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Moonstruck When is it time to change GPs.? How do you go about it?
  • replies: 13

More than once, forum members have mentioned perhaps changing GPs who doesn't seem to "get" the seriousness of my anxiety which can spiral into panic attacks, paranoid thoughts about neighbours, obsessive thinking, depression. She has been with me si... View more

More than once, forum members have mentioned perhaps changing GPs who doesn't seem to "get" the seriousness of my anxiety which can spiral into panic attacks, paranoid thoughts about neighbours, obsessive thinking, depression. She has been with me since Day One of my near death medical experience years ago - surgery, referrals, blood tests, ultra sounds, all the physical aspects to keep me alive, liaison with specialists at Royal Brisbane etc. She has all that info at her fingertips and is very good at maintaining vigilance over my physical condition. I did manage to get 5 or 6 free referrals to a psych which have now run out. The psych said I still needed more and she would recommend to GP that I continue. That was a couple of months ago but nothing has happened. Since last time the psych saw me, several traumas have happened to me and I have gone downhill badly - trying to cope with the aftermath. I am not on meds - GP advises against them. I feel I desperately need to talk to, even cry for the whole hour all the tension, stress, fear, sadness and despair out of me but have no-one to do it with, or in the care of. I have run BB helpline a couple of times which is a release of tension for those moments, but I can't do that every day and talk for hours! I told my GP a couple of days ago about a dreadful computer hacking experience I had - lost a lot of money - they took control of my computer, my life, my privacy. I feel threatened, unsafe, at risk, not sure what other authorities I should report them to, very confused, became very tempted to have a drink. (I can't drink due to health, it will kill me).....and feel I am about to fall into a million pieces on the floor! If I go to another GP when do I start telling my story? How far back do I go? Will she need to know EVERYTHING about my medical experiences? All the preceding medical history? What about my medical records? Or do I just start from Day One, where I am NOW, and I am feeling NOW and how I need to talk to a professional counselllor/psych NOW. What is the correct procedure? Should I tell my current GP I am looking elsewhere, out of courtesy, or is it a free world and I can do this if I wish?

JAYNE1966 newby
  • replies: 1

Hi AllI'm new here just thought I'd ask the question when changing meds that were only taken for 6 weeks back to another Med, I know its only been a few days so I need to wait for it to kick in however my problem is that I feel there is something med... View more

Hi AllI'm new here just thought I'd ask the question when changing meds that were only taken for 6 weeks back to another Med, I know its only been a few days so I need to wait for it to kick in however my problem is that I feel there is something medically wrong with me and the GP just puts it down to the onset of menopause and anxiety I have had scans and Colonoscopy up and down, nothing just had ultra sound on my neck as my glands pulsate a lot but nothing found as yet, I'm not sleeping shaking and the only Comfort I get is short term medication which I know is highly addictive. I work full time in customer service normally I'm happy loud and bubbly now I feel flat sour and just really want to lay down and make this feeling go away, I feel sick , nausea, sore joints and head aches that are horrible, I heat up from the chest to the neck through out the day and then take jacket off , chills put jacket back on , drives me nuts Ive spent so much money on doctors this last 4 months and Im still no better ??? any clues to what or where I should turn to next. Any help would be appreciated, am I over thinking too much ?

Busa Support Group Brisbane.
  • replies: 1

Hi my husband is struggling with depression and won't get help. As a result I'm struggling now. I have 2 kids and am barley hanging on here. 17 years ago i was married to a man with sever depression and he ended up killing himself. I really need to f... View more

Hi my husband is struggling with depression and won't get help. As a result I'm struggling now. I have 2 kids and am barley hanging on here. 17 years ago i was married to a man with sever depression and he ended up killing himself. I really need to find some kind of support group to keep myself sain here. Does anyone know how to find local support groups?

Megsi79 Should I have come off my medication? 
  • replies: 2

Hi im not really sure if this is the right place to be venting this but I have been on medication for nearly 2 years and for the past month I have been on half a tablet to slowly come off as I put on over 10 kilos on them and its really depressing me... View more

Hi im not really sure if this is the right place to be venting this but I have been on medication for nearly 2 years and for the past month I have been on half a tablet to slowly come off as I put on over 10 kilos on them and its really depressing me. Im a fulltime single parent working full time in aged care. I have been off my medication the past 3 days and I am questioning if im doing the right thing. I had a Miagraine sunday, cried all day yesterday and today I am light headed and dizzy. Can anyone else relate to this?

