For those that have been to the Doctors, what do you go in and say? how do you get the ball rolling on getting some help?
the scuzz post is excellent. -
silent sparky - tell doctor how you feel , describe physical symptoms ,
panic attacks , lack of sleep & no get up and go maybe?
Ask about treatments available.
What choices of medications are there , any benefits/side efects of one over another. You may benefit from a referral to psychiatric nurse for counselling.
For those that have been to the Doctors, what do you go in and say? how do you get the ball rolling on getting some help?
Me - it was a case of going in and bursting into tears! that said enough really. but doc was really good ,next time i went I just had a high pitched emotion voice trying not to cry. last time i was able to discuss how we can move it forward and even laughed a bit!
Think you just need to be honest docs say they are seeing an increase with the financial crisis and all
Oh and I deliberately chose a female doc as i find it easier to talk to women (i'm a bloke)
cheers for that xcgb, i'll have a right good look at that. Sorry if it all came across a bit doom and gloom.
One bit advice I can give to the sufferers, little things. Sounds stupid but doing the little things seems to give me more enjoyment and fulfillment than anything else. Just done some hoovering and listening to Boards of Cananda at the moment. Do a little of the coding I keep putting off, take the dog out and get dinner ready for the wife coming in will give me a sense of accomplishment today than wondering how I can afford a BMW 1200GS and a new car, and a holiday to the US and a new bike and all the crap in life that I don't need.
Another injury in the space of 12 months has brought on my depression again. Anti-depressants helped last year. I now have the support from my bf who's been great but I'm still struggling. My bf thinks I should try manage it as that is what works for him. Don't really know what to do as I don't want to upset him 🙁
What if (unlike many, but not all who seem to have issues with depression) your depression is because there are things wrong in your life? Just how insignificant does it have to be to be something you're supposed to be able to cope with?
There is no 'supposed to be able to cope' that I am aware of. Merely the undisputed fact than some can cope better than others, the reasoning behind that, and the desire to improve the lot for those of us you are unable to cope so well.
My depression (although part of Bipolar Disorder) was all because of life events. I suffered various levels of depression from childhood though to mid 40s until diagnosed and treated. It is not the events that are key, it's how we react to those events. We know this is indisputably true. Look at those adults that are abused as children that have managed to put it behind them. Ditto children that have suffered life changing injuries. We also know that we can train ourselves (or alloy ourselves to be trained) to react different to external events.
I disagree. Neuroscience is suggesting severe mental health problems are a brain function, accompanied by an emotional reaction.
Some people suffered with mental health problems for years or most of their lives. I certainly wouldn't put these people in the category of " less able to cope" or coping " less admirably".
Merely repeating what various mental health professionals and manuals have taught me. In King's Lynn we are very lucky mental health service wise. I have easy access to some very qualified mental health professionals. I'm in no position to doubt their expertise or disagree with them (although I am living proof that their beliefs do hold true for ME). You of course may be.
We're currently worried our son (14) has depression. He's currently very down, unhappy with how school is (he's endanger of being excluded cos he refuses to do work / arguing with teachers), part of the problem is he is smart and very sharp linguistically - he runs rings around me + most of his teachers when trying to have a discussion. His school is at a loss of what to do and his teachers haven't seen anyone like it before.
Today he said there's no point trying at school cos he thinks he won't get a job even if he gets gcses.
He used to ride his bmx all the time - he hasn't restarted that since the weather getting better - 'cant be bothered / I'm no good / I'm not getting better'
We thought about trying to get him to the docs but he doesn't want to - I don't think he realises there is potential problem.
We're at a loss as what to do with him and how to get through to him and that we have his best interests at heart.
I'm hopefully taking him to his first mtb outing to cannock at the weekend which might lift him a bit.
For those that have been to the Doctors, what do you go in and say? how do you get the ball rolling on getting some help?
As per xcgb, I was also a nervous wreck in tears (or very close to).
