Seeking help, venting

[sleepy_eye]

Hi, sorry this isn't the right place for this.

I was hoping to get some advice on seeking professional help.

For the past week I've been feeling depressed and have been falling behind at work. I thought it might pass after the weekend but today it felt so much worse. I took the afternoon off and have spent the whole day in bed. I feel frustrated because I don't know why I am feeling like this. And I especially feel guilty for not being able to do my work.
Being a junior at my job, I've been struggling consistently with getting work done. But I've been getting better as I learn, so as long as I'm making progress it's fine. But recently it's been more an issue of motivation and focus. And when I start falling behind i just feel even more worse.

Anyway I wanted to ask when should I decide to go see a doctor, or if there are any other options for me. I was thinking if giving it another week or so to see if I bounce back.

In the past few years there have been several times I seriously considered seeking professional help. I guess I'm not really that surprised I'm feeling this way right now. But I never made the decision in the end. Somehow I managed to carry on, even if i was having the occasional breakdown.

But now that I have a full time job, I realize I can't keep functioning like this.

There's not a lot of people in my life right now I can reach out to. I've just moved to a new town too. I've also always struggled opening up to others about these kinds if things.

So then, how long should I wait and try to get through everything before I should decide to go see a GP or therapist? And should my first point of contact be a GP?

Sorry I'm really not sure why I'm asking any of this, I'm sure there's heaps of resources answering my questions. What I really want to say is I've never told anyone in the past few years I've struggled with on and off depression. Just knowing someone will read this is the closest I've come to having my feelings understood. I'm writing this now because I'm scared I'm going to just carry on once again without addressing any of my problems. I know otherwise I will just keep everything to myself.

I don't know what any of this ended up being. Was mostly just a rant in the end. But I feel a little better getting it out like this. Thank you for listening.

[stancepunk]

Hi sleepy_eye!

I'm no professional but I would recommend talking to your GP about it as soon as you can, especially if it's lasted for days and significantly affecting your work. Don't be so hard on yourself about not being able to do your work, your health comes first

I'm sorry to hear that you don't have a lot of folks you can reach out to. I'm the same as well and I found that even just sharing here helps.

Hoping you feel better soon

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi sleepy_eye,

Welcome to the forums and thank you for joining us. No silly questions here, and honestly I think the info out there can be a little daunting sometimes so you're always welcome to share what's on your mind.

I completely agree with stancepunk in that your first step can be your GP. You never have to hit a certain amount of 'I feel like crap' to get in touch with them, or to look at seeing a psychologist. Your GP can organise a MHCP (Mental Health Care Plan), which allows you to see a psychologist for free (if they bulk-bill) or with a gap.

Other options can be seeing a psychologist directly (but with no Medicare rebate), talking to a counsellor (see links below) or even looking to see if your workplace has an EAP program (Employee Assistance Program) which is a couple of sessions of free counselling covered by your employer.

Here's a couple of links to have a read, but please feel free to ask any questions. You're also completely allowed to rant if that feels helpful too.

rt

https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-12-04/choosing-a-mental-health-professional/9189026

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/treatments-health-professionals-and-therapie...