@lemurien Yes there is an option to share photos! When you're writing a response you can click photos and upload from your computer or phone. As long as you're not showing your face you're fine    Also very true @klasna13! I was very productive when I first got into lockdown but that kind of got replaced with survival mode after a while. ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS Hi R, nice to hear from you    Game development sounds super interesting! What kind of games are you working on? Does it involve a lot of coding? It's good you've been able to find things to do.   I'm sorry to hear that you were being misidentified  Maybe one day there will be an opportunity to mention it. I just wanted to ask what the best word is to use? You mention that you have more members now. I'm glad that your HRT is still okay.   I think it's okay to feel like you're a bit lost when you haven't found a system like yourself yet. I think I mentioned this before but once you're in a good place you might want to do some research or self-reflection if that's something that helps. But at the end of the day it's all about acceptance, and getting to that stage whatever way works, I think. Is everything going okay with everyone cycling in and out? ... View more

Hey @ayrc_1904, I just saw this!    I completely relate to this experience. I am one of those people who fixes my anxiety by trying to tackle the things that are making me feel burdened. For me holidays are a bit of a nightmare because I'm trapped in a cycle of needing something to do and feeling guilty I'm not achieving It's ironic that I have more trouble dealing with downtime than with stress sometimes- it's a weird wall to break down!    As @Tay100 said, do you have anything that you do in your downtime?  ... View more

Hi @lemurien!   I wanted to suggest some other things  One thing you said was that you've lost the joy of your room as a place of rest- is there a way that you can return it to this form? For example, some people have different sections of their rooms devoted to work/ study and rest. An essential part of this is only using your bed for sleeping! It will improve your sleep too    For activities, I do a lot of crafting because I like the sensation of having created something! So some of my favourites are origami, cross stitch and embroidery. All three of these things can come in kits you can get online and have lots of handy Youtube links! Another thing you could do is painting/drawing or jigsaw puzzles- I have a friend who painted copies of existing paintings/photos for fun. If you're more of a creator, you could also try doing creative writing or poetry! This is good because you don't need anything other than a laptop or a notebook  For exercise you could look up different types of workouts, like aerobics. Could you maybe find some videos to practice learning new dance moves by yourself? ... View more

Hi @That_Beef96 @Lost_Space_Explorer5  I wanted to chip in because I'm a biromantic asexual. I'm in a straight-passing relationship (which has its frustrations in its own way but that's not the topic here) but I have a friend who recently came out as gay to his very Christian parents. It sounds a bit counter-intuitive but in his case he was able to manage it by giving his parents control over the news. Like he gave them their own time to think about it and respected their decision to keep the news in their immediate family until they had processed it themselves. But he also reiterated that it wasn't something that was going to change. Honestly this was awful reality but he did prepare himself for the worst (saving money etc.) although that never occurred.    I also have another friend who broached her biromantic asexuality to her mum in a less formal way, more in a "mum I have a crush on a girl" way  I think for her mum it was less of a surprise because of her personality, weirdly enough? But her then-gf's family was more conservative and they made the decision not to tell her family because she lived at home and didn't have the means to move out. Is there any way you can gauge how your parents would react based on attitudes they've shown previously towards non-straight people?   I ended up telling my dad and my bro. I didn't see a point in telling my mum. My brother did NOT get it  he was like how do you know? And I was like lmao well and gave a dumb analogy about how sexuality works...  ... View more

Hey @Marina0012 thank you for your kind words! And thank YOU for coming here to get help! I'm really happy to hear that you've been able to get some clarity on your feelings and have had a look at options for getting help  Your feelings are valid and it's nice that you have been able to articulate exactly where you think they are coming from.   Don't feel like you need to rush your recovery either even if it doesn't all seem logical or hasn't completely set in at this point. Emotional trauma I think is particularly hard because it involves a complete change in your perspective of certain people and events in your life. I'll be honest and say that some of the breaches of trust I've had with friends before have taken months, if not years to reconcile in my mind, even after I decided to cut them out of my life. It can be hard to get closure from the pain, and you have the power to decide how you want to process things.   How have things been? I hope you're doing okay ... View more

Oh no! I think you mentioned that before but I'm sorry to hear the situation is getting worse  Yeah it's really becoming a difficult situation. I'm up in NSW and there's been a lot of concern about travellers too- it's getting very messy! I hope you're safe where you are- do you know if your school will be moving online? ... View more

