psychiatric counseling

[jlwickie]

I am back on dialysis after enjoying 8 years with transplanted kidney.  I am looking for help dealing with this new roller coaster.  Can anyone recommend anyone or groups in the Northern VA/DC area?

Thanks

[Charlie B53]

Hi jlwickie!

Welcome to IHD!  You will find that we soon become 'Family' as we all are going through the rigors of Dialysis, or are a Caregiver for a patient.  Many have had transplants that have failed, some have had multiple transplants.  So do not feel like you are the Lone Ranger here.  Myself, I am NOT a viable candidate so I am not listed.  My prospects of finding a live donor are slim to none.  But fortunately for me Dialysis is working just fine as long as I watch what I eat, take my Binders with everything, and be very careful with my fluids.  I am doing good. (Fingers crossed that the bowl of spaghetti tonight doesn't put me too far over). My Labs are well enough that I can splurgh once in a while so even if they pull Labs tomorrow I'm not going to worry about it.

So tell us a little about yourself.  Were you on Dialysis before you got your kidney? 


what, when, where, etc,  How well did you do?  Any problems with it?

What type of Dialysis are you now on? Etc., Etc., Etc.

Anything in particular that is bothering you?

The title of your post 'pshychiatric counseling'  gives pause for thought.  Do YOU think you need counseling?  You wouldn't be the first to seek the help of another.  Kidney failure is a tough one to handle.  It isn't easy facing the thought of your own mortality.  This is serious stuff.  But you are not alone.  There are a great number of people also bearing these trials, and doing surprisingly well.  It does take effort and a load of adjustment. And that's outside of the treatments that MUST BE done to remove the water and toxins that your kidneys are no longer removing.

There is a neat Kidney School that really helped me understand what I was going throu.  It has self-paced learning modules that will explain not only Kidneys, but the methods of Dialysis and how each one works.  This may help you understand and perhaps decide which method may be better for your lifestyle.

http://kidneyschool.org/

Check it out as you have time.

Post often, let us know how you feel, what you think.  Rant and rave if you need.  Sometime it really helps just to vent.

Take Care,

Charlie B53

[Naynay99]

Hey. Welcome. I'm sorry about your transplant.  I have had almost 29 years w my kidney and am now in the same predicament of needing a new one and having to start D in the near future and it absolutely sucks.   I can't even really wrap my mind around it bc this kidney has been mine most of my life, since I was a kid. 
I have a history of depression and have had my share of counseling.   But psychiatric and counseling don't belong in the same sentence.  It's my experience that psychiatrists don't do counseling, they just write prescriptions.   I have seen a one on one psychotherapist and clinical social worker for counseling, however, and have gotten a lot of help from that.  Also look into support groups near you- I used to belong to one for something else that helped a lot to be around other people with the same issue.   I live in Nj so can't offer an groups near you but they must exist for kidney disease?  Take care. 

[Thesunwillshinetomorrow]

Welcome!
I am not familiar with your location and what would be offered as I am in Canada. However, I am just wondering if you could start by talking to your Family Doctor. Ask what is out there. Are you looking for something very specific to what you are experiencing or more of say an anxiety and depression issue (Not that I am saying you have one...just giving a this/that scenerio).
Anyway...I know here in Canada they have been dealing with a lot of different Mental Health issues with Mindfulness. So...maybe a good starting point. Also for Mental Health we also have Self Compassion running as a course.
Be kind to yourself and try treating yourself the way you would respond to a friend if they were in the same situation.
Hopefully that helps....a little 

[Michael Murphy]

Personally I would start with the clinic social worker, they should know all the resources available to you.  In many cases the clinic runs a support group.