They will likely give you a paper test to judge the severity of your depressions.
Be warned though, not all GPs are either trained in mental health issues, or actually give a hoot. I know this from the experience of one family member, and from my discussions both with other very highly qualified health professionals and other mental health illness sufferers.
If you GP isn't giving you the service you feel you deserves, change GPs.
TuckerUK
Your post above makes more sense to me now. I do agree there are triggers and learned mechanisms which can reduce the spiral down, with depression, or up, with manias. My understanding of medication and CBT is that they can be there to help take the edge off and allow a person gain a better understanding of whats going on. However there is still biological aspect which can trigger on a more sporadic patter. As you know, more often than not, someone with bipolar disorder will need medication, even during the level times no matter what changes they have put in place.
I just think that someone who manages to cope with mental health problems, sometimes life long, should not be seen as coping less admirably or not coping as well. I would even say they are coping extremely well considering they brain they have to use.
I'm bipolar. Ultra rapid cycling. I've tried everything, from psychiatrists to healing women.
I can truly say I'm struggling. I've attempted suicide twice and on both occasions been committed.
People say I will get better. I can only hope that's true.
Can I ask what depression is?
The reason I ask is that I feel I am going into the realms of depression currently and dont really know what to do. My current workplace Is extremely difficult and im just a retail manager but it is really getting me down. To the point where I have been taking sleeping tablets, I get extremely anxious, and im now at a point where I dont want to get up in the morning and more recently even don't want to ride.
Could this be the beginnings?
He's currently very down, unhappy with how school is (he's endanger of being excluded cos he refuses to do work / arguing with teachers), part of the problem is he is smart and very sharp linguistically - he runs rings around me + most of his teachers when trying to have a discussion. His school is at a loss of what to do and his teachers haven't seen anyone like it before.
Sounds exactly like me.
Can I ask what depression is?The reason I ask is that I feel I am going into the realms of depression currently and dont really know what to do. My current workplace Is extremely difficult and im just a retail manager but it is really getting me down. To the point where I have been taking sleeping tablets, I get extremely anxious, and im now at a point where I dont want to get up in the morning and more recently even don't want to ride.
Could this be the beginnings?
I would say it could be but first stop should be your GP. Honestly please go, I wish I had gone sooner but when you are in it you really cant see the wood for the trees
Have a look at the link and see if it fits you
http://www.depressionalliance.org/help-and-information/what-is-depression.php
iolo
I am also a rapid cycler(not just on the bike).
Do you have a CHT you can speak to?
I do have a good psychiatrist and with a mixture of monitoring, making changes and checks appear to be on the right path.
I am no expert but am happy to chat if you need a shoulder or want to vent. You are not on your own and it does get better.
Bump.
Reached a bit of a low point yesterday and realised that I just need to sort my life out. Went to my GP this morning....no tears or anything like that, just laid out my feelings....he's prescribed me Fluoxetine and referred me for CBT.
Not sure what to make of it to be honest?
SilentSparky - MemberFor those that have been to the Doctors, what do you go in and say? how do you get the ball rolling on getting some help?
I just laid it out- they're doctors, you won't shock them. I just monologued it, "This happened then that happened then this brought it to a head at which point I called you", that's just how it seemed to make most sense. It was more embarrassing when I had to go in for the rash on my bum tbh.
[url= http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/depression-part-two.html ]Meet Allie Brosh[/url]
She seems to be able to describe depression far, far better than I ever managed. And in a more entertaining manner.
Went to my GP this morning....no tears or anything like that, just laid out my feelings....he's prescribed me Fluoxetine and referred me for CBT.
I was at the docs on monday, got quite upset and couldn't speak for the first 5 mins 😳
Been put on Citalopram which I'm not sure about, the common side affects are a worry, and also referred for CBT. If the appointment is a long wait I might go private. There's a counselor nearby who also lectures in CBT at local uni.
Not sure what to make of it to be honest?
