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BeeGee Feel crap - meds kicking in?
  • replies: 6

So I've recently been diagnosed with dysthymia, to my surprise - wasn't even aware that what I was experiencing was depression. I started on one SSRI but it turned my head to mush (which was unhelpful when preparing for exams!) and my GP switched me ... View more

So I've recently been diagnosed with dysthymia, to my surprise - wasn't even aware that what I was experiencing was depression. I started on one SSRI but it turned my head to mush (which was unhelpful when preparing for exams!) and my GP switched me to a different SSRI. I'm in my third week of this one now so I'm expecting to start feeling something over the next few weeks. What I actually feel today is depressed. I'm down. I have no energy. I can't concentrate. I don't care about anything. I want to crawl into a hole and disappear for the rest of the day - but of course that's not an option - I have to keep on keeping on, trying to pretend everything is OK and putting on my robot smile. I know people respond differently to their meds, and the onset is not necessarily representative of the long term outcome, but have others experienced this too? I hate that having taken steps to deal with my condition that I now feel worse than before. It sucks. I need a virtual hug.

Chloekat84 Anyone else have to wait soo long to see a psychiatrist???
  • replies: 6

Hey guys. Well im in a position where i have been told i cant have my first appointment to see my psychiatrist until the end of september! Apparently hes fully booked until then. I cant believe this. Maybe its because im going through the public syst... View more

Hey guys. Well im in a position where i have been told i cant have my first appointment to see my psychiatrist until the end of september! Apparently hes fully booked until then. I cant believe this. Maybe its because im going through the public system i don't know. Has anyone else gone through a similar situation? I don't have to wait as long for a psychologist which is really weird there seems to be a few of them round and they can come to u more. The psychiatrist im seeing is on the other side of town and i need to pay a $60 gap fee! This is ridiculous! Im worried i could go downhill or get worse while waiting to see the doc. Any input would be appreciated.

just_let_go Cancelled my psychologist sessions.
  • replies: 1

I've decided to stop seeing my phycologist. I'm not sure if it was the best decision but It just wasn't working for me. She was adamant in that I must talk about my past which I am not comfortable doing. She was quite insistent in finding out what ha... View more

I've decided to stop seeing my phycologist. I'm not sure if it was the best decision but It just wasn't working for me. She was adamant in that I must talk about my past which I am not comfortable doing. She was quite insistent in finding out what happened to cause the trauma that my Anxiety test revealed and I almost had a panic attack just thinking about it. It's something I've only told my mum about and that's as far as I ever want it to go. Surely I don't have to go into that extremely personal stuff just to get some general help with my anxiety and depression... I know she is just doing her job but I just can't do it. Feeling very depressed now. I had a really good week last week and almost let myself believe I was myself again but i really should have known better. I am going to sort out some medication tomorrow. So yeah that's my venting done for the day.

StrugglingStudent Help! Antidepressant Withdrawal and Changeover
  • replies: 2

Hello Beyond Blue community, I have my second appointment with my new psychiatrist tomorrow and i don't know what to do. I am 25 years old and have been on antidepressants (mainly SSRI's) since I was 15. They didn't seem to be doing much good but at ... View more

Hello Beyond Blue community, I have my second appointment with my new psychiatrist tomorrow and i don't know what to do. I am 25 years old and have been on antidepressants (mainly SSRI's) since I was 15. They didn't seem to be doing much good but at least i wasn't getting any horrible side effects from them (severe side effect from the one SNRI that i tried). 5 weeks ago i started seeing a psychiatrist who advised me to taper off my meds over the 4 weeks until my second appointment, and then he would start me on a new class of antidepressants (MAOI's). I voiced my concern about withdrawal symptoms because in the past if i forgot just one dose i got pretty sick. He said if it was a problem then just taper a bit slower. I wouldn't be able to contact him as he was going away on holidays. Well i have rarely been so sick in my life! I couldn't wean off as fast as he wanted me to so i postponed my appointment to give myself an extra week to wean. Still couldn't do it. Someone once compared coming off this antidepressant to trying to kick heroine and I believe them! A quick search on the internet revealed that this is VERY common. Why don't the doctors warn us? In fact it seems like they are completely clueless! How have other people tapered off their antidepressants? Is anyone else out there taking MAOI class meds? I've read some pretty bad press about them and am really scared about going on them. Somebody please, please help me. I feel like i'm losing the plot.

Pbo6167 Pricing is far out of my reach
  • replies: 10

I have been suffering with depression for some 5 years now.The other day i finally went and saw my GP i did a mental health assesment and she placed meds which are slowly starting to help. She would also like me do a mental assesment with a phscologi... View more

I have been suffering with depression for some 5 years now.The other day i finally went and saw my GP i did a mental health assesment and she placed meds which are slowly starting to help. She would also like me do a mental assesment with a phscologist i made some calls but the pricing is far out of my reach as i am on a carers pension for my wife who has MS.Iwould just like to know can you obtain any help to see these Proffessional as i really need to talk to some one independant of my family. Any help would be greatful.

jazzicaj I moved and settled on the other side of the world and i need help finding help
  • replies: 1

