Support
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 conversation

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
Categories
Start a conversation

All discussions

Start a conversation

damnit medical psychiatry
  • replies: 1

Hi I was just wanting to ask if anybody has had the same issues as me when it comes to the medical side of psychiatry. To start off ill tell you a bit about myself. I was badly injured 10 years ago and have been unable to find work since. I suffer fr... View more

Hi I was just wanting to ask if anybody has had the same issues as me when it comes to the medical side of psychiatry. To start off ill tell you a bit about myself. I was badly injured 10 years ago and have been unable to find work since. I suffer from multiple health problems including chronic pain along with damage to multiple organs that restrict my life. I have had 6 operations in the last 18 months and there are more planned. About 4 years ago I was diagnosed with depression by my GP. I was tried on a couple of different medications without success so I was sent to see a shrink. I was tried on a multitude of medications (Approx 20) and every time they didn't work my "Diagnosis" was changed. After around 18 months to 2 years and having been on a couple of trials, one being for TMS and the other for a randomly assigned drug I was dumped by my shrink and kicked off the drug trial. I had a meeting with a very prominent Psychiatrist who was involved in the trials who told me the reason I couldn't find work was because "I didn't try" I had worked my backside off to finish my advanced diploma and I couldn't believe what I had heard. I had been told that the reason I had dizzy spells and was always tired was due to depression. This diagnosis was later changed to vertigo due to nerve damage in my ears due to childhood infections and sleep apnoea which was not helped by the 40kg's I put on taking antidepressants. I was not tested for these things despite a family history and they wanted me to have ECT. After being told for years that I had a chemical imbalance in my brain I had a look into the science behind this claim on the advice of a neurologist and was shocked to find that this theory has never been shown to exist. I cant believe I was sucked in like this. I was also appalled to find that my psychiatrist has been on the payroll of three different drug companies and didn't disclose it to me. I am not suggesting that depression and anxiety aren't real, I live with them every day but as far as I can see the medical side of things is wrong. The reason I feel like I do is because I have no prospect of ever getting work, I am in constant pain and I am isolated from the real world by my health. I have been trying to get proof that I had an illness from my psychiatrist and have now had to go to the ombudsman to gain access to my records. I cant be the only one that has dealt with this

nomad463 Antidepressant withdrawal
  • replies: 4

I have a massive history with drug and alcohol abuse just to complicate things abit. But basically I have been on some form of antidepressant for the last 10 years. Mainly ssri's and snri's.I am 6 months clean again off drugs and alcohol and stopped ... View more

I have a massive history with drug and alcohol abuse just to complicate things abit. But basically I have been on some form of antidepressant for the last 10 years. Mainly ssri's and snri's.I am 6 months clean again off drugs and alcohol and stopped an antipsychotic like a month ago. But more recently I stopped an ssri about 5 days ago. What I'm mainly concerned with is the fact my head hurts. I'm feeling stressed out and almost violent at times. Of course I'm getting other withdrawal affects. But being agitated and aggressive and my head hurting when trying to function and think. Well these things are worrying me the most.Has anyone else had this after stopping antidepressants?? How long did it last? Did it get better or was it permanent???Also were there any good supplements that helped??sorry for the messy post but head is hurting trying to put these words together properly.

Beltane Financial tips re cost of treatments: please add your ideas!
  • replies: 1

Hey all, a common theme/ topic i se on these forums a lot is money issues relating to costs of treatments, therapies, etc. I've seen a few individual posts where people are sharing their ideas regarding ways they've found to deal with the cost etc, b... View more

Hey all, a common theme/ topic i se on these forums a lot is money issues relating to costs of treatments, therapies, etc. I've seen a few individual posts where people are sharing their ideas regarding ways they've found to deal with the cost etc, but i thought i'd start a thread where we can all post our ideas in here so that people can come here and see ideas. So please, if you have found a cheap/ free/ affordable service or have an idea you think will help others financially, add your ideas. Here are some of mine. Private Health Extras Insurance: Much cheaper than Hospital cover, you can get an Extra's policy alone without Hospital cover. For example, mine costs me $20 a fortnight but i can claim doctor-prescribed medications (so my meds are cheaper), psychology sessions (up to $550 a year), plus lots of other stuff like dental, optical, natural therapies, physio etc. Its really really helped me pay for my psychology sessions when my Medicare funded visits run out (you only get 10 per year). Free Online CBT Course: MindSpot Clinic runs a free 10 week online CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) course. it is free, paid for by Medicare. go to their website for more information. Shop around for a psychologist: if you live in the city, you may find that a psychologist even a few suburbs out might be a lot cheaper than a psychologist who has an office in the inner city/ inner suburbs. Remember, the room they work out of would cost a lot more to rent in the city, so if you're finding your psychologist is crazy expensive, try ringing around psychologists a bit further out of the city- in the outer suburbs for example. The cheaper rent for the room might equal cheaper sessions for you. Obviously you need to factor in the cost of you driving there/ public transport etc, but i've found significant savings by going to a different psychologist further out. Alright, anyone else have any ideas they'd like to share? Cheap/ free/ affordable services you've found, things you've discovered, handy hints etc?

