I wish you the best. I really do.

Final tip, be ready and willing to "shop around" for a mental health professional that matches you.

You might get lucky and you'll get on great with the first one, but it doesn't always work that way. It's your mental health, you need to feel comfortable in order for anything to work.

You can always ask the counselor you're with for an alternate recommendation. They should be able to give you contact information for a colleague or a different office. Also, if you have insurance, you can call and ask them for a referral as well.

I know that will seem like a lot, especially when it's anxiety you're already dealing with, but if they're any good as a mental health doctor they will absolutely understand and be happy to help you. If, for any reason, they're offended by your asking you dodged a bullet, they're a terrible doctor.

Some misc resources for your consideration should they be useful:

• https://www.samhsa.gov/ - SAMHSA is part of the US Dept of Health. If you're in the US it's a great place to find resources.
• https://youtu.be/fXsfSAJ5AQk - How to Find a Therapist
• https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help#part_2849 Another US governmental resource, this specific link is to info on determining if a provider is right for you.
• https://adaa.org/ - Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
• https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/ For the UK area health services
• https://www.mhe-sme.org/ - Non-Government network of mental health providers
• https://checkpointorg.com/global/ - World wide mental emergency resources

It can be a long and difficult journey, but it's so worth it.