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Iwanttobenormal New here and looking for advice on ECT
  • replies: 3

Hello. New here and hoping to find information to help me make the right choice. I was diagnosed with depression 20 years ago but its not till you look back over your life and realise that you have been living with it all your life. I finally underst... View more

Hello. New here and hoping to find information to help me make the right choice. I was diagnosed with depression 20 years ago but its not till you look back over your life and realise that you have been living with it all your life. I finally understood why I had been feeling like I felt for so long. Fortunately I responded well to medication and have been able to control it from overtaking my life. Until 2 years ago when I slid into a major episode I have not been able to control despite trying a range of new medication, and has overwhelmed me to the point that I am barely functioning. Now my psychiatrist wants to try ECT. Immediately I went into shock that this treatment seems the only option left; I was hoping meds would kick in, and wasn't aware that ECT is still being used as a treatment. Regardless the process has begun for me to have ECT. So I am hoping to find people who have had ECT treatment and are willing to share with me their ECT journey. My psychiatrist has provided me with some information, but I would like to hear from those who have been through it. At this stage it seems my only option.

Pad Dissociative Disorder
  • replies: 8

Hi there. Im suffer from Dissociative Disorder this was only officially diagnosed by not so long ago on top of my major depression/panic disorder. However when it was discussed and then diagnosed it answered a lot of questions as to my mental health ... View more

Hi there. Im suffer from Dissociative Disorder this was only officially diagnosed by not so long ago on top of my major depression/panic disorder. However when it was discussed and then diagnosed it answered a lot of questions as to my mental health condition since i was a kid. The disorder symptoms had progressively worsened in the past 4 years. I'm still coming to terms to how to live with this disorder on a daily basis and the triggers which can start an episode. I actually had an assessment for the DSP this week and the questions i was asked by the assessor relating to the disorder came as abit of learning curve for the assessor on what can occur with it. I was just wondering if anyone else may know of this disorder and any advice etc about it. Because quite frankly it can be quite scary in trying to deal with it and trying to explain to family and friends about the disorder as their only knowledge of it what they know in google and that is not very flattering in their description of the disorder. Thank u

ojguac I wasn't fully honest with my psychologist. What do I do now?
  • replies: 4

I have had one session with a psychologist after getting a mental health care plan for anxiety. She was really lovely and I definitely feel like I click with her. In the session we went through a lot of the big traumatic things have happened in my li... View more

I have had one session with a psychologist after getting a mental health care plan for anxiety. She was really lovely and I definitely feel like I click with her. In the session we went through a lot of the big traumatic things have happened in my life and I kind of just briefly explained them all. The whole time I managed to be really talkative and shared a lot. When she asked questions about how I feel in my daily life, I answered with what I thought was honesty, telling her that I am anxious all the time but that it's not too bad. She also got me to do the DASS test again which came back with results all in the 'normal' range. After leaving, I have been thinking a lot about what I said and how I actually feel and am now hyper-aware of my anxiety throughout the day. I realised that I am constantly worried about something... whether that be feeling anxious in social situations, worrying what others think of me, constantly replaying past conversations over and over in my head, always feeling sick even if I am not sick, worrying about being sick in public situations etc. I realised I don't think I'm ever really relaxed. I'm unsure why I wasn't able to tell her this, though. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't actually realise how debilitating my anxiety is, and perhaps because I've always felt like this I just thought it was normal and that I am actually only "anxious" on really bad days if that makes sense. I also think I wasn't able to be fully honest with her because I feel like other people have it worse than me and that I'm not doing too bad in the grand scheme of things. I mean I am still able to get up and go to uni and work, I have friends, I used to do well when I was in high school, I come off confident to other people. How do I tell this to my psychologist? How do I tell her I wasn't completely honest in our first session - kind of without me even realising. I'm scared she will think I'm just faking it or backtracking on what I said last session because I want sympathy or something. I don't want sympathy, I just want her to know how I feel so that she can help me. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Jrocky Unable to access mental health services for my child
  • replies: 4