Long story short. Have struggled with depression since is was a teenager. Was diagnosed by family doctor in my mid twenties by GP, told him he didn't know what he was talking about and shouldn't throw the 'D' word around willy nilly like that though ... View more

Long story short. Have struggled with depression since is was a teenager. Was diagnosed by family doctor in my mid twenties by GP, told him he didn't know what he was talking about and shouldn't throw the 'D' word around willy nilly like that though deep down knew he was right but decided i was better and stronger than that. Now in my early thirties and realizing it's not a matter of being better or stronger……it's a matter of acknowledging and doing better (for yourself). Problem is i moved and settled on the other side of the world and i need help finding 'help'! I need to know who and where i can go to find help online like a councilor who does 'Skype' sessions?FYI: I moved to a tiny town in the north of Italy and no english speaking councilors here. And even if i can speak Italian now feels much better expressing yourself in your own language!

Emster96 Medication vs Alternate Treatment?
  • replies: 3

I was wondering what every body prefers in regards to their own personal treatment for Bipolar Disorder? I myself am medicated but find it fascinating how so many find they are able to lead high functioning lives with things like meditation and breat... View more

I was wondering what every body prefers in regards to their own personal treatment for Bipolar Disorder? I myself am medicated but find it fascinating how so many find they are able to lead high functioning lives with things like meditation and breathing exercises and/or a good diet.How do you treat your condition? Thanks in advance for the feedback.

hopeless_amp_helpless How do I choose the right Psychiatrist? Is there a website where people can post reviews?
  • replies: 5

Hello, After reading some posts I have realised that one of the keys to getting successful treatment is finding the right Psychiatrist. How do I do this? I mean I know I can look up a list of Psychiatrists in my area but how do I know which ones are ... View more

Hello, After reading some posts I have realised that one of the keys to getting successful treatment is finding the right Psychiatrist. How do I do this? I mean I know I can look up a list of Psychiatrists in my area but how do I know which ones are good? I want to change from the Psychiatrist I was seeing as I don't find him to be very helpful, caring or compassionate. I want someone who is going to listen to me and not just write a script for me. I've only ever been to the one Psychiatrist coz he was close to my house. So is there a website or forum where people can post their opinions and reviews of Psychiatrists? OR....is it just a matter of hit and miss? Just keep trying until you find the right one? Your help is much appreciated!

Jabbado Anyone else have bad luck with therapy/psychs?
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Have been going to join BB for a while now but never got around to it until today. Anyway to keep this first post short, I just wanted to ask how many of you have had not-so-good experiences with therapy such as CBT. I've b... View more

Hi everyone. I'm new here. Have been going to join BB for a while now but never got around to it until today. Anyway to keep this first post short, I just wanted to ask how many of you have had not-so-good experiences with therapy such as CBT. I've been to several psychologists over the years and have never really made much progress. The psychs usually start getting annoyed with my avoidant behavior and decide they can't help me because I'm "not trying hard enough". In fact it happened again yesterday. A clinical psych I've been seeing for twelve months under a mental healthcare plan told me she doesn't see any use in making another appointment because we haven't got anywhere and just keep going round in circles. It's frustrating because I saw an Asperger's specialist last year as there were thoughts I might be on the spectrum. She concluded although I do have some autistic "traits" it's not enough to make a diagnosis. She also believed CBT would not be much help but suggested schema therapy. But it's so hard to find someone trained in that close to here. I really feel hopeless today. There doesn't seem to be anything that can help me with this horrible illness that I've struggled with all my life. Can anyone else relate to this?

AGrace Private or Public?
  • replies: 4

Hi Everyone, My friend recently shared an article with me that she had written for a news channel regarding the difficulties she had in getting help with mental illness. The article revealed numerous times that she'd been sent away from public emerge... View more

Hi Everyone, My friend recently shared an article with me that she had written for a news channel regarding the difficulties she had in getting help with mental illness. The article revealed numerous times that she'd been sent away from public emergency departments, how she couldn't get help from support lines, her traumatic experiences in public psychiatric facilities, her inability to find appropriate public support groups, and the ill treatment she received from public nursing staff. She went on to write about the fact that these grievances had caused her to turn to alcohol and illicit drugs, and how she felt like she couldn't get anywhere with her recovery. She told of how she'd take holidays to try to feel better, that she'd resorted to takeaway food because she didn't feel like cooking, and she was smoking around 2 packets of cigarettes a day, and compulsively purchasing items through online stores. My instant thought was if she had the money to buy drugs, alcohol, holidays, takeaway, and cigarettes, why wouldn't she just invest these funds into getting private health insurance? I've claimed and used around $50,000 worth of services for my mental health just this year alone, and yet my premiums are under $2500 per year. I tell my partner everyday that I'd rather live on the streets than not have private health. I'm just wondering your views, was I right to feel dumbfounded by the fact that my friend went through all of these problems when she may have had better treatment in private care for less than the cost of the additional self destructive behaviours she engaged in as a result? I completely understand that sometimes private insurance is beyond the means of a lot of people, and I feel blessed that I've chosen to make it my priority my entire life. It just frustrates me when I see that people are wasting money on other things, when health is so important. I'm not excessively familiar with the public health system, so I wonder also is it of the same standard? Can you access similar services? AGrace

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