Help_for_my_husband Natural health fanatic who is concerned about side effects of antidepressants
  • replies: 1

My husband has been suffering from depression for 2 years. It has become quite severe and is putting enormous pressure on our marriage and young family. He has been very reluctant to address his depression. He has seen a psychologist on a few occassi... View more

My husband has been suffering from depression for 2 years. It has become quite severe and is putting enormous pressure on our marriage and young family. He has been very reluctant to address his depression. He has seen a psychologist on a few occassions but it's difficult for him to get there, and it doesn't seem to be helping. Whilst I'm a big believer in using psychology to help with depression, in my husbands case I think he needs something more. He's also recently started taking St Johns Wort and B vitamins, but he rarely remembers to take them. I've asked him to eat a handful of cashews a day (equivalent to antidepressants apparently), but they don't get eaten. We live a very natural lifestyle, in terms of diet and healthcare and get plenty of exercise. We always seek out natural remedies and use medication as an absolute last resort. But my husband's depression has reached the point where I think this might be a neccessity, for the sake of his wellbeing and our family. I'm at a loss as to what to do to help him, and he feels very strongly about taking antidepressants, but his depression is tearing us apart. He's concerned about the side effects and long term impact antidepressants may cause, even if he only needs them for 6-12 mo. He said he will take them if I thoroughly research them and feel comfortable that they're safe. Has anyone else researched these medications from the perspective of someone who leads a natural lifestyle? I know our GP will be able to provide advice, but they will be looking at it from a different perspective than we would. Hoping someone here has some advice or insight to share. I just want my husband to get back to feeling himself again, for my daughter to meet her Daddy for who he truly is, and for our little family to be happy.

YF91 Panic Disorder - need advice on treatment
  • replies: 1

Hello forum-people... I am 20 years old, and I have just come to terms with the fact that I suffer from panic disorder. I have had anxiety for most of my life, and have always been extremely sensitive. I have always felt underlying self-doubt, and su... View more

Hello forum-people... I am 20 years old, and I have just come to terms with the fact that I suffer from panic disorder. I have had anxiety for most of my life, and have always been extremely sensitive. I have always felt underlying self-doubt, and suffered from depression, since I was a young child. Lately, these tendencies of mine have manifested themselves into acute and severe panic attacks, which occur almost daily. I have always had physical health problems (Asthma, and more recently stomach problems), and these all seem to tie into my panic attacks. I will be driving along a highway and feel my stomach cramp - and then my world crumbles. I believe that I am going to faint, or die, I freeze up, become nauseous - those of you who suffer panic attacks will know the drill from there. Derealization, difficulty breathing. I also panic for no reason at work, in class, and send myself into a state over the mere possibility of ANYTHING going wrong. I push through - I finish work. I drive all the way to my destination. But it is hell. Every day is very, very hard to get through. I used to think my physical problems CAUSED my panic attacks, and figured I should treat them first. Then I realised - it is not healthy for ANYBODY to experience a panic attack every time their physical maladies play up (and also, often for no reason whatsoever). So I have opted to treat the panic attacks first, and see if my overall coping-at-life skills improve. I want to know - what treatments have you tried for panic disorder/anxiety? Did they work? All the doctors I speak to say I should try medication. I just wanted some stories/other experiences to go off before I jump the gun, as I've always been wary of medication. Thanks

MichaelB Medication and sexual drive
  • replies: 2

Hello I have been taking medication for anxiety/depression for about 2/3 years now, im at 80% of the max dose per day at the moment. My brain doctor person that reads your brain told me that she wants me to go to the max dose, but i am scared because... View more

Hello I have been taking medication for anxiety/depression for about 2/3 years now, im at 80% of the max dose per day at the moment. My brain doctor person that reads your brain told me that she wants me to go to the max dose, but i am scared because as it is i have lost all my abilitys to achieve orgasm. I can still "erect" but can not finish no matter what. This is really frustrating even though i am single and it shouldn't really matter, but im worried that it may do harm like by exploding them or somthing inside me if i up the dose even more, will i lose even more function down there? the medication does work, i have more ok days than bad days now, not by much, but they are winning. where as i used to have 100% bad days. So i do not want to stop taking them, but im just worried that maybe i wont be able to have a sex life ever again

MisterM Loss of libido plus other withdrawal symptoms of common antidepressant drug - anyone here suffer this?
  • replies: 16

Yesterday afternoon I saw a psychiatrist for the first time and he wrote me a script for a common anti depressant medication my GAD/Social anxiety and mild depression. Reluctantly and with great apprehension I went to the pharmacy and purchased this ... View more

