Nice to meet you and glad you are reaching out! This is a great place for support and friendship, DS has really been a lifesaver for me, and this particular group has been really special and healing for me...I'm sorry that your insurance won't cover more therapy...my disappointment in insurance and disability companies is deep, why is there still such a stigma against mental health with these organizations, it's really unacceptable. But this site is great for support, even when you may feel like no one understands...there are people out there who do.
Definitely, spirituality, meditation is great. I would also add to that for me personally, yoga and prayer, although meditation is definitely prayer too. Peace to you on your healing journey, hope to hear more from you!

Welcome and glad you found us.

Thank you for the warm welcome!!

Hi, nice to meet you! :) big hugs! Welcome to the site :)

Hey! I'm new also! I'm glad you're in a healthier place now. I don't really have any good coping techniques to share with you. Was kind of hoping this site could be one of mine haha...

Hi, I am new also. It is very nice meeting you. Just want to let you know that I am here

Hey! I am new too! I think that moving out of your brothers house was a great step. I was in therapy for about 6 months (before my insurance told me the same thing) and I discovered that my anxiety stemmed from a lot of negative thinking and I started a gratitude journal. It sounds small but has helped me a lot! I hope you find what you are looking for here!

some places offer counseling with sliding scales to make it affordable. that's what I'm doing now.

Glad you're here! Hope you find this site as helpful as I do! :)

You are so fortunate to have found some relaxation techniques that work for you . Whenever I have tried anything like them , they actually stress me more since I am so anxious for perfection . We share a lot of the same problems . I was raised by a mother with severe bi-polar disorder who was out of control most of the time , high on mania . My father took all of his time taking care of her and fighting off her beatings . Needless to say , they never had time to love us or especially teach us coping skills . All I remember is screaming .. I am sure that is where my anxiety began and till this day I don't know how to cope very effectively . Counseling never helped me and I have been on Xanax for years which can take the edge off for me .. I was so glad to read your post and see the things we have in common . Why don't you read my profile , if you are interested . I doubt I mentioned my scary childhood . As it was I am so wordy , I could have gone on and on .. Good luck to you here . My thoughts are with you as you fight your demons . You are not alone . Please know that !

It's nice to meet you as well. I, like you, am also new and found that it is pretty cool having an online group that just understands. My depression came from "stinkin thinkin" and I've been working on retraining my brain how to think. On good days, I write out positive things I know to be true about me in a small journal. On the bad days I take a moment to let me feel bad, then re-read those truths, and go work out. If I don't have time for all that, I just say out loud that I'm taking a moment (I've told friends and family if I say that to not comfort me or disturb me because I'm battling those thoughts) breathe and mentally go through my truths. As for anxiety, I need help with that as well. Breathing helps but not for all things. I guess I'll let you know more when I figure out more. Sending good vibes your way!

Much luck to you ! I , too suffer from severe anxiety exacerbated by many pain issues that seem to be destroying my life . I have tried counseling to no avail and have taken Xanax for many years which even with low dosing seems to take the edge off . You are quite brave in the way you have chosen to deal with this debilitating issue !

When it comes to insurance not covering therapy after a limited number of visits, you will have two choices. You can report the result of the limited number of visits, and request more to be approved, if possible. I know of one person who saw their doctor and approved for more therapy for a different symptom. For those who suffer from long ago issues and pain, please know that you can heal. You can heal. You can not change what happened, you can change how you react and add in healing thoughts, words, phrases, scenes, and use those to break the pattern of hurt while you continue to heal. Stay hydrated. Stay "in the moment" to be present, and put a time limit on those thoughts to help you move the pattern. Best wishes.

Welcome. I'm glad that you good join us and hope that you find what you need here. You mentioned that you use meditation and breathing excersizes, could you tell me more about that. Do you find breathing excersizes to be helpful?

Thank you all for the wonderful welcoming comments. Sorry for the delay in responding but I took some time away from the internet. I do that sometimes because I get overwhelmed. I did find therapy from a clinic that has a sliding scale fee and even provides free transportation to appointments. It helps because I don't drive. I have a wonderful therapist I feel comfortable with and am opening up. We are working on getting my medications right. I feel better and have hope and for me that's a lot of progress. I will keep all of you in my prayer and thoughts.