I have talked with five mental health professionals (everything from social workers to neurophsyiologists) about several family members and issues over the last few years. I don’t really feel any of them made a connection or helped. It’s possible I was trying the wrong people, or didn’t give them enough time. But none of them seemed to understand my life, or have any concrete suggestions for how I could help manage my reactions to my life. I have real problems I’m not willing to change (teenagers, aging parent, a small business that is struggling, frustrations at my day job…). They are mostly under control, but I could be a lot happier while those issues resolve themselves. Mostly I’m trying meditation, art and religion to fill the gaps.
I have found that by turning to these other things that I am not relying on someone else to help me with my problems but I am trying to overcome them myself. I don’t think it is a bad thing to rely on others but that has not worked for me