Monday, July 9, 2007 --UpdateI have made it to the mental health clinic and back home again in one piece. The first thing I did upon arriving there was to go to the pharmacy and get my antidepressant.  It was ready and waiting for me.  I did not have any trouble getting it using the Medicare AARP Prescription Drug Plan.Following that, I went to the anxiety group meeting.  Including me, there were five of us, plus the therapist who ran the meeting.  Since this therapist had been gone for two weeks, each of us gave her a summary of what had been happening in our lives during that period. I told her that I have been extremely depressed.  She asked if I had had suicidal thoughts, and I said yes.  Although I told her about some of the difficulties I have been experiencing recently, I also told her that I did not know for sure how truthful I wanted to be.  She said she hoped that I would be completely truthful because it would be important for me and for her.  I said that I was apprehensive because each time I saw my other therapist and we discussed my suicidal thoughts, I felt that she was "threatening me" with the possibility of having to go to a hospital. The group decided that there should be some way for me to be in contact with someone on a daily basis just to make sure I was doing okay.  A couple of the members wanted someone to call me, but the therapist thought that I would become more empowered by actually contacting someone else instead. I met with the therapist after the session, and told her that my psychiatrist had suggested that I enter a trauma group and that he wanted me to talk it over with her.  She said I could take it at the same time as I was taking the anxiety group, but left that decision up to me.  I said that I would prefer entering the trauma group after I had completed the anxiety group.  She said that made sense to her.  She asked that I keep her in the "loop" as to what I intended to do, and asked me to talk with my therapist about it on Wednesday when I see her for the last time. She asked me whether I intended to continue seeing a therapist once I had completed attending the groups at the mental health clinic.  I said yes, but I did not know exactly how that would come about or with whom.  She indicated that she would do whatever possible to help me. I came away from the meeting feeling good.