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FifthLeg Psychologist Resignation
  • replies: 12

I’ve been seeing my psychologist for about 3 years. Last week someone from his admin called me and said that my psych had resigned effective that same day. She said that she could make an appointment for me with one of their other psych’s. I explaine... View more

I’ve been seeing my psychologist for about 3 years. Last week someone from his admin called me and said that my psych had resigned effective that same day. She said that she could make an appointment for me with one of their other psych’s. I explained that I would not be comfortable with another psych and would prefer to follow my psych to wherever he was going to practice next… Admin said they can’t disclose that information or tell me my psych’s movements after his resignation… I asked if I could fit one more session in before my psych left and she said no because he was leaving that day… I hung up! She called back and said the only thing she could do is close my file, and for me to ask my doctor to keep an eye out for my psych on a list doctors are provided with… I am so confused because I am worried about what would make him resign like that at the last minute? It must have been something big or terrible… I feel like I didn’t get to say goodbye, or thanks or have any closure… I want to be able to tell him that no matter what happened to make him quit at the last minute like that – he was a good psych, & helped me a lot. … I feel a big sense of loss, even grief… How can businesses think it’s appropriate to not allow continuity of care by allowing me to follow my psych wherever he goes? How can I get closure or make sense of this?

s64aqua Leaving SSRIs Behind
  • replies: 6

Hi i really don't expect any response to this but after 15 years I realised antidepressants were not helping me. I needed to access my old self and was confident that he would be strong enough and wise enough. I still think he is but..... i began red... View more

Hi i really don't expect any response to this but after 15 years I realised antidepressants were not helping me. I needed to access my old self and was confident that he would be strong enough and wise enough. I still think he is but..... i began reducing my dose from a plus 25% prescribed overdose back in April. Was being very careful. Each step down seemed to have me feeling better. Clarity was fantastic and building hope. 3 weeks ago I went cold turkey from a dosage 1/5 of where I was in April. This has been hellish. Lucky I lost my job in September because I would have surely either lost it under adverse circumstances since. My symptoms are numerous. I am so angry I ever agreed to take antidepressants and scared, so very very frightened. Stopping taking the drug has left me totally useless something I can only mitigate by staying busy, walk the dog, sweep the floor, cook a meal too big for one then not eat it at all. Even if nobody reads this I don't care, feels a bit better to have described this. So thanks for a place to write it down.

Teaandpugsleys Psychologist wants me to see a psychiatrist...
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone I’d greatly appreciate some opinions on my current treatment situation. I recently started therapy with a new psychologist after two and a half years of weekly/fortnightly treatment (and a very traumatic therapist-initiated termination) ... View more

Hey everyone I’d greatly appreciate some opinions on my current treatment situation. I recently started therapy with a new psychologist after two and a half years of weekly/fortnightly treatment (and a very traumatic therapist-initiated termination) In my third session last week, my guard slipped and I could feel my vulnerable self emerging, which I’d been numbing a lot recently. Only this emergence happened without warning and in response, I had a dissociative episode. I knew where I was, but felt so paralysed with fear I didn’t feel I could be an active participant in my surroundings. I can hear what people say to me in this state but I can’t speak back or connect. It’s very distressing and I don’t feel my conscious mind has any control over the situation. It happens in intense waves and feels like falling down a vortex in your head. My concern was my new psychologist’s reaction. She threw around the word “psychosis” and wants me to be assessed by a psychiatrist. This really concerns me. I really want to keep moving forward, and I feel like going to see a psychiatrist is nosediving me back ten years, putting myself into a position of being pathologized, trapped in a treatment pigeonhole as being much sicker than I feel I am being coerced into taking medication I don’t want. I can see the scenario playing out already. - Psychologist wants me to see a psychiatrist. - I don’t want to but go in order to accommodate her and out of fear she won’t feel able to treat me otherwise. - Psychiatrist listens patiently, then writes a script. - I do my past meds spiel saying its not beneficial and I don’t feel comfortable with it. - He tries to assure me this new medication doesn’t have side effects. - I reluctantly go with it as he smiles, pats me on the head and gives me my script. - I take the medication once or twice and experience at least one if not all of the following: inability to concentrate/hold a conversation/write with a pen/feel any emotion whatsoever/use my brain in any way/physical symptoms - I go off the medication and prove the point I was trying to communicate that psychiatrist involvement isn’t a good idea. I can’t tell you guys how many times this has happened I want my new psychologist to feel comfortable treating me, but I really don’t want to go through this situation again. What can I do? If you were in this position, what would you do?

