Help me not be so Insane in the Membrane

January 15, 2019 3:03 PM

I've recently stopped seeing my therapist of 6 months. She was nice and probably effective for other issues, but I was not getting any traction in our sessions and I'd like to find a new one. I have experienced depression over a long period of my life and would like to find help. However, I am adamant about not using SSRIs or other meds to overcome this pervasive condition and it has been difficult to find someone who will not push them on me. If you have any therapist recommendations preferably female, who take Moda insurance, in the Portland, OR area for depression, who can be effective without prescribing meds, I'd love to start making a list of people to contact. I want to start living my best life. :)
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (6 answers total)

Hiya. I was you 8 years ago. I'd been dealing with depression (turned out to be bipolar disorder) for years and years and years. Same with anxiety (panic disorder, OCD, some fun phobias, and dermatillomania). I'd been in and out of therapy since I was a tween. I did not want meds. I felt like I should have been able to deal with this crap without meds. I was smart, I was determined, I was well-read in the topics, I should've been good to go.

Except that depression and anxiety and all the rest, well, they're not really mental illnesses. They're caused by stuff in our brains being messed up. Neurotransmitters, synapses, they're physical things.

I'm sure you've heard the diabetes analogy, or the broken leg on, or a hundred others, so I won't bother there. I'll just point out that it seems like a lot of people have recommended meds to you, including this nice, effective therapist you've been seeing. I'm not usually a fan of "if all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too" thinking, but when it comes to a consensus of healthcare professionals, that's a horse of a different color.

I realize I'm not actually answering your question. For that, I apologize. But I'm trying to answer the spirit of this question, to help you get your depression under control. My life has been dramatically changed for the better since I started taking meds for my "mental" illnesses. I'm not a doctor, not any kind of medical expert, except I kinda am with years of research into my own health. I'm just a "cousin" in this realm. All the best.
posted by The Almighty Mommy Goddess at 6:56 PM on January 15, 2019 [15 favorites]

Yeah, that is sort of like looking for a medical doctor who will treat your infection but won't ask you to take antibiotics. Would you consider instead trying to find someone who would aim for limited use? Depression seems to create its own rut and I believe even temporary (months) use of antidepressants can (possibly) get you out of the rut enough to succeed on your own without them. I am of the school that feels depression is parasitic and wants to keep you from any possible solution out there. Every time you express your belief about how beating depression should be done, maybe follow up by asking your self "How has that been working for me so far?".
posted by InkaLomax at 5:30 AM on January 16, 2019 [4 favorites]

Psychology Today has a therapist search that lets you filter by location, insurance, gender, specialty, modality, etc etc.
posted by kokaku at 6:10 AM on January 16, 2019

Mod note: Quick note: The idea of reconsidering meds has now been proposed, and that's probably enough for this thread. Going forward let's please stick to OP's parameters. Thank you.
posted by taz (staff) at 7:18 AM on January 16, 2019 [1 favorite]

In your Psychology Today search, I recommend looking for a therapist well-versed in CBT and DBT. I have found the coping mechanisms I learned in (group!) DBT to be extremely useful. I'm sorry I can't be of more help with a specific recommendation. This internet stranger is super proud of you for taking the initiative to find someone new -- I know how hard that can be with depression.
posted by freezer cake at 8:06 AM on January 16, 2019 [2 favorites]

Not a woman, but a kind and gentle man who is an extremely skilled, experienced, and effective therapist: Michael Kohler, LCSW. I don't know if he takes Moda but when I worked with him he was paneled everywhere. He changed my life.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 2:53 PM on January 16, 2019