Hi @Marina0012, I'm so glad you came here for support and have been helped by everyone's comments.   I just wanted to say I'm so sorry for what happened. These people violated the reasonable boundaries of your relationships with them and hurt you deeply when they were supposed to be people you could trust. That isn't your fault. You have a right to feel hurt and confused about what happened, and to grieve for what these relationships might have been. I also wanted to add that you are under no obligation to try and repair these relationships until, or unless, you are ready. It is definitely okay to assert your boundaries and tell people that you are no longer comfortable being around or associating with them if you want. You have every right to look after yourself first.    I also understand how hard it is to feel like you've upset your own expectations of yourself. I wanted to say that just because these things have happened doesn't take away from your goal to save true intimacy for the person you want. These experiences weren't consensual and they won't reflect a true, loving and mutually respectful relationship. When the time comes will be different and special and you deserve to still experience that  And you're under no obligation to tell anyone you don't want to know about this. I hope you can find a way to move through this and feel okay. We're always here for support  ... View more

@lemurien Hi there!    I'm really sorry to hear that you're having trouble with disengaging from your own psychologist  It sounds like they are being a bit difficult making you feel guilty about leaving and trying to make you think they're good for you. I really don't like the sound of them making you repeat advice back to them- it sounds a bit insecure on their part! It may just be a miscommunication and they think that you're trying to stop helping yourself, which is not the case!   I had a think about some things you might want to say. It would be nice to say that you're getting help elsewhere and thank them for their time. As @hellofriend said you don't owe your psychologist an extra explanation, but seeing as you two have known each other for a while it could be nice to say that you're still seeking help as peace of mind. Some things you might want to add that are quite neutral could be that you're trying a different type of therapy (if this is true or not might not matter  ) or that you have found a practitioner that fits your budget and schedule better. It's also fine to say that you just didn't find that you were getting what you wanted out of the sessions, this is a really common reason people leave and honestly, your psychologist really needs to respect that (it's kind of part of their code of ethics not to keep forcing a client to come when they're not getting anything out of it). If your psychologist becomes pushy and starts asking for details etc. then you can just say you prefer not to disclose any further information and they need to respect that. Remember that it's your psychologist's job to help you, not the other way around!   I hope this helps  ... View more

Aww I'm sorry you haven't had much of a break... I promise it gets easier! I assume you've got exams coming up early next semester? Hopefully you can rest once they're over!    Yeah I've still been working, trying to relax even though my idea of relaxing still means doing things  I did have plans but none of them have come to fruition yet... I really wanted to go on a trip to do some cave tours with a friend but the place still hasn't opened for tours so that's a bit disappointing. I'm also trying to transfer into another degree so I'm sort of twiddling my thumbs waiting for my results. I think I went well but honestly sometimes looking in hindsight at how stressed I was makes me worried that I'm imagining my success. It has been really nice meeting up with friends though! Maybe you could do some group study sessions? ... View more

@statuscaring Thanks so much! Yeah I've heard good things about the practical elements of counselling courses... you don't really get it with psychology because it's more research-based. So super useful! We also learn similar theories in psych, it's probably the theories which are my favourite  ... View more

Hi @Phantom99, great advice being given here! From what I'm hearing it sounds like you're struggling a bit to let go of the feeling of having control over the money you've saved and let loose. I thought that from the fact you felt so guilty about wasting that $100, that it was a bit out of character for you and that's why you're beating yourself up. It's amazing to hear that you're so ambitious and have such good self-discipline because it will help you go far! But you also need to have good self-discipline when it comes to treating yourself well and rewarding your hard work   I wonder if it has something to do with anxiety as well. Do you have a fear that something serious could happen, even with a little bit of relaxation of your savings? You mentioned a family emergency that came up. Are you scared that could happen again and maybe that's why you're feeling this way? What does having savings represent to you and is it totally realistic or needing to be as extreme as the way you're perceiving it? I think one thing that could help is by being realistic and setting budgets about what you're willing to spend and splurge in a day, week, holiday, etc. and what you'd like to have saved in cases of emergencies or just for peace of mind. I've definitely had the feeling of spending too much on a holiday and in hindsight I wish I'd been a little bit more realistic of either how much it would cost or how much I actually wanted to spend. And as @squiggly mentioned with the choice to get takeaway, you don't need to go crazy and throw all of your money into one thing, you can work up to spending more on bigger purchases!   Another thing I wanted to say is that you deserve to treat yo self! You've worked so hard to get here with the goal of holidaying and relaxing and you should honour that sentiment that's kept you going! If it feels a little bit selfish, why not include family and friends who have helped you along the way? Also, don't feel like you need to spend lots on something just for the sake of it. If you like to be more economical and practical with your money, you can go on a holiday that suits your personality.    I hope this helps! ... View more

