Counselling

[Guest guest]

I wish my husband would seek a counsellor to talk to about me. The

CP was bad enough when I had it but when the tumors and everything

else got on top of it, my husband has basically had to deal with it

all himself.

He has his family telling him I'm a fool for going to doctors, and I

should steer clear of them, and me in his other ear telling him that

if I hadn't sought a doctor's help many times before I would have

been dead by now. His reaction..you don't know that for sure...but I

do know because I am still alive to this day..at least I think I am

*LOL*

I know it gets him upset when I am sick and he is scared he'll lose

me, but I don't know if it is because he was brought up that it

isn't " manly " to see a counsellor, or he just believes he can carry

it all on his shoulders because he is the head of the house and it

is his responsibility.

My family doctor told me that she is amazed that neither of us has

had to seek counselling yet. I told her that I have come very close,

but I was still able to smile at life occasionally. Now I am able to

push my illnesses to the back of my mind for this reprieve I have

been given and laugh with life...

Fred, you will know if you need to see someone. A year after my

colon surgery back in 1993, I fell into a depression about how close

I could have come to dying and it was affecting my work, and my

appearance etc. I saw a psychiatrist through my work, and just went

for a few sessions to talk and take their advice. It worked for me.

I felt so much lighter and found that my illness was only a small

part of what was affecting me. I used to let everything boil up

inside me, anger and upset from other people, I never would speak

out, and it was beginning to leak out. He said that I would have

exploded one day and probably said things to someone that I would

have difficulty mending fences...Now I am a stronger person and can

say NO to someone, or speak up at the right time, not keep it

bottled inside of me.

Which is what I have needed to do during my illnesses..goodness

knows what basket case I would be by now with some doctor's

attitudes if I hadn't changed my acceptance and non acceptance of

situations.