Nothing yet... just run with it see how it goes. 😉 I haven't read any of your other posts if/there/any - I think you've made a smart move though..
Meet Allie Brosh
THAT is a piece of genius, Mr 16stone. True genius. LMFAO - AND it describes exactly how I've been feeling for last few months. A revelation..!
I was at the docs on monday, got quite upset and couldn't speak for the first 5 mins
Been put on Citalopram which I'm not sure about, the common side affects are a worry, and also referred for CBT. If the appointment is a long wait I might go private. There's a counselor nearby who also lectures in CBT at local uni.
Birky I am the OP and I was the same as you. I have been on citalopram for 6 weeks now and I am glad i did take it.
Be aware though I did get worse for a couple of weeks it took until week 4 or 5 before I satrted feeling much better. I had some side effects yes, they were unpleasant but bearable. [b]IT WAS WORTH IT LOOKING BACK NOW THOUGH[/b]
This blog helped a lot, not written by a doctor but a sufferer. It is long and his experience is extreme ,but it has a lot of truth in there, a big one being dont bother taking it unless you are going to stick with it for at least 2 months (probably 6 -12 really)
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=46980
But it has helped me, I am a different person. You really cant see it when you are in it.
Its not the whole answer though I am doing CBT too and I think it helps but the jurys out on that one.
Feel free to Email me if you want a chat (email in profile)
I'm worried about this 'it gets worse for a couple of weeks'....I'm going on holiday in 10 days time....will it be a tough period?
Christ my post is just begging for a #firstworldproblem
Tom - you may not experience any major side effects. I was worried after reading horror stories on line but had a pretty easy ride. In fact my worst time was just after starting with all the anxiety over what they were going to do to me. The downside is that they don't appear to have done much for me other than take the edge off the worst days.
Tom
Not everyone get the side effects, when i say worse I was actually on holiday too, and it was OK although it did affect my sleep quite a lot (although i wasn't sleeping much any way so I may have been bad without it)
I had night sweats, mind chatter,anxiety,dry mouth,some shakes, But it was still worth it
Thats the problem with it you dont know what you would have been like without it so its hard to judge.
Only thing I can say is that I wish I had started taking it months ago. the sooner you start the sooner you will feel better!
To reiterate though SSRis are not a cure, they just give you a chance to sort your problems out which is where the CBT comes in.
I highly recommend Yoga too its helping a great deal, as I have a teacher that has suffered from depression too.
Thepurist
You may want to see your GP to check if the dose is high enough or maybe try another one?
xcgb - not sure if I'm expecting too much from them TBH. Have increased dose in the past & discussed it again with the GP, but other (qualified) people have said that my experience isn't unusual so not sure about the hassle of transition from one type to another etc. Anyone else want to comment on how the drugs made them feel? Was there really a new dawn or was it just a case of the hole not being so deep?
Some of us do, just not on here.
See some of my experiences and thoughts on my long term fight with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder such as this http://compulsivflyer.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/going-public-with-your-ocd/ at my blog or on Twitter @compulsivflyer
The couple of times i have entered threads on this commonly misunderstood and 'joked about' illness on here i have been shouted down for not having a sense of humour! From where i sit, some things just aren't funny.
As for medication, although this is anxiety not depression related, the treatment is similar. SSRIs and CBT exposure therapy.
Anyone else want to comment on how the drugs made them feel? Was there really a new dawn or was it just a case of the hole not being so deep?
I wouldn't describe it as a new dawn, just feeling more like how i used to. My CBT trainer says its me doing it rather than the drugs but she would say that! (i am on a low dose though)
I wouldn't have understood depression or anxiety before. I do now and its a scary lonely feeling,
I have found researching it has helped in a blokey needing to fix it sort of way. this is one of the reasons I started the thread as the more i talk to a few selected people about it the more I realise just how widespread it is. There is still a stigma about it, but you must accept it is an illness
Tom B - Member
Bump.Reached a bit of a low point yesterday and realised that I just need to sort my life out. Went to my GP this morning....no tears or anything like that, just laid out my feelings....he's prescribed me Fluoxetine and referred me for CBT.