MissBubbles Question relating to; to medicate or not medicate?
  • replies: 3

Howdy, i have been seeing a physcologist in regards to my anxiety. I decided to go along due to my anxiety affecting my relationship with my two young children & my hubby. I am currently trying controlled breath & muscle relaxation. But i dont feel a... View more

Howdy, i have been seeing a physcologist in regards to my anxiety. I decided to go along due to my anxiety affecting my relationship with my two young children & my hubby. I am currently trying controlled breath & muscle relaxation. But i dont feel any better, if anything worse.. i would like to know if anyone has had any success managing their anxiety with medication? are there benefits? or are there negatives? is seeing a physcologist better?or are medications more effective??

Motheroftwo Depression meds
  • replies: 1

Hello I am currently being treated for anxiety, and have been on meds for about 6 weeks. I thought I was doing really well up til now, but now I am feeling rather flat and sad. I have used the same medication a few years ago, and it really worked, al... View more

Hello I am currently being treated for anxiety, and have been on meds for about 6 weeks. I thought I was doing really well up til now, but now I am feeling rather flat and sad. I have used the same medication a few years ago, and it really worked, along with CBT. My question is, has anyone experienced where a certain AD doesn't work as well the second time round. Is this possible, or am I just having a bad day? Thanks.

rghss Bipolar Misdiagnosis - What to do?
  • replies: 2

Hi guys, I'm just here to find some advice on what to do. I'm 22 and was diagnosed as Bipolar around 4 years ago. At the time, I was really just going through a rough transition into adulthood and had really bad anxiety and depression issues. Since t... View more

Hi guys, I'm just here to find some advice on what to do. I'm 22 and was diagnosed as Bipolar around 4 years ago. At the time, I was really just going through a rough transition into adulthood and had really bad anxiety and depression issues. Since then, I was put on 3 different medication regimes with none of them really working. Around 2 and a half years ago, I did a lot of therapy growing up, and went off my medication. Since then, I haven't experienced any manic/depressive episodes, nor have I had any anxiety attacks or issues. Honestly, I've really just been able to deal with things better and understand more about myself and have been making huge strides in my life and future. And that's what worries me these days - my future - mostly in regards to future employment in the career path I want that will possibly be out of my reach because of my diagnosis. My family, whom I live with, agree with me and don't think I was bipolar. We all think that I was just going through a really hard time in my life and just got really, really depressed and just went along with all the diagnosis that doctors put on me. So I was just wondering how I could go about finding out if I was really bipolar or misdiagnosed - do I go back to my original psychiatrist and discuss this with him? Or do I find another psychiatrist and explain my issue? I just don't want a diagnosis that doesn't apply to me follow me around because I was a silly 18 year old wanting to understand myself follow me around for the rest of my life. Your advice would be greatly appreciated!

Ziptag Advice needed on how to get help
  • replies: 9

I am trying to help my partner who is suffering from anxiety, severe stress and depression. He has previously resisted my attempts to convince him to seek professional help, for the following reasons, which I should say I don't find at all unreasonab... View more

