be able to overcome it by merely talking to the psychologist. If you were born that way, antidepressants may be the only way to go. In fact, it may be an anxiety disorder causing your depression, so an antidepression wouldn't get rid of it entirely.
There are a lot of things that can be wrong, and a psychologist will help you figure out just what. I'd recommend seeing a younger one, since psychology has changed a lot in the last few years, so someone who is up-to-date will be able to help more.
I imagine your psychologist would go straight to the SSRI's, 'cause that's the typical treatment. So the only reason I would say you'd need to see the psychologist is if you think you'll be able to trust them enough to tell them everything that's going wrong in your life. You can ask them if they'll disclose any of this information to your parents beforehand if that's a problem for you. A psychologist isn't going to be able to help you any more than the pills if you don't disclose any information. The more they know about why you're depressed, the more specific treatments and advice they can offer to target your depression, and the better results you'll get. If you're a closed shell, the only thing they can give you is anti-depressants, and there's really no point in going.
I'd recommend going and opening up of course. It is hard to do, and it will require trust, but it's better for you in the long run.