Hi @WhiteRescue, I'm sorry you're going through this, AOD is never easy especially when there's a whole network of things and people being affected  It sounds like you're coming from a place of a lot of conflict and you're doing your best to be the mature one, which is a lot of pressure for a young person! Are there any other members of your family who are taking your point of view as well who you can rely on?   I feel like @Taylor-RO has given you a lot of amazing resources so I wanted to give a more anecdotal perspective.    How do I explain mental health to people who don't understand? I think people understand what they relate to. Sometimes, putting a label on things that apply in their own life can help them to see that it is closer to home than they expected. For example, you could say, X (another person who they know perhaps) does this because they're depressed. Because they're depressed, they see the world this way. Because of that, they act in this way. If they got help, it would look like this... I don't necessarily think this will help with people who don't want to understand, but if you have someone who genuinely doesn't know it can help to spell it out    What resources can I use to explain the cycle of mental health/AOD? Like I said @Taylor-RO has given so many great resources! I also find that finding personal stories of people who have struggled through it (and maybe who have come out the other side through therapy) helps because it gives a point of reference. I know the ABC has published a few articles written by people who struggled with addiction.    How do I explain that she's an adult and trying to control her won't work? How do I explain that it will take time for a person to want to accept help and to make changes? not everyone is ready to make changes or want help. I put these two together because I think the same advice applies. One thing I saw that really changed my perspective went like this: think about how hard it is to change yourself. Now consider why it's so hard to change another person (especially against their will). Another thing I also found has really helped me is eliminating and calling out the 'should' attitude, because it's a big burden but also extremely unhelpful. She 'should' get help? Unfortunately, even if this is true, she isn't doing that at the moment. But what can we do in the meantime? It can help to take the expectation and judgement out of the picture and make things more practical. And I agree with your comment about not everyone wanting to change- yes, you can give her the information and concern she needs to hopefully take action herself, but it is her own decision at the end of the day (unless she's in danger and someone needs to take emergency action).   How do I explain to people with pre-existing mental health that like them she is also struggling and it's not a competition to have worse mental health? I think people always struggle with this, especially with AOD because it seems like it's the person's decision to act in this way, rather than it being a way of coping. Sometimes, acknowledging that the person with the pre-existing mental health condition ALSO needs help is a way of diffusing their fear that their mental health is not being addressed themselves. It could sound something like 'yes, I know that's hard for you to deal with, and you really deserve help too. And we can talk about that soon, but at the moment we're focusing on her'. Everyone deserves help, even with minor, major, or 'ugly' mental health problems.   How do I explain the mental health system? I think they were expected mental health professionals to make her better. I need to get the message across that mental health is a journey, it will take her time, there's waiting lists, the balance between medications and therapy etc. I guess this comes down to education. Firstly, she needs to want to help herself, and therapy will be slower if she's not. It's just like being physically injured: you're given all of the medicine and advice you need, but it's the actions you take outside of the doctor's office that make the difference. The brain is a 'muscle', and when it's been affected by mental health it needs time to heal! And like a physical injury, it isn't always as simple as waiting it out. Medication is also a symptomatic relief most of the time, it takes the edge off the issue and is short-term. However, therapy is a long-term solution where you don't see many short-term gains, but it creates lasting change. If you don't have therapy, the medication isn't going to fix the underlying issues causing the symptoms. If you don't have medication, you may not be able to get into a place where you can start healing. Another thing you could possibly do is explain how each thing she does do in her journey to recovery fits into the bigger picture. Sorry that's a bit of a mess to read    I need help with setting up some good boundaries!  This is so so important! I wanted to first talk about some things that will hopefully help you to get distance from the issue without feeling guilty. Firstly, you don't own the world's, or her, problems. While you are doing your best to support, it really is something that is out of your control to an extent. Extend a hand and take the steps that you can take to give support, but then take a step back and accept if it doesn't work out without feeling guilty or responsible. You're not her or a professional, and you can only be expected to do so much.    If you're talking about setting boundaries with other people as you said, wanting you to give support, advice or take action, I think it's once again important to be realistic about how much you can do, and then stick by the rules of what you know you can and can't do. If you don't want people calling you late at night about things, for example, then you need to communicate this to them, and then follow your own rules and not make exceptions unless absolutely necessary. It feels uncomfortable at first but will make you feel better in the long-term. Boundaries may also fluctuate and that's okay! Finally, it may also help to have people that you can rely on if you can't help. Do you have any family members that you can turn to if you get out of your depth?   I'm sure you know a lot of this yourself but hopefully these are giving you some suggestions for things you can say  ... View more