Hello, This is my first time posting on this forum my 9yo daughter has struggled with anxiety since she was 2 but has only recently been diagnosed. She sees a psych (after a long time spent on many waiting lists) and her pediatrician has recommended ... View more

Hello, This is my first time posting on this forum my 9yo daughter has struggled with anxiety since she was 2 but has only recently been diagnosed. She sees a psych (after a long time spent on many waiting lists) and her pediatrician has recommended seeing an occupational therapist as well to help her better deal with some of her triggers. The problem is, I’ve called every private OT in my area and nearby areas and either their waiting lists are closed or are incredibly long; the shortest one she’s on is around 9 months but even then they couldn’t be sure that it wouldn’t be longer. I’ve tried the public system but after about 6 phone calls in one day, going around in circles, they’ve told me that she’s too old for community health (only up to 8 years old) and despite having a “child and youth mental health service”, they don’t have any OT’s within their service. Our local health service is Nepean (NSW) if that’s relevant. Our GP can’t think of any other avenues to pursue to try to see an OT. Im completely at a loss as to how to help her. Does anyone have any ideas? Thank you!

glowbrain How to tackle my perceived "resistance to change" in therapy?
  • replies: 3

My therapist (“Dr D”) got frustrated, labelling me resistant to change. I reject the claim stated that generalised. However, there is a pattern over my life and the year with Dr D which could be reasonably interpreted that way. Dr D’s homework assign... View more

My therapist (“Dr D”) got frustrated, labelling me resistant to change. I reject the claim stated that generalised. However, there is a pattern over my life and the year with Dr D which could be reasonably interpreted that way. Dr D’s homework assignment: why I am resistant? I’m at a loss how to start. If it was that easy to uncover, I’d have found clarity some time in my previous multiple decades of talking, writing and reading about a maladjusted life. I did extended work on my mental illnesses and personal struggles, and intermittently saw positive or dismaying results from professionals, programs and peer support groups. Including discouragement with, and/or criticism about: SSRIs, SNRIs, CBT, ACT, DBT, 12-Step programs, mindfulness, EFT, etc. I have several ideas about what is critical for changes, shared with Dr D. She dismissed most as either too academic, or too situation-specific, or too much about distancing from my own emotions and experiences, or too depersonalised to offer ways to take responsibility. For an example, I have had chaotic sleep patterns for years. I started trialling a new medication, forcing me to be consistent rising, eating then dosing before 8AM in order to avoid problems with the medication suppressing my appetite or later interfering with my sleep. I worked on my morning routine, but failed to tackle my social-media-until-after-1AM habit. My earlier rising produced fatigue that muddled the potential benefits of the medication. I saw this as doing the best I can with my limited self-control and attention. Dr D apparently sees it as me sabotaging the meds trial, or me blaming professionals for not giving me infallibly complete instructions. I should be taking more responsibility to do problem-solving to get on top of both my sleep and my medication in a way that works for me. Could there be some motivation that explains me not being fully enthusiastic about trialling the medication? That also throws light on my alphabet soup of past discouragements and rejections above? Seems unlikely. Should I try exercises built abound finding your place on the "stages of change" aka Prochaska's Transtheoretical model? Writing a play splitting myself into an enthusiastic persona versus a negative one to have them talk it out? Analyzing a table of pros and cons? Imagining a rock-bottom catastrophe that would make imperfect remedies seem worth it? Something else? What?