Not sure what to make of it to be honest?
Good stuff - the drugs seem to help a bit, the side effects arent too bad. I found I went through phases of sleeping to much, and then not being able to sleep at all in the first few weeks, but after that its back to normal.
I don't even know whether they help much though, I probably feel less anxious, but still feel very low quite often.
CBT might take a while, I eventually had one meeting and the woman said she wanted to refer me to some other CBT guru. Just tell them you feel suicidal, they'll try and prioritise you.
This may confuse things a bit, but I found I didn't like the medication at all.
It certainly did help settle my mood down - I had less of the crushing lows that I used to have, but it also seemed to make me feel a bit numb in general. One of the biggest problems I was having was that I had lost (and still seem to be missing) my drives or any sense of desire or motivation. SSRIs stopped me caring that they were missing, but didn't improve them.
I can totally understand how they would be useful in certain situations, but I think they were precisely the wrong approach for me.
Thanks for the posts guys-it's really helped today.
16stonepig. The drugs should take the edge off things. Your description sounds like either too high a dose or the wrong drug. I recommend you see your GP again and describe your problem as above. It should be possible to tune the drugs to your needs and there's what I called the "big book of drugs" which has alternatives to what you are on now. Don't forget each change takes time to make itself known.
Good luck and don't suffer in silence.
16stonepig. What you describe seems like a side effect called "emotional blunting". As sandwich says worth a chat with your GP
Has anyone on here ever had any positive experiances with taking 'St Johns Wort' ?. I've got an appointment with the docs next week but thought I'd try a herbal option first before / If being prescribed any AD's.
I'm sorry this isn't the most helpful post, but the best thing I can say about the drugs I took is that I didn't really get any side-effects. Obviously they do help a lot of other people.
Has anyone on here ever had any positive experiances with taking 'St Johns Wort' ?. I've got an appointment with the docs next week but thought I'd try a herbal option first before / If being prescribed any AD's.
I have heard positive but not personal experience, I do know however that its a bad idea to mix it with SSRIs (antidepressants)
Tell the doc if you are taking it!
Thanks for the posts guys-it's really helped today.
It does get better honest! more good info about the various treatments on here
http://www.depressionalliance.org/
Has anyone on here ever had any positive experiances with taking 'St Johns Wort' ?. I've got an appointment with the docs next week but thought I'd try a herbal option first before / If being prescribed any AD's.
I have. Used to be on whatever they were calling Prozac but not taken it for a couple of years now - I don't think I'm anywhere near as bad as ibises I be anyway buy I find SJW very effective during bleaker periods.
I would make sure you get the high dose stuff if using it in place of SSRIs, but I'm not a doctor obviously. I get mine from Holland and Barrett - it's expensive but seems to work.
GJP and Sandwich: Thanks for the advice, but I'm actually fairly comfortable off the meds at the moment. I have had more high points and genuine smiles in the last few months than I have for years, so I think I am actually making progress in my own way. And that has given me a bit of background optimism, so I don't really want to "blunt" things again.
To the OP (and others):I am absolutely [i]not[/i] against taking antidepressants - they just didn't achieve what I needed when I took them.
Interesting thread, I’ve been following since the start. It’s a subject I’ve had on my mind recently for one reason or another. Might I ask a question?
Those who worry about being sent into a low ebb by this thread might not want to read this post, I don’t know.
I’m not a depression sufferer myself yet, as far as I’m aware, but I await the big breakdown I try to keep at bay with the choices I make.
Two members of my immediate family are receiving ongoing treatment for depression, as are two of my friends. I don’t want to generalise here; I speak of their cases alone and understand that depression can be an illness in need of treatment just like any other.