@Smokydog Hi there! I wanted to jump in and add that everything you've said is definitely a cause for concern from a mental health standpoint, especially how you have lost interest in life and are struggling to get out of bed  These are really common symptoms of depression and I would definitely be bringing them up with your doctor because they should ring bells for any good professional!   For me I have found that medication vs psychology is often a decision that the patient can make and approach the doctor with. It sounds like your doctor has gone through the motions with you to stop you jumping straight into the most extreme case of medication or professional help, so this would be a logical next step. Although therapy is for everyone, at any time in their lives, the general threshold for seeking clinical help is when your feelings or thoughts are interfering with your ability to live your life normally. It sounds like you're definitely at that stage and could use some help!   Regarding privilege, mental health never discriminates. There are some people who come from really difficult circumstances who may have great resilience and others who may have a general susceptibility to stress due to biology or upbringing. I'll use myself as an example because I am very lucky with many elements of my life, however I have bipolar disorder which has come a lot from my genetics, but also exacerbated from some issues I've had as a sensitive and perfectionistic person, amongst other things. It makes me think of this quote:  “The same  boiling  water that softens the potato hardens the  egg ." the same things can happen to two people and have very different effects. Additionally, another symptom of mental health is feeling like you're not worthy of getting help. Mental health likes to trick you into feeling bad and isolating yourself from help and that's why it's such a hard battle taking the first step. You should be proud of yourself getting here!    I know this is off topic but I do also think medication could be a good option. If this has been going on for a long time and is only getting worse it may be a case of your brain chemistry having changed from these negative feelings which will make it harder to get back to normal. Medication won't fix the root cause, if there is a particular cause you can think of, but it will take the edge off the pain and make it a bit easier to function in daily life. Personally I was at a dark point in my life a couple years ago and I couldn't find a reason why I was struggling so much and medication helped me to pull out of it. I kind of describe it as a safety net, where you can still feel upset by things, but it stops you being dragged into a whirlpool where you can't function. However, if you've been having issues with negative thinking or anxiety, a psychologist will definitely help you to change your perspective and thought patterns and behaviours too.    Sorry for the long post but I wanted to give my two cents. Also @Andrea-RO and @Tiny_leaf have said some really good things too, so I hope this gives you some guidance! ... View more

Hi @Bookworm2004, I'm sorry to hear that this is happening  How are you going?   I agree with @Maddy-RO that having more symptoms from your medication, especially if it's supposed to be helping with your anxiety, isn't the best thing to have to deal with. I found that my medication did help in some ways but it ended up giving me a lot of bad side effects which made it not worth it and I ended up swapping medications. Thankfully, there are plenty of different medications that you can try for anxiety which may have different active ingredients or ways of working, such as the difference between SSRIs and SNRIs if you're keen to do some research. Have you had a look to see if tics or other physical symptoms are common with this medication?   It's really hard when these things are happening at school especially when you haven't had a chance to figure out how to calm yourself down. Do you usually have ways of calming your anxiety which you could transfer over to these tics? Another thing you might want to do is talk to your teachers or school counsellors about what's happening and maybe ask if you can leave the room if it happens without having to ask for permission, so you don't have to feel the pressure of people looking at you. If they understand the situation in advance hopefully they'll be happy to help out. If you're not happy talking to them yourself maybe you could ask your parents or doctor to write a note for you about your anxiety. I hope this helps! ... View more

