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Fallen_Angel PTSD? - What are my options
  • replies: 3

Hi Guys, I'm starting to think I may have PTSD from a previous law enforcement job that involved safety threats. I left a year and a half ago, no longer wake up with panic attacks, and the social and general anxiety is gone. I have a nice office job ... View more

Hi Guys, I'm starting to think I may have PTSD from a previous law enforcement job that involved safety threats. I left a year and a half ago, no longer wake up with panic attacks, and the social and general anxiety is gone. I have a nice office job now and am completely safe and generally happy but I still get very panicky (shaky, stressed angry etc) when anything triggers me to think about it. I want these irrational triggers to stop, but being that things is are otherwise good I'm reluctant to do any sort of treatment that might make things worse. I hate talking or thinking about it too. Any suggestions? Has anyone had treatment for this sort of thing before. - Did it work? What might be my options? Thanks!

Rupes79 Experience with psychotherapy
  • replies: 3

Hi All, I wanted to get an idea for others experience with psychotherapy. I started 2021 by seeing an experienced psychologist and ended up having over 20 sessions throughout the year. We definitely covered off some big issues but I also found others... View more

Hi All, I wanted to get an idea for others experience with psychotherapy. I started 2021 by seeing an experienced psychologist and ended up having over 20 sessions throughout the year. We definitely covered off some big issues but I also found others arose throughout the year and then towards the end I didn’t feel we were making any progress at all so decided to discontinue in the new year. I’m not sure I ended up in a position of net benefit for having gone through it. I was very depressed at the end of last year and had to go back on medication which felt like a big step backwards. I now find myself in a situation where I have unresolved issues and need to find a new psychologist but don’t know where to start in terms of finding one I can connect with. The last one was very good in some areas but I felt I couldn’t talk about other issues with her at all. All sort of feels like a zero sum game where I’ve ended up back where I started. Any advice? Thank you.

bluedots Running out of antidepressant
  • replies: 5

I don't know if this is allowed to be discussed, but i am currently on an antidepressant (for about 5 ish months) and have run out of refills but i can't book an appointment with my regular gp who prescribed me the meds (she's currently on leave and ... View more

I don't know if this is allowed to be discussed, but i am currently on an antidepressant (for about 5 ish months) and have run out of refills but i can't book an appointment with my regular gp who prescribed me the meds (she's currently on leave and left me with another gp who i saw once but there's no availability with her either). none of the other gps in the practice i go to are available for quite some time it seems (maybe due to covid??). im not sure what to do since i know the meds im taking have some pretty awful side effects especially if i just stop suddenly. does anyone know what i can possibly do?

John_P Adelaide Mens retreat!
  • replies: 5

Hello. I live in Adelaide and i have suffered mental health issues for the last 5 years. I feel like I am making progress. I have been through trauma and have anxiety and depression i am dealing with. I was wondering if there is a mens retreat that e... View more

Hello. I live in Adelaide and i have suffered mental health issues for the last 5 years. I feel like I am making progress. I have been through trauma and have anxiety and depression i am dealing with. I was wondering if there is a mens retreat that exists for like a few weeks in Adelaide? A retreat where a group of guys get together to deal with their mental health recovery and the treatment includes things like being in nature, doing primal mens stuff like fishing and camping? I feel like I need to go onto a retreat to get back to nature and escape this setitery office/computer life- and do therapy around that!? thank you

toyMR2 Self help
  • replies: 2

You won't post this so, no point! I will discredit these instutions by other means!! In case you guys might be interested, depression of it's mildest forms are blocking crucial opportunities for those that are diagnosed. These sites should not be ass... View more

You won't post this so, no point! I will discredit these instutions by other means!! In case you guys might be interested, depression of it's mildest forms are blocking crucial opportunities for those that are diagnosed. These sites should not be assessing those of good character but have admitted to feeling somewhat down. Very bad for business!!

Oizys OCD and skin picking
  • replies: 3

Evening. With the stress of multiple events that happened this year, I have begun experiencing a new kind of hell, skin picking. Only my feet. I have displayed some mild OCD in the past(handwashing), but my biggest issue is anxiety. I am not sure who... View more

Evening. With the stress of multiple events that happened this year, I have begun experiencing a new kind of hell, skin picking. Only my feet. I have displayed some mild OCD in the past(handwashing), but my biggest issue is anxiety. I am not sure who I need to speak to this about, my therapist or my doctor. I know it should be both, but who do I contact first? I've been keeping it hidden from both. Been going on about 6 months now, and as much as I am aware that doing it is what is causing me pain, I am only able to control myself to an extent and then I am back to open wounds and bruising. I have been on the same tablets on the strongest dose for about 12 years now and I just don't feel like they do much of anything anymore. Does anyone have any suggestions of where to go from here?

mocha delight On the therapy journey
  • replies: 82

I’m starting this thread to post about anything related to my treatment & therapy ect ect ect. Which I’ll start of saying I finally got a appointment with a psychologist on the 9th of September so over 3 weeks away. But not with the one me gp referre... View more

