Immediate support
Immediate support

Treatments, health professionals and therapies

Information on a range of different areas, including managing relationships with GPs and psychologists, and finding the right services for you.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

All discussions

Start a discussion

d7 Neurofeedback - Have you tried it?
  • replies: 2

Hi all, has anyone tried Neurofeedback for Anxiety? I've seen different results showing positive or placebo effects. I'm interested to try it but it's very expensive and so I want to find out as much as I can about it first (typical anxiety symptom r... View more

Hi all, has anyone tried Neurofeedback for Anxiety? I've seen different results showing positive or placebo effects. I'm interested to try it but it's very expensive and so I want to find out as much as I can about it first (typical anxiety symptom right ) thanks Dave

lobbymusic Time for medication - what has your experience been?
  • replies: 5

Working in the mental health field, I know all the tools - from CBT to exercise to eating well to mood boosting vitamins and so forth. Unfortunately, there comes a time when you have to admit you need more. I went through a traumatic period 1.5 years... View more

Working in the mental health field, I know all the tools - from CBT to exercise to eating well to mood boosting vitamins and so forth. Unfortunately, there comes a time when you have to admit you need more. I went through a traumatic period 1.5 years ago and haven't been able to crawl myself out of the it since. Lately, the depression/anxiety has gotten to the point where it can't be ignored. Sleeping all day, no motivation, a permanent sense of doom and sadness...the usual, I suppose. I've been putting off drug therapy - I guess despite everything, I held onto optimism that things would get better given time and effort. Not so. What have your experiences been on anti depressants? I recognise all that our experiences will be different but I guess I'm looking for a bit of a nudge organisation optimism that they will could work - not miraculously but something - no matter how little - to the positive. Thanks in advance

Raven88 First appointment with a psychologist
  • replies: 6

Hello everyone, hoping someone can help or even just talk in the hopes I can calm down, tommorow after years of putting off talking to someone about my anxiety, I am finally seeing a psychologist and I don't want to go, I am scared, no i'm terrified.... View more

Hello everyone, hoping someone can help or even just talk in the hopes I can calm down, tommorow after years of putting off talking to someone about my anxiety, I am finally seeing a psychologist and I don't want to go, I am scared, no i'm terrified. Every time I try to research what to say, what the first session will be like, wondering if that person is the right psych for me, will she diagnose me properly, will I say too much or will I say to little because I will be scared..well every time I try to do or think these things it's just making me worse, tried to sleep and couldn't coz I am too anxious, my heart is pounding a million miles!! I'm so terrified, I am freaking out, I am so worried I am going to have a panic attack soon and i'm surprised I haven't had one by now with all the things going on in my head. I am so lucky, because I have a wonderful group of supportive family and friends but I just can't stop stressing about this, and i'm also rambling, which is another thing I do but I don't know I was just hoping maybe someone will read this and would be able to help me out or even just listen. Thankyou beyond blue.

LaraW The struggles of seeing a psychologist...
  • replies: 3

Hey guys. I have a question about seeing psychologists, maybe you guys can help? So for a few years now, I've been struggling with low self esteem/low self confidence and anxiety issues related to childhood trauma, which has been causing me a lot of ... View more

Hey guys. I have a question about seeing psychologists, maybe you guys can help? So for a few years now, I've been struggling with low self esteem/low self confidence and anxiety issues related to childhood trauma, which has been causing me a lot of stress and resulted in unemployment too. Initially, I was seeing a counsellor at my uni for free, but I was struggling to implement any of the strategies they were giving me, and although it definitely helped to speak up about the issues I was facing, it didn't really feel like I was taking away much from my sessions nor taking practical steps to recovering from mental illness. So eventually, I left because I wasn't really making much progress at all. I went back to my GP to get a mental health care plan, where we discussed the options of medications and seeing a psychologist outside uni. I was really resistant and chose not to take medications (and i don't regret that decision). Anyway, one of my good friends was seeing a private clinical psychologist under a mental health care plan and she recommended them to me, so i got a referral and I've been seeing her ever since. It's been about a year now, and things are going pretty awesome, i feel valued, cared for and respected by my psychologist and i really do feel a bond with her, I've shared a lot of my struggles and she's always listened and been there and given me really helpful strategies to take really small steps to regaining my confidence, working through negative thought patterns and emotions, coping with trauma and managing daily life stresses. Overall its been a pretty awesome experience. But, she's also been consistently late for my sessions which is super frustrating sometimes, and other times my sessions will end really early and we won't use up the full 50 minutes. I've also noticed sometimes she'll just seem really bored, this sounds super lame, but i kinda feel like she's probably frustrated with me for not being able to recovery from my anxiety quickly, and at the moment it just kinda feels like we're going around in circles. Has anyone else faced similar problems when seeing a clinical psychologist? I know this probably doesn't sound like best practice, but i actually feel like i really bond with my psych and care about my sessions, so I'm hesitant to leave. Also, I have a quick question about mental health care plans. My psych told me my care plan expired and to get a new one before coming back, but i thought you could only get one a year?