I am trying to help my partner who is suffering from anxiety, severe stress and depression. He has previously resisted my attempts to convince him to seek professional help, for the following reasons, which I should say I don't find at all unreasonable but still disagree with: 1. He was prescribed antidepressants when he was younger and didn't like them, and feels like other professionals will prescribe anti-depressants as well rather than addressing underlying issues. 2. He feels like the things which make him upset do so because they are upsetting, and learning to not be upset by upsetting things is just pretending so he can be a good little drone. 3. He feels like I'm trying to foist his problems off onto someone else so I don't have to deal with them; this one he hasn't said in words but I think it's probably true based on other things he has said. So, I finally convinced him that he should see a professional on a short term basis to help deal with a very stressful work situation. But although he agreed to that he is very unlikely to take steps to follow through with it, so I would like to help find someone and do most of the legwork to get him an appointment. Now I have another problem. I'm not from Australia, I moved here 10 years ago but have not needed any mental health care in that time. I have done some reading and found that to get referred to a therapist you have to go first to a GP and get something called a mental health treatment plan. Given that I had to work hard to get my partner to come around to this AT ALL and that I only got him to come around to it to deal with a rather immediate, very stressful work situation, I have no illusions that he is going to go first to the GP and make a mental health plan and then to a therapist. Honestly, he won't go to anyone at all unless I make it very easy for him (like, tell him the time and place and send him out the door to his appointment). I think this is really, really important for him to do. So, to my questions: 1. If we skip the GP and pay out of pocket, forget Medicare, can I make an appointment with a therapist/counsellor/etc. without the GP referral and mental health plan? 2. How much will that likely cost, per session? 3. Am I being a super pushy jerk who should let their partner handle this and butt out? Please, anyone who has advice I would love to hear from you.

BM_11 Antidepressants & Memory/Slow Thinking?
  • replies: 3

I have been medication for close to 5 months now. Overall, it's levelling my mood and i'm not experiencing as many "lows" and irrational moods as i was previously, however i've found that it is really affecting:- the speed of my thought process,- my ... View more

I have been medication for close to 5 months now. Overall, it's levelling my mood and i'm not experiencing as many "lows" and irrational moods as i was previously, however i've found that it is really affecting:- the speed of my thought process,- my ability to think of the relevant words i want to use (I often take a longer time to say what i am thinking because i am fumbling for the word i want to use?),- short term memory loss in that I struggle to recall simple things that may have only occurred the day before or earlier that day,- my ability to remember things is terrible (I have had to have my PIN replaced 2 times due to "mind blank").I just feel like so much of the time i feel completely blank, with no thoughts at all. Like my brain is empty. It is the strangest feeling. Kind of like a zombie and that I have just completely tuned out and checked out? I absolutely hate it.. I am so concerned about this as it is affecting my work and life in general. I just want to be able to feel again...Has anyone else had a similar experience?

mikayuu68 Taking first big step into getting help
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, I first posted a few months back on how I was starting to become down and struggle with everything. My parents were telling me to book an appointment to see the school counsellor, and I received the same answer on here. I was incredibly ... View more

Hi everyone, I first posted a few months back on how I was starting to become down and struggle with everything. My parents were telling me to book an appointment to see the school counsellor, and I received the same answer on here. I was incredibly anxious about seeing her for the first time, even though I knew her as I had seen her before (but for other friend's problems). I hung off a couple more months, thinking it would all go away, but I'm getting worse. It came to the point where if I didn't go to her, my parents would have forced me to. I emailed her, and saw her the next day. I told her that I was struggling with tiredness, lack of concentration, overwhelming irritability and anger towards my younger sister (who is autistic), change in appetite to the point where the thought of eating food would make me feel sick during the day, and just struggling with day-to-day living. I saw her, and told her all this. She suggested that I go to the GP to have a blood test done, as she thought I was lacking in iron and vitamin B. Got the bloods back a week later showing I was not lacking in anything, so she sent me back to the doctor. Through talking with him and filling out a SAD (stress anxiety depression) quiz sheet, he's referred me onto a sleep specialist (to check for sleep apnea) and a psychologist. The waiting periods for these two things are huge, I booked a month in advance for the sleep specialist (who I will see at the end of this month), and have been mucked around with the mental health care system. My dad's work offers free mental health care for immediate family members, but after a few weeks trying to get into them and failing to do so, we've gone back to the doctor to draw up a mental health care plan. He's referred me to a nearby psychologist, who we rung up today and were told I would first be able to see her in at least 2-3 weeks time, as she's booked out completely until then. Sorry for spilling, but here's my concerns; I haven't told anyone just how much my anger has been affecting me (to the point I want to physically hurt my sister to stop her stimming and annoying me) and I am anxious about seeing this psychologist. I feel if I spill everything, I'm going to be referred into more mental health care or possibly something else. I've started failing school subjects, and since then have given up my dream career of being a vet. I have no clue what I want to do in life anymore. Thanks in advance, just needed to get that off my chest xx