Yesterday afternoon I saw a psychiatrist for the first time and he wrote me a script for a common anti depressant medication my GAD/Social anxiety and mild depression. Reluctantly and with great apprehension I went to the pharmacy and purchased this drug. My psychiatrist assured me this is a well tolerated drug and I shouldn't be concerned.However after reading an article on this drug I am worried, especially this claim: "discontinuation, particularly abruptly, may cause certain withdrawal symptoms such as "electric shock" sensations[39] (also known as "brain shivers" or "brain zaps"), dizziness, acute depressions and irritability, as well as heightened senses of akathisia." Electric shock symptoms what the?I have also read last night on many mental health forums online where many people posted to say they have no libido whilst on this particular anti depressant as well as delayed orgasm, no orgasm, and painful erections which causes relationship issues.What alarmed me was many people posting online claiming to never have gotten their libido back after a long period after withdrawing from the drug.I get the idea that this appears to be a permanent irreversible outcome from using this drug.I spoke to my pharmacist this morning and she assured me that the libido thing is very rare at about 5% of users having those issues but not being irreversible, and that this is a common drug they supply to patients without anyone raising issues.I will need to call my psychiatrist today to ask him these questions.I was meant to take my first ever dose this morning but will hold for now.Unfortunately I cannot return the medication and get a refund, should have thought about it more, but then again I need to sneak the medication into my room as I am hiding this from my parents and yesterday was my chance to do so as they were out of the house.Has anyone here had these libido and electric shock sensation side effects that I mentioned above? And also what if any other side effects?Guys, any of you have erectile dysfunction or loss of sensation downstairs?

MisterM Free psychology therapy
  • replies: 3

Hi all, A BB phone counselor gave me an option to see a free psychology service at a local university. It is provided by supervised masters grad students. Anyone here use this kind of therapy provided by students under supervision? If so how did you ... View more

Hi all, A BB phone counselor gave me an option to see a free psychology service at a local university. It is provided by supervised masters grad students. Anyone here use this kind of therapy provided by students under supervision? If so how did you find it? As I cannot afford to pay for therapy I got no choice but to go to a psychologist that is free.

Jazzy27 Dr recommended meds. Should I do it?
  • replies: 31

Hi there I'm new to this website and have joined as I have recently come to realise my anxiety is something I need to sort out. After discussions with my GP (who has known me since I was 13, I'm now in my mid twenties) he has recommended I take a com... View more

Hi there I'm new to this website and have joined as I have recently come to realise my anxiety is something I need to sort out. After discussions with my GP (who has known me since I was 13, I'm now in my mid twenties) he has recommended I take a common type of SSRI. After describing my symptoms such as, hair loss, grinding teeth, incredibly high stress levels, trouble sleeping and waking up several times a night to go to the bathroom, he had no hesitation in suggesting this. I think depression is playing a part also, I really lack motivation, struggle with self esteem, confidence and am very indecisive. I have my ups and downs, sometimes I feel great and sometimes I get down will spend an entire day doing nothing. After all that background, my question is, should I start the medication? I told my doctor I would like to try healthy eating and exercise first but after weeks nothing has changed. I eat to feel better, the more I eat the more weight I put on and the more weight I put on the more unhappy I feel. It's a vicious cycle and I wonder, will the SSRI help with my motivation and make me led a healthier, happier life? Do I need it? Not surprisingly I am very anxious about starting it.

corbeau Not sure psychologist is going in the right direction with me
  • replies: 9

Hi all. A couple of weeks ago I had my first ever appointment with a psychiatrist. I went to him wanting help with controlling my moods. Based on my answers to his questions, and information I had volunteered myself, he said I have borderline persona... View more

Hi all. A couple of weeks ago I had my first ever appointment with a psychiatrist. I went to him wanting help with controlling my moods. Based on my answers to his questions, and information I had volunteered myself, he said I have borderline personality disorder, but a mild form of it. He also said I have social anxiety and mild depression, and he prescribed me some anti-depressants. He also referred me to a psychologist in his clinic to go to appointments with. I had my first appointment with the psychologist last week, and I don't know if he is taking on-board what the psych doctor said and what I want help with. He is focusing on me having anxiety, and wanting to treat that first. Whereas I don't think I have a huge issue with anxiety. He said I am not clinically depressed, which I already knew, but it is a milder depression that is pretty much always there. After him not mentioning any therapy at all for the borderline personality issues during the hour-long appointment, I asked just before I left if we would start something for that soon. He said he is not convinced I have bpd and that he wants to make his own decision on that, and that you can't do that in one session. So here lies my confusion. A psych doctor, one that is in the same office as him, believes I have mild bpd. Mood swings and bursts of furious anger are a major reason I have sought out psychological help. Yet this psychologist that I need to have weekly appointments with might not even help me deal with those issues because he's not convinced I have it. Getting help with my social anxiety and self esteem issues would be marvellous, and that is what he is focusing on first. But social anxiety doesn't affect my life in the way that my constant mood swings and taking out my anger (over nothing or something tiny) on my partner does. If this psychologist is going to continue treating me for anxiety that I don't believe is a huge problem, do you think I should try find someone else? Is it normal for a psychologist to disregard what a psychiatrist has found in their appointment? Thanks in advance.

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map