CoffeeTime Depression onset possibly from contraception - anyone else?
  • replies: 1

Hi there, this is my first post and I'm a little nervous about this... so long story short I've been dealing with depression and anxiety over the past 2 years - it's been very up and down. Sometimes I'm great, but it never lasts too long. I was talki... View more

Hi there, this is my first post and I'm a little nervous about this... so long story short I've been dealing with depression and anxiety over the past 2 years - it's been very up and down. Sometimes I'm great, but it never lasts too long. I was talking to my partner about this last night, and he unexpectedly asked me if it can be a side-effect my my contraception, as he thinks everything started around the time I had that put in. I had never made the connection as to the possibility of this before, so I jumped online to have a look and there are countless women online who have had a similar experience. I have booked in to see my GP to have a chat about this, and I'm seriously going to consider getting it removed. So to get the point, my question is - has anyone else had their depression symptoms start after starting a hormonal birth control / symptoms worsened? I know realistically it's likely to be a combination of things, but it this turns out to be a major contributor, it would be great to discover! Thank you!

eckybecky How can I pay for help?
  • replies: 4

This is mainly aimed at nsw people. I have already used my Medicare rebate on my mental health plan, but I still need psychologist help. I am too unwell to work and my husband is a student so we have no money. I am desperate. I don't know how to pay ... View more

This is mainly aimed at nsw people. I have already used my Medicare rebate on my mental health plan, but I still need psychologist help. I am too unwell to work and my husband is a student so we have no money. I am desperate. I don't know how to pay for appointments. I need proper sessions not just a quick chat, which means it costs a lot more. Does anyone know any way around this? It's really upsetting me not having someone to help. Rhankyou for listening

Nellym PSYCHOLOGIST and MYSELF????
  • replies: 5

Hi, So I have been recently diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety from several traumas, in my past and also recently. I have been seeing a psychologist and had about 6 sessions so far. I really don't know if they are helping me and that is probably because... View more

Hi, So I have been recently diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety from several traumas, in my past and also recently. I have been seeing a psychologist and had about 6 sessions so far. I really don't know if they are helping me and that is probably because of myself. I find it very difficult to sit there and talk to someone about what I am going through. I think of all these things to say before hand, and when I get in there I seem to 'freeze' and cannot tell them everything. I sometimes come out feeling worse than when I went in. How do people know if their psychologist is the right fit for them? How do I get past the 'freezing' part and tell them everything I need to? Any help would be great.

BlackNBlue Mental Health Plan
  • replies: 22

A while ago I spoke to my GP about issues with depression. This was very hard to do. Have been seeing him for over 20 years now Mentioned about getting a Mental Health Plan. He said that they are a waste of time and don't do any good. I have left it ... View more

A while ago I spoke to my GP about issues with depression. This was very hard to do. Have been seeing him for over 20 years now Mentioned about getting a Mental Health Plan. He said that they are a waste of time and don't do any good. I have left it at that. What else can I try instead?

KMTE Positive results please...
  • replies: 3

Hi I'm a 28 yo mother of two and have recently been diagnosed with anxiety (mostly health anxiety) ocd I've had panic attacks and now I have depression. I've spent hours searching and reading other people's posts about treatments to find mixed mostly... View more

Hi I'm a 28 yo mother of two and have recently been diagnosed with anxiety (mostly health anxiety) ocd I've had panic attacks and now I have depression. I've spent hours searching and reading other people's posts about treatments to find mixed mostly not so good results. So please can people tell me there positive results with medication and anti depressants and how they overcome their issues? I'm meeting with the doctor tomorrow to start some medication and have my second app with health care nurse next week

b_l_u_e_b_e_l_l_ What is "trauma work" in therapy?
  • replies: 6

I saw myour psychiatrist today... for the first time in about 2 years. I've recently been seeing a psychologist and have had to resume medication for severe depression and anxiety. Psych Dr today asked if I have done "trauma work" with a therapist (I... View more

I saw myour psychiatrist today... for the first time in about 2 years. I've recently been seeing a psychologist and have had to resume medication for severe depression and anxiety. Psych Dr today asked if I have done "trauma work" with a therapist (I have a long history of trauma) .... and I said no. Why? I don't know. I'm terrified I suppose that once the lid is off I'll not be able to put it back on and I'll never be ableasier to even pretend I'm ok ever again. What would trauma work entail, in therapy sessions? Has anyone done it and been able to see the long term benefit of having done so? Many thanks in advance..