MarkBt Sense of loss after last session with psychologist
  • replies: 7

I had my last session with my psychologist on Friday as she is taking extended leave. I was feeling ready for a break, I had been going almost weekly for the best part of this year. Coming into the session I knew there would be change and I was feeli... View more

I had my last session with my psychologist on Friday as she is taking extended leave. I was feeling ready for a break, I had been going almost weekly for the best part of this year. Coming into the session I knew there would be change and I was feeling ready, slightly sad it was ending for now. After the session I caught the bus to work, on the way a song came on the radio that I hadn't heard for more than 15 years but I immediately connected with it and became very emotional - quite sad. At work, several long term colleagues were leaving that day for jobs overseas. One of them I was relatively close to. More emotion, but it was my relationship with the psychologist that I felt an overwhelming sense of loss for. I have been to several psychologists before, the last one over 10 years ago and for a longer period but I didn't feel this way when it ended. This time I feel a very deep sense of loss that I am struggling to come to terms with. I don't have any romantic feelings toward her or anything like that but I guess I hadn't realised how much I had opened up or that we had connected. The reaction has completely blindsided me. I didn't even feel this coming until the day of the last session. It is like losing a best friend to a far away place, the support and understanding that you are used to is suddenly no longer. As a result now I feel a bit fragile. I'm not sure how normal this is and I guess I feel a bit lost with it all. Perhaps I wasn't ready for a break, while I know it will pass I feel very lost with it all. Have others found this?

Lostflutterby Unsure about where to go next.
  • replies: 2

Whilst this doesn't specifically relate to mental health issues it is an issue that's affecting our mental health overall. My partner has chronic back pain. we have seen about 10 doctors in the last 2 years, all of which just say it's arthritis and t... View more

Whilst this doesn't specifically relate to mental health issues it is an issue that's affecting our mental health overall. My partner has chronic back pain. we have seen about 10 doctors in the last 2 years, all of which just say it's arthritis and tell him to walk or swim to fix it. His most recent doctor has given him a heap of pills that mostly just make him drowsy but also unable to sleep. He is irritable and it's not helping either of us with our depression. we have requested scans and his gp said no as the radiation is too harmful. this is what our local medical services are like. we will be trying an osteopath this week but it's becoming out of desperation. we don't know what to do. we have a 3.5 year old and one on the way. would really like to be able to do normal things like run around with our daughter at the park or have jobs so that we can have enough money to live. but this pain is getting in the way. or maybe one day, have an income to buy a house or a new car. I don't know what sort of specialists we can see or where to go from here. I'm sorry to post such a long thing. it's impacting us quite badly.

anita24 Am i with the right pyschologist? How is it meant to be ?
  • replies: 5

So i am on a care plan of 10 free sessions, the pyschologist i goto seems smart and seems to know what he is talking about. He doesn't show that he cares but explains parts of the brain and activities to do at home. The experience feels like i walk i... View more

So i am on a care plan of 10 free sessions, the pyschologist i goto seems smart and seems to know what he is talking about. He doesn't show that he cares but explains parts of the brain and activities to do at home. The experience feels like i walk im expecting to be quiet and then next minute im blurting out everything and theres never enough time to say what i need to say, it feels like a interview. Everything i say he has a question for then at the end gives me tasks to do. But.. Last session i went to the client before me took 15 minutes over, so there for mine was cut short of 45 minutes. I was a mess crying non stop talking non stop and suffering badly and he had enough time to give me advice and activity to do at home. But now the fact that my session was cut short is bugging me. Is this okay and does this happen? and how are clinical pyschologists meant to act? as this is the first clinical pyschologist i have been to. Thanks everyone

LePip Medicaiton Sads & Creative Loss
  • replies: 7

Hello, I've been reading up on medication withdrawals and although my symptoms sound fine and dandy (read "normal") I'm feeling very abnormal. I've been on an antidepressant for 1-2years now and have started to come off them. I've been lowering my do... View more