Hi @wolvesrunfree I thought I'd jump in even though @Wolfie_ and @Claire-RO have done a great job! I feel like most of my adolescent and young adult life has been questioning my sexuality so I definitely resonate with this post!  I also found that queer is a fantastic 'label', I think it says just enough. And it sounds like your cousin is supportive of you which is lovely!   Although labels can be quite comforting,  don't feel like you need to figure it out for anyone but yourself! No good friends should ever judge you for changing the way you identify. In fact, there's more and more research coming out now that sexuality is fluid and can change throughout your lifetime. Also there's always someone out there who has had a similar journey to you! I think it's all part of the journey of self-love and acceptance  ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS Hey D, I spoke to R and Dm a bit last week. I'm glad to hear you're on holidays and got to go away! How was your trip? It sounds like there's been a lot going on in the system with the hosts changing and some of the mental health issues R and Dm mentioned last week. Are you feeling okay with everything? It sounds like there's been a lot of discovery this past week.   I agree that if you're finding trying to uncover whether or not you had trauma is upsetting you, it might be something that you can leave alone until you feel more comfortable and strong, or maybe have more certainty about what your support system is with your doctor and school counsellor. Sometimes although it's good to know about the past, it's important to look after yourself in the present! It's a lot of work and sometimes managing yourself and the stress you have now is enough. Do you have any hobbies or activities you can do to take your mind off of it? I find being creative really helps me    I hope everything goes okay with your doctor. If the appointment is about something else, you can always just redirect the conversation back to the topic at hand. Maybe you can find something fun and rewarding to do after your appointment to unwind if it's stressful? Let us know how it goes if you'd like.       ... View more

Let's bring this back!   I go by she/her, I also use Stormy as a pseudonym  ... View more

Omg I'm so late to the party on this one since I had the busiest week  I could read your suggestions all day @Starfish7! I've also heard that a really good way to curb off anxiety and panic attacks is to put a cold pack on your neck or the back of your head? I think it's because your brain and body are linked so if your body thinks it's in a happy place then the brain will too    I've hope you've had a good week! How's holidays going? ... View more

@Starfish7 I would agree with @Eden1717, psychology is a very specific sphere of knowledge but it goes really well with a lot of different subjects! Are you talking about general electives? Philosophy is also a really interesting elective and tends not to be very difficult in the first year! Or anthropology. Cognitive science is also basically psychology   ... View more

@statuscaring Thank you so much for your responses! I'll have to fill in my own questions now      It's super interesting to hear about your counselling experiences because I was thinking of doing a diploma of counselling at some point. Psychology can be very clinical and I would love to learn some more strategies! Could you tell me a bit about what some of the favourite things you've learned are?   I also am so glad to hear that you've found your calling  I just studied child and adolescent psychology last semester and I completely agree with the importance of the early years in framing someone's life. I'm the same!   I completely relate to the performance anxiety too  I have bipolar disorder and even with medication at times it can be hard for me to look after myself, it seems impossible to look after other people too! But I think that people who want to go into caring professions really have something special to offer and having gone through struggles yourself makes you a great mentor. Also, therapists have their own therapists too! I've heard them being called grand-therapists  ... View more

@Starfish7 I'll set up a thread  I want to study psychology!    Hmm depends what you're studying, but some good websites I've used in the past are Sparknotes, Shmoop, Gradesaver, litcharts, cliffsnotes... I would use a combo and whatever I see twice is probably important! Reading Australia also sometimes has some really in depth analysis of Australian books or authors in the curriculum. You could also just type in the name of the book to google and then 'quotes' or 'themes' or 'summary' after it and see what comes up. Sometimes you can also find prezis that teachers or students have made  I hope that helps! ... View more

Wow @Wolfie_ @hellofriend you guys are so wise when it comes to anxiety! I love your tips  Especially talking about your anxiety with other people and making your study space a happy, peaceful space to study. One thing I find really works when I'm studying is to listen to videogame or movie music. Because they music is designed to be in the background while you're focusing on something else, and usually don't have lyrics to distract you.   @Starfish7 I love your point about getting started early on my new topics! Yes I often struggle with feeling like I'm not doing anything, and then get stuck ruminating on my exams, and then doubting myself and freaking out just like you were saying Some advice I got for when you're feeling anxious but have nothing to do is to spend just an hour doing some research on something that matters to you, like jobs or volunteering or study or whatever. It gives you a bit more of a sense of control and understanding for where you're going in the future. It's also how I ended up here! ... View more

@Bee Haha oh you're too sweet for your boy cat! That's such a good idea so he doesn't get an upset stomach. I also laughed at your story! There's something magical about pets getting the zoomies and the crazy moves and looks they do   @peppermintpeony Welcome to the thread! It's great to hear some dog content, those videos sound so cute! Let's see if I can add a gif...   ... View more

