I’m so glad to be back in Gauteng. Durban was horrendous. The humidity was killing me, while the actual temps weren’t crazy hot, the humidity made it absolute hell. I’ve been in Oudtshoorn at 39°C and while it was warm, it was a dry heat so we were okay. One day in Durban it was only 28°C but I was melting. It made no sense.
On Saturday we drove home from Bloem to PTA. We usually drive over the Vaal River, but this time we drove over the Vaal Dam. It was insane, the amount of flooding along the N1 in the lower zone of GP. Normally small rivers were the size of the Vaal. And there was possibly 1-1.5 metres of clearance between the churning water and the undersides of the bridges we drove over.
Just remember that psychologists are people too. They’re only human. Different psychologists prefer to use different methods. Some like to dish out medications, others like to help you with practical strategies and techniques for managing the thing you struggle with. A good psychologist, though, will know how to listen between the lines and ask the right questions (which sometimes might seem like random questions to you or unimportant ones or the wrong ones) to figure out the root cause of the issues.
Your first session will be mostly context. They need to get to know you a bit, so most of it will just be chatting about your life and your situation and your feelings etc. Remember that you also have a say in your treatment plan. If you prefer not to get medications, you can tell them that. They should respect your feelings. If they eventually come to the conclusion that you really need medicine to help you and there’s no other way, they will tell you.
I have anxiety over meeting new people, sometimes. But I remember being really really relieved and a bit eager to get into that office because it meant I was going to have help. I was finally getting a professional to talk to. I actually looked forward to it because I was looking forward to getting a solution.
All that to say that you will be fine, but don’t expect solutions in the first session. It does take time, but it’s great that you have started the process! Cheers!