BballJ Medication & Anxiety
  • replies: 9

Hi all, I just wanted to reach out and ask of people's positive experiences with medication for anxiety & depression - I am not looking for recommendations on medications or names etc as I know this against the forum rules - I just want to see if the... View more

Hi all, I just wanted to reach out and ask of people's positive experiences with medication for anxiety & depression - I am not looking for recommendations on medications or names etc as I know this against the forum rules - I just want to see if they have indeed helped people. I just had a trip to my GP as my health anxiety has caused so many issues in my personal life that it has become incontrollable, my GP thinks it will be best if I go on medication as I am already speaking to a psychologist. I am open to the idea but again just wanted to know did medication help you in your recovery from anxiety and depression? Thank you in advance Jay

Talitha Ceasing anti-depressants
  • replies: 5

Hi there, I am considering ceasing anti-depressants that I have been on for over twenty years. I realise I need to slowly wean off the medication and will first seek advice from my GP. I would like to know who else has ceased their medication after a... View more

Hi there, I am considering ceasing anti-depressants that I have been on for over twenty years. I realise I need to slowly wean off the medication and will first seek advice from my GP. I would like to know who else has ceased their medication after a long time and if you suffered any side effects? Also, did your depression/anxiety return or were you able to function without medication?

LynnMC Experiences with treatment for depression with RLS
  • replies: 2

hi I am new here but i feel like I am coming to the end of the line … I think about not being on this earth all the time I shouldn’t feel like this I have family and 67 years old shouldn’t life be better … I don’t feel joy in anything I would go on a... View more

hi I am new here but i feel like I am coming to the end of the line … I think about not being on this earth all the time I shouldn’t feel like this I have family and 67 years old shouldn’t life be better … I don’t feel joy in anything I would go on antidepressants but because of my RLS they all seem to make them worse then I get even more depressed… is anybody in here with RLS that take antidepressants and don’t have a problem with them would love to hear from you

GoodVibez Aged parents migration, services and costs
  • replies: 4

Hi there. I was hoping someone might be able to share some info and experience. I am a single child and both my parents are looking to migrate to join me and my family in Australia, Perth, WA. Not sure exactly which visa to try, potentially an aged p... View more

Hi there. I was hoping someone might be able to share some info and experience. I am a single child and both my parents are looking to migrate to join me and my family in Australia, Perth, WA. Not sure exactly which visa to try, potentially an aged parent visa. My dad has had mental health issue on and off all his life which presently manifest themselves as a form of bipolar. He gets pretty hight for around 3 months on the year and a simular patch low. My mum and I are worried about him leaving his support services behind in the UK and what might be on offer in Perth. Can anyone help us with these questions; What are the services like in Perth for this type of condition? Are the comparable to the UK? Is there any form of support workers to visit him when he's having on a high? Is there any rest bite care if he needs somewhere to go and be looked after? Secondly, if coming on an aged parent visa, what might be the costs? Are they able to claim via the reciprocal agreement with the UK or Medicare? Or will they have to pay themselves the full amount, which might be an issues for them as retirees? Any advice or support appreciated if anyone been through a similar situation. Many thanks

cherrub55 Treatment resistant depresson
  • replies: 6

After so many different medications, therapies, I was diagnosed with T.R.D. over 25 YEARS later!. (I suffer PTSD, SURVIVOR GUILT, ANXIETY,) I DID ALL I COULD MYSELF AS WELL AS THEARPY, I SAUGHT HELP IN MY 30'S, NOW 59 & DECLYNING MENTALLY, ONTOP OF M... View more

After so many different medications, therapies, I was diagnosed with T.R.D. over 25 YEARS later!. (I suffer PTSD, SURVIVOR GUILT, ANXIETY,) I DID ALL I COULD MYSELF AS WELL AS THEARPY, I SAUGHT HELP IN MY 30'S, NOW 59 & DECLYNING MENTALLY, ONTOP OF MEDICAL PROBLEMS! "IV NOTICED NOT A LOT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED RE: TRD. I'D LIKE TO TRY & FIND OTHERS WHO SUFFER THIS & THEIR THOUGHTS? SO SO MANY YEARS WASTED, IV LOST FAMILY & FRIENDS, & NOW? SUFFER ALONE. AFTER SO LONG, WHY HAVENT PROFFESSONALS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS,OR HELP ME "LIVED WITH IT"?