Hello, I've been reading up on medication withdrawals and although my symptoms sound fine and dandy (read "normal") I'm feeling very abnormal. I've been on an antidepressant for 1-2years now and have started to come off them. I've been lowering my dosage for over a month now. But have in the last week gone to zero and now I'm feeling all of the yucks. I'm experiencing side effects of dizziness, feeling like I'm floating, heavy limbs, fatigue, nausea, lack of concentration, general downsome feels. But my main issue is I am lacking all motivation and desire to create! I am worried that the medicaiton has really messed my brain - before taking I used art as my therapy & hobby but I feel I've lost it. Do any fellow creatives have a positive story of triumph for me to find hope in?! Does it eventually come back? Should I keep forcing myself to art and eventually it will feel real again? I'm trying other meditative practices like yoga and I do walk regularly but still feel flat. I certainly do not want to return to taking meds as although it makes me feel less terrible about living it actually makes me feel nothing at all. Any advice/conversation would be greatly appreciated as I'm finding it very difficult to chat about this with my family and partner at the moment. Pip

Torb Depression and low testosterone
  • replies: 7

Hi everybody, Just joined after reading other peoples posts and seeing all the support and suggestions people are happy to give in this forum. My story is that I have been treated by doctors and psychiatrists for a number of years now and things go u... View more

Hi everybody, Just joined after reading other peoples posts and seeing all the support and suggestions people are happy to give in this forum. My story is that I have been treated by doctors and psychiatrists for a number of years now and things go up and down. To complicate things I also have low testosterone levels which gives me the same symptoms as depression being low energy and general lack of interest in life and wanting to be left alone. What has complicated things over the last two years is moving from Adelaide to Brisbane and losing contact with my GP. Coming up here I had to start again and it turned out to be allot harder to get the medication and testosterone injections approved. Anyway, after about a year of going from specialist to specialist I'm now back on the testosterone replacement program again so hopefully soon my levels will go up to more normal levels again but it takes time. My psychiatrist first gave me one type of medication for depression but that didn't work so now I'm onto a different type but things are not going well even after almost a year. It is very up and down. Don't know what to do. Try a third medication? Try a psychologist? I'm still confused about whether it is the low testosterone or depression that is causing me to feel like this. Anybody out there with a similar story that could provide some feedback?

DN129 How do you go about finding a good psychologist?
  • replies: 5

Look for the small 'one shop' people? Part of a big psychology centre with several practicing co-workers? Google reviews? I know you get a certain amount of visits heavily discounted by the Government. I believe the number is 6 per year? After that i... View more

Look for the small 'one shop' people? Part of a big psychology centre with several practicing co-workers? Google reviews? I know you get a certain amount of visits heavily discounted by the Government. I believe the number is 6 per year? After that it starts to get very expensive. I tried a psychologist to limited success, I would like to have another go and truthfully despite the fact I have nothing against the previous shrink maybe a bit of change would be helpful.

Lost_Girl Opiate withdrawal and stopping ADs
  • replies: 24

Hi, I have been on opiate medication for chronic tension headache for over a year and have just weaned off them. I am in week 2 of withdrawal. I am stopping the pain meds because my specialist believes the underlying root cause of my headache has bee... View more

Hi, I have been on opiate medication for chronic tension headache for over a year and have just weaned off them. I am in week 2 of withdrawal. I am stopping the pain meds because my specialist believes the underlying root cause of my headache has been addressed and any residual pain is likely to be chronic daily headache caused by the opiates. I was taking a low dose of ADs to manage my moods prior to stopping the opiates. As part of my withdrawal I am experiencing severe vomitting etc and have not been able to sustain taking the ADs. In addition I have had a severe chest infection that I am only just starting to get over. I have been having to go to my GP to get injections to stop the vomitting just so I can stomach the antibiotics. My body is in a lot of pain with no relief other than sleep. In addition to the headache I also have back pain, chest pain from coughing and being sick, my stomach is constantly cramped and I have restless limb syndrome in my arms (all withdrawal symptoms). What I am hoping for help with is ideas on how to improve my mood. I think I know all the answers having been on the forum for some time but I just need some guidance. Due to my physical limitations a number of options like getting out for a walk and even what I can eat (or keep down) are not viable right now. However, I am crying all the time again and most days I just don't want to wake up. Please hit me with suggestions. I feel like I am losing hope again.