Desperate for help

[Yuna]

Hello im new here but i need to talk to someone as i have tried various doctors and  medication and nothing seems to work.

I feel hopless, lost and just feel like sometimes i cant get through this on my own. I hate being alone, and its a daily struggle to face the day. Sometimes I feel like i just want to give up. The doctors I see dont really give me any coping strategies for when i have depression and panic attacks and i have tried some anti depressants which make my symptoms worse not better, im off them now but i was feeling a little better and then last night i hit rock bottom. And had very bad feelings. I dont know what to do or who to seek help from I mean I called my parents at like 3 in the morning for christ sake, how embarassing is that ? how pathetic i make them worry about me when they have enough to worry about. I can afford to see the pshycologist she costs too much. I need help and advice

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[CrashCoyote]

Hi Yuna,

Thank you for posting. This site is a lot like an anonymous chat room, where you can write your thoughts and connect with other to whatever level you choose.

I communicate with a number of people on here regularly and sometimes it feels like I know them personally. I am not suggesting that such contact is a substitution to relationships "out there" but it is a stepping stone. You do not need to be so lonely that you have no-one to contact. There is also the web chat and 1300 line.

I always encourage people towards volunteerism for many reasons. You can choose the cause that interests you. You can do as much or little as you like. You can meet other people who share (at least) that interest. The most special thing about volunteers, I think, is their motivation. Many volunteers would not do their volunteer work if they were offered money for it. They do it for altruistic reasons.

I am sorry I cannot help you with your issues the way a psychologist might. I do not hold such qualifications and would not want to make things worse for you.

Please keep posting. I would like to learn more about you.

Kind regards, John.

[Beltane]

Hi! Ok first I hope you;ve gotten into contact with BeyondBlue. They can give you advice on what to do next.

Ok firstly, has your doctor given you a Mental Health Care Plan? If you have depression or anxiety you are entitled to one- it allowes you to see a psychologist up to 10 times a year for free or cheap (the one i see now is free as medicare covers her cost, while in the pat ive had to pay 30-40$ gap fee while medicare covers the rest)

CBT therapy and other therapies (i do ACT- acceptance and commitment therapy) are aimed at giving us people with anxiety and depression coping skills, help us turn negative thoughts into realistic thoughts, and basically learn to change the way we think.= so we are more balanced and realistic, and able to cope with lifes challenges in healthy ways. This helps us overcome our anxiety and depression.

Medications are aimed at fixing chemical imbalances in the head that are often the cause of anxiety and depressive illness. You may have heard of serotonin, there is also dopamine and norepinephrine- these chemicals as well as hormones such as adrenaline are often a big factor in causing these mental illnesses, and medications are aimed at getting them back in the right balance.

The problem is that doctors cant measure which chemical is the one thats out of balance, so it can take a bit of trial and error- some people get on the right drug right away, other people can try a handful before they find the right one. It can be very annoying but please keep up hope, many people report great benefits from finding their right medication!

I did 3 years of CBT and ACT therapy while trying to find the right drug. I went through 6 different antidepressants! They all made me feel really sick and vomit, and cause insomnia. One antidepressant did help quite a bit in terms of my depression- it fixed that!- but unfortunately it didnt fix my anxiety.

The therapy really helped me get out of the depression and get a normal life- i got a job, hobbies, friends- i'd never had those before!
but i continued to have problems with anxiety until i went onto my current medication, which is actually an antipsychotic (unusual choice) but it works wonders for me. I feel better than ive ever been- no more constant anxiety, insomnia and nausea are gone, my mood is great and stable. i feel wonderful, and no side effects at all!

So please stay hopeful because there IS a combination of therapy and medication that will work wonders- you just have to find it 😞

[CrashCoyote]

Hi Yuna,

I am just wondering how you are going since you began this thread?

Kind regards, John.