@Maddy-RO @Starfish7 Thanks very much for clearing that up! Yes I'm happy to talk about it on this thread or we could even start a new specific thread! I know there's a lot of existing or aspiring psych students wandering around these forums who are keen to share their secrets A lot of the psychology content is also the same across different universities because to become a psych you need to go through certain pathways and do certain subjects, so most people I know have similar experiences. One thing that I do find is different and a bit interesting is that some universities focus more on the mathematics/statistics and experimental side of it (they sometimes call this 'rats and stats' ), whereas others focus more on social and emotional psychology! I think you can also tell a lot by the kind of research the university is doing.  There are also differences between arts psychology and science psychology courses in the levels of maths or science you need to do!   @Starfish7 and @Bananatime04 I'm sorry to hear you're both feeling overwhelmed and a bit unmotivated too! I know the exact feeling  It sucks if you've got to spend your holidays studying. Have you made a study schedule or set up some goals for these holidays? If it were me I would make sure I had at least a day a week to be completely study-free. It did wonders for my self-care when I did that and I ended up being more productive both with my study and spare time   I also saw you guys have a lot of reading to do? There are a lot of good study websites out there that can help you understand your book faster. Especially if you do some reading about it before you start, you don't miss anything when you do have to read it and can get through faster because you know what you're reading and recognise some of the key ideas! Do you guys have any special methods you try for studying?   How was your day @Bananatime04? ... View more

@SomeoneNADJSHey R, I'm sorry to hear it was cancelled but I'm glad you're a bit less stressed. Good luck with your assignment work, I hope it goes well! I also completely agree with @Maddy-RO, sometimes it's also because people thing they you don't deserve treatment. But once again, you absolutely do! Even if you're not quite right, you will probably still be able to be treated for some of the struggles you are having, so there's always hope in therapy.   I'm glad I could help too You're definitely not alone in your experiences. I just wanted to add that sometimes reading about other people's stories can be a bit triggering. I did a quick google search of 'dissociative identity disorders teenagers' and it seems if you add 'teenager' to the search there is still relevant content that seems less confronting. But make sure you're in a good headspace just in case    Do you think you'll be okay with not being able to see your counsellor until next term? Do you have any support systems you can use until then?     ... View more

@Maddy-RO oh my gosh what a cat! She must have really wolfed it down! I've heard about the sugar thing with cats, I was actually thinking the same thing with my icing  I made a second cake to share with a friend and as soon as he saw it he made a beeline for it again! I had to put it in a container and give him a spoonful off the top. If we're going with cat facts, it's fun to know most cats are completely lactose intolerant!    I once had a dog who LOVED sweet food- dogs can taste it because they're omnivores I think? Anyway, one day my dad had ice cream and couldn't finish it so put it on the floor next to him on the lounge. The dog wandered up, had a sniff, ate the WHOLE unfinished scoop, stopped for a moment, then started whimpering and crying on the spot. She gave herself a brain freeze and didn't know what to do   ... View more

Hey @Starfish7 and @Bananatime04 ! I'm not in year 12, but I am studying psychology at university if you ever want any info on what it's like or even just pathways to university Or if anyone wants study tips! These are stressful times and there are lots of ways to find your path!   It's really scary with all of these new cases for everyone. A local school in my area just got a case, I had to text my boss because I work at a tutoring school which may have had students from there! Luckily we didn't but it still got me worried  ... View more

Hey @SomeoneNADJS R I saw your message just now and hope you are okay! It sounds like you're under a lot of stress today with your assignment and new counsellor  feel free to let us know how it went. @Sophia-RO @Lost_Space_Explorer5 @Bananatime04 @Janine-RO all have been doing an amazing job at showing that we care about you!   I'm not a psychologist so can't tell you whether you have  DID/OSDD, but don't feel like you can't have problems because you haven't suffered or aren't suffering enough. What happened and how much it affects you is unique to you and nobody can tell you that you can't be depressed/suicidal/struggling because it wasn't 'bad enough', and certainly a good psychologist won't be saying that either! You deserve to be helped no matter what.   I have also met a couple people who have or had DID in my own life. Both of them struggled a lot, but were able to get treatment for it! If that gives you a bit more hope for how you're feeling. Maybe you could do some research into some other people's stories and what helped them, to see if it resonates with you? ... View more