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sparkvark How is talking to someone supposed to help?
  • replies: 17

I'm hoping someone here can help me understand how this is supposed to work, because I really don't get it. I'm probably doing it wrong and/or have unrealistic expectations. If I get to the point of trying to talk/write to a helpline of some sort abo... View more

I'm hoping someone here can help me understand how this is supposed to work, because I really don't get it. I'm probably doing it wrong and/or have unrealistic expectations. If I get to the point of trying to talk/write to a helpline of some sort about what's going on, it's because I'm having trouble dealing with some pretty intense feelings or thoughts. But the conversation hardly ever seems to be helpful with easing the feelings/thoughts and I more frequently end up feeling more isolated and upset. I don't find it helpful to discuss things that have tried and failed to help with the feelings. I certainly don't find it helpful to hear a suggestion to talk to someone else. I'm not in the right frame of mind to discuss ways to "be kind to myself." I'm never in the right frame of mind to hear $10 Book Sale and Yahoo Answers reconstituted quackary about being positive. Heaven forbid I mention one slightly positive thing, because out bursts Captain Good Times Sunshine and suddenly that's the only thing the other person is capable of talking about. But I don't know what would be helpful, so it leads me to think that nothing would in fact help and the only option is to just deal with it on my own. Am I missing something or is that it?

anita24 Different Pyschologists Diagnosing different disorders
  • replies: 2

Has anyone experienced this? I am so confused at the moment. I saw a new psychologist & he agreed with the main points of depression and anxiety but i was diagnosed with ptsd with one pyschologist but this new one is saying depression, anxiety and St... View more

Has anyone experienced this? I am so confused at the moment. I saw a new psychologist & he agreed with the main points of depression and anxiety but i was diagnosed with ptsd with one pyschologist but this new one is saying depression, anxiety and Stockholm syndrome. I asked what he thinks the panic attacks, easily startled etc is caused from and he said anxiety. With my new pyschologist his goal is to get me working and move out of home..... i know i wont be able to keep a job down nor afford to live out of home because i haven't studied anything. I can bearly take public transport by myself, i have panic attacks every time and always looking over my shoulder. I get startled easily. Hate public places... I just don't see his idea as realistic to me... because i've tried and tried for many years. I suppose i have only just started this so i should keep trying, but yeah i just thought id ask because my head feels a mess with all these confusing disorders i just want to know what i have for sure as i don't understand when pyschologists are telling me different things.

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.

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