I’m starting this thread to post about anything related to my treatment & therapy ect ect ect. Which I’ll start of saying I finally got a appointment with a psychologist on the 9th of September so over 3 weeks away. But not with the one me gp referred to as that psychologist unfortunately for me was not taking on new clients so I found one off the ‘find a professional’ from beyond blue of course and I did not no where else to go look. So already feel nervous & anxious about this appointment and I only made it today besides this psychologist is not one my gp recommended & referred me to. So now I would ever be grateful if anyone give me tips/hints ect ect ect of what to expect from my first ever psychologists appointment. What do I need to know? Now that most of you all have definitely gone through that first time psychologist appointment what kind of things should I ask/tell/mention? How many appointments average until I get a diagnosis? Do psychologists make the diagnosis’s? Does a gp? Or how do I get a diagnosis if a gp’s/psychologists don’t make the diagnosis? Ok yes I’m a complete newbie to trying to get a diagnosis but I just want to be completely prepared of how it works before my appointment. Did I mention I’m nervous and anxious?

roropotato GP referral
  • replies: 1

Hi, I recently saw a GP about feeling depressed and anxious. She prescribed me some meds and put me on a mental health care plan and she asked me to pick a psychologist to forward it to. I looked online and picked a practice and doctor and went back ... View more

Hi, I recently saw a GP about feeling depressed and anxious. She prescribed me some meds and put me on a mental health care plan and she asked me to pick a psychologist to forward it to. I looked online and picked a practice and doctor and went back to my GP with my choice, and she then faxed my plan to them. However it didn’t occur to me to actually check in with the practice first. I called to make an appointment only to be greeted with an automated message saying they are fully booked till March and aren’t taking new patients. I have a few other practices and doctors in mind and will definitely call beforehand to see if they are taking new patients. My question is, do I need to book another appointment with my GP to get the mental health care plan forwarded to a new psychologist or can I call reception and ask them to do that? Thanks in advance!

Matt_VG Medication - does it get worse before it gets better?
  • replies: 3

Hi there This year has been hard. Anxiety with some depression. I've been doing everything I can in terms of lifestyle changes but in the end I surrendered to needing medication to help while I work through everything. I wasn't able to sleep much and... View more

Hi there This year has been hard. Anxiety with some depression. I've been doing everything I can in terms of lifestyle changes but in the end I surrendered to needing medication to help while I work through everything. I wasn't able to sleep much and felt in flight mode all the time/ hypervigilant. I started medication and it helped calm me and helped sleep quite a bit too. My mood was still not fantastic and my psychiatrist suggested changing the dose I've been on that now for over 2 weeks and pretty much after starting, my anxiety increased and sleep worsened a bit. I've had some good days to but overall I'm hypervigilant again, What is others' experience? does the 'get worse before it gets better' last for a while sometimes? I don't know where else to turn to and it's been really hard for me. To know if staying on this dose is right or not... At the moment I'm taking her advice but i guess part of me is just looking for reassurance

Yuko Is it ok to ask a GP to prescribe me anti-depressants?
  • replies: 9

Hi, I’m new to the forums but unfortunately not new to mental health issues. As a bit of background, I was prescribed anti-depressants 15 years ago which helped me but I stopped taking them due to lack of money (I was working and renting in the city ... View more

Hi, I’m new to the forums but unfortunately not new to mental health issues. As a bit of background, I was prescribed anti-depressants 15 years ago which helped me but I stopped taking them due to lack of money (I was working and renting in the city on traineeship wages). I have managed to keep my head above water but over the years my depression has started to get a lot worse and just before Covid hit I was really struggling. With each Covid lockdown I got worse and worse and with my husband working from home and my daughter remote learning I was no longer able to keep myself together around my immediate family. I enrolled in an online therapist-lead CBT course which really helped with my social anxiety but it’s also allowed me to see that there is a very real line between symptoms I can manage myself and when I get to a point when I no longer feel rational, I get very agitated and panicky and have strong urges to self-harm. I spiral really badly and for the past year I have started to have suicidal thoughts. These really dark spiral moments are much more regular now and they last for longer and I’m getting really exhausted fighting it. I am really scared and I need help. I DO NOT want to hurt myself, I want to be here for my family but I am incapable of thinking clearly when I am spiralling and I am really worried about losing control. I want to go back on anti-depressants because my earlier experience was that my moods started as a roller-coaster of ups and downs but after a couple of months on medication it was like small waves. It was a huge improvement to my life. I have booked an appointment with a new GP who has experience with mental health issues, I am nervous about it as I have felt very dismissed over the past 15 years but I really need help at this point. After explaining my situation to the GP is it ok for me to directly ask them to prescribe anti-depressants? I feel like my life depends on it, or maybe I’m just still spiraling? Thanks in advance for and advice you can offer