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myvroses How to cope with switching counsellors?
  • replies: 3

I finally began seeing a psychologist last year after years of anxiety, self-loathing and denial. She was the first person I opened up to about my mental health. I felt safe and comfortable with her and I began to feel better with the help of medicat... View more

I finally began seeing a psychologist last year after years of anxiety, self-loathing and denial. She was the first person I opened up to about my mental health. I felt safe and comfortable with her and I began to feel better with the help of medication and just generally trying to change my perspective on things that upset me. Unfortunately, she had to leave the clinic because of obligations to her hospital job. She highly recommended another counsellor to continue therapy. I thought I could do it, but I was apprehensive at the thought of having to open myself up to another person who might not be as understanding as her. It's been about a month since my last session and I feel myself slipping back to my old ways and it worries me. I know I should go back to my GP and get a new referral. It doesn't help that my mother wants me to stop therapy altogether and wants me to get off the medication, which I've resorted to taking in secret. I want to change. I just don't know how to deal with the change.

lucy657 SNRI dosage halved. Struggling with depression and anxiety.
  • replies: 5

My partner was on max dose of SNRI med, he has taken this med for over 8 years. There are several side effects that were becoming increasingly difficult to live with (body temp, always sweating, sleep disturbance and libido issues) So he went to GP a... View more

My partner was on max dose of SNRI med, he has taken this med for over 8 years. There are several side effects that were becoming increasingly difficult to live with (body temp, always sweating, sleep disturbance and libido issues) So he went to GP and they halved the dose. We have since found out that this GP has never read his file, or history. His employer has been great, and supported him through several hospital admissions in the past, and sick leave etc. They have sent him to a psychiatrist for a 'fit for work' review, the report has since been sent to his (useless) GP. The psychiatrist hinted at a full review, looking towards a medication change. My partner has a GP appointment tomorrow, and will ask for a referral to a psychiatrist for this review. My concern is that his anxiety has streadily increased over the paat few weeks, he is more stressed and depressed than ever... he has attempted suicide previously and I feel that his immediate mental health is not safe. Is there something that the GP could prescribe to help out in between now and the psychiatrist appointment? Should he go back up to the original (max) dose of the SNRI? Unfortunately I'm away for the weekend so not able to go with him today. Thanks x beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636.

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.

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