When I consider their lives and the way they’re lived I tend to find myself thinking of their depression not as an illness but as a symptom. I had always assumed (before the diagnoses came) that their frustrations are an obvious result of the environment in which they (we all) exist.
I won’t go into specific details but they all – like many of us today – are dedicated to ultimately meaningless work, they seek solace in consumerism, with nice cars, shiny toys and endless creature comforts being the supposed rewards for their mentally tiring but physically unstimulating (and occasionally morally bankrupt) jobs.
They’ve diligently and correctly pieced together the accepted middle class jigsaw only to find the end picture gets us no nearer to any sense of satisfaction. I think to myself that their depression isn’t an illness but a symptom of an ill society. When the goals are wrong, scoring cannot bring victory.
I feel really insensitive and ignorant thinking what I do, and would never say it to any of them, but when we live the lives we do, what do we expect?
It has seemed wrong to me that (in the cases I speak of here) the solution offered by a doctor has always been a medicinal one. They treat it medically because they’re from a medical background in the same way a plumber would try to blame your low water pressure or a car salesman would say you need a convertible. To me the problem seems... bigger. I dunno, sociological?
I’ve often wondered if the doctor would be so keen to prescribe meds if they could afford the time to spend a week just looking at the life of their patient. Would they ever conclude that the depression isn’t the illness but a symptom. A symptom can be treated, but while ever the cause is still there the problem will remain.
I’ve often wondered if the doctor would be so keen to prescribe meds if they could afford the time to spend a week just looking at the life of their patient. Would they ever conclude that the depression isn’t the illness but a symptom. A symptom can be treated, but while ever the cause is still there the problem will remain.
True
But it was made very clear to me that the meds were NOT the cure. they just give you a legup and the time to get some perspective, which looking back was exactly what i needed. They help as when you are in your hole it all looks very bleak and the only way it seems is down.
jackthedog
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is often used with mental health, sometimes on its own and sometimes along with medication. CBT is there to try to help the person suffering mental health find their own coping mechanisms or help reduce the triggers. Unfortunately some mental health illnesses like depression and bipolar can still have unaccounted behavioural triggers. So someone might have a very fulfilling job, loving family, healthy diet etcetera and still get the problems. That is one of the many frustrating aspects of such illness. It is also why medication can be useful. Medication and CBT can be used to treat both neurological and behavioural aspects of the illness.
As for causes, there is a big debate. Someone with bipolar has a much greater chance of drug or alcohol abuse. Do they take the drug to self medicate the symptoms, which will inevitable make the symptoms worse, or do they get the symptoms because they have abused drugs?
Mindfulness really helps me. And talking to an objective counselor really helped as well - let me see the wood for the trees and help identify what was causing the problems (external factors, not me 'going mad'). And having a really supportive wife has helped massively. As has being advised by my GP and counselor to get out riding more 😛
Email in profile if anyone wants to chat.
Definitely brought about by the knock on effects of another problem, Social Anxiety. Hoping CBT will sort this out cos I feel I've missed out on so much in life already (socializing, friendships, relationships). Actually feeling quite 'up' just now having made a start at sorting things out 🙂
I won’t go into specific details but they all – like many of us today – are dedicated to ultimately meaningless work, they seek solace in consumerism, with nice cars, shiny toys and endless creature comforts being the supposed rewards for their mentally tiring but physically unstimulating (and occasionally morally bankrupt) jobs.They’ve diligently and correctly pieced together the accepted middle class jigsaw only to find the end picture gets us no nearer to any sense of satisfaction. I think to myself that their depression isn’t an illness but a symptom of an ill society. When the goals are wrong, scoring cannot bring victory.
I feel really insensitive and ignorant thinking what I do, and would never say it to any of them, but when we live the lives we do, what do we expect?
Totally agree - and there's evidence that in societies that are much less 'developed'/materialistic, rates of depression are much lower.
May sound like an odd question but when does 'feeling a bit down' become depression?
