Dear Harveylous
Welcome to the Beyond Blue community. We are all broken people here and in need of support and survival tips. Read some of the other threads and see what others have to say. There are quite a few folk who have difficulty finding a psych of some colour to help them.
Look under Get Support/Find a Professional at the top of this page. Then search by postcode for a GP with experience in mental health issues. There may be one near you who can refer you to a good psych.
I want to make a couple of observations so please bear with me. A goose is actually a great watch dog. No one will be able to come near your home without your goose or geese kicking up a racket. I know it sounds silly but it is absolutely true. If fear is keeping you awake then something that will make a huge noise if intruders are around will help you sleep more easily.
Not knowing what your father does that makes him a bad role model means I cannot say much on that idea. However, if he has given up smoking I would think that makes him a good role model. Does his illness worry you much or cause you huge amounts of work? I ask because you may be able to get some help to care for him.
Being overweight contributes to any illness. I know as I am overweight. PTSD and depression tends to lead us to not eating much and losing huge amounts of weight, or the reverse and comfort eating and weight gain. If you are anything like me you are finding it extremely hard to lose weight and stupid remarks from anyone, much less a doctor, do not help.
Now your GP can write you a mental health plan which will give you ten visits to a psychologist. If you find someone that you get on with I would then suggest you stay with this person unless it becomes too financially difficult.
Counselors and psychologists do give their patients homework from time to time. And often this is to be done when you are distressed or soon after you recover. The idea is that you look at the triggers for your distress and what you do to cope. I would also hope they started to discuss new coping mechanisms for you.
None of this is easy. I too have depression and PTSD. Not nice at all. Some days, to quote John Denver, are diamonds and some days are stone. To me there seems to be no rhyme or reason which one you will wake up with in the morning.
You do need to co-operate with your psych, say if you do not understand or agree with what they say and ask for an explanation. I will write more when I get your reply.
Cheers
Mary
