Dear Steve
Hello and welcome to the forum. It does take courage to write in here for the first time. Well done.
I cannot imagine how devastated you are with the series of events. It must hurt tremendously. I presume you were given the antidepressant meds by your GP so you must have opened up a little about what is happening in your life. Is this right?
Antidepressants (AD) are not a cure for depression or any mental illness. It's a bit like taking pain relief. It helps to keep you moving and reduce your pain but does not 'cure' the reason for the pain. For that you need medical intervention. Same with depression.
With all the events in your life in the past few years I suggest you see your GP and ask for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Of the two options I think a psychiatrist would be the best option. There are many good psychologists out there but it depends on how many sessions you will need to decide if this is financially viable. Medicare only subsidises psychologist's fees for up to ten sessions per year. After that you must pay the full fee. Your GP will be able to fully explain the system.
Psychiatrist's fees are all subsidised by Medicare in the same way all your doctors' fees are subsidised so the cost is greatly reduced. From a financial viewpoint this is the better option. I am suggesting this as I suspect money may be a bit tight for you. However you need to discuss your needs with your GP and be guided by him/her.
In the meantime please look at the information on depression available on this website. Look under Get Support at the top of the page and also search under The Facts. I have found the more informed I am about any illness the easier it is to make decisions. You can download much of this information.
You are doing well to have got this far on your own. Congratulations. Sadly the road is not easy and I know from my experience how overwhelming it can be. When we have been betrayed it is so hard to trust anyone again. This is certainly true in my case. It has taken a long time to heal and I think I will be healing for the rest of my life even though the worst has passed. Hope I am not scaring you. I find it useful to look at these things and prepare myself for what is in store. However we are all different and what works for me is not necessarily best for others.
We can talk here about what you have done and how well it worked. Also future plans so please continue to write in.
Mary
