Treatments and therapies - Beyond Blue Forums

First Psychiatrist Appointment

replies: 4

Hi all, I am new to this site and forum and I just wanted to ask about what I can expect from my first psychiatrist appointment.. I have been to a lot of different psychologists and councillors in my life but never a psychiatrist. After many visits t... View more

Hi all, I am new to this site and forum and I just wanted to ask about what I can expect from my first psychiatrist appointment.. I have been to a lot of different psychologists and councillors in my life but never a psychiatrist. After many visits to my GP trying to find an available psychiatrist to see I was finally booked a Telehealth appointment to have my initial appointment. It’s coming up soon and I have known about it for over a month but I find myself really anxious about it and feel like I’m just a burden. Any tips on how to ‘prepare’ for it and what to expect? Thanks!

What I learnt in choosing a health management after a mental health crisis.Why dont they listen?

replies: 3

I had been mismanaged, kept in a zombie like state, my words for further help unacknowledged. A compliance to see a psychiatrist ..ignored. All resulting in my children taking me to hospital for intervention.. I felt betrayed by a GP I trusted. I had... View more

I had been mismanaged, kept in a zombie like state, my words for further help unacknowledged. A compliance to see a psychiatrist ..ignored. All resulting in my children taking me to hospital for intervention.. I felt betrayed by a GP I trusted. I had no fight left however to question any further. I found that some doctors are more mental health aware than others. I found the difference between clinical psychology(more specifically trained to work with mental health issues) and regular psychology. The new GP requested all the tests i needed given my medical history, I was now under a psychiatrist. My GP referred me to an exercise physiologist and a clinical psychologist who was right up to date with therapies.I was advised about diet and now thanks to supportive people , professional and family/friends slowly on the turn around. My now new health professionals talked to me as a human being, they listened . I was no longer being treated by a person that perhaps saw me as the cash cow, but by people who were genuinely interested in my wellness and helping me to get to a better place in life. My GP doesn't presume to know everything there is to manage mental and general health , knows where to draw a line. This i think is important. There is so many choices out there for people with mental health issues and their families. But it would be nice to have a list of doctors who are genuine about mental health. The rest and vast majority need to be re-educated about mental health, to fully inform their patients , to learn how to listen, instead of treating us from the fact they think they know best. If the GP is treating one with depression as something shameful , how then do we get better?

ECT - My experience

replies: 25

Hi guys, I just wanted to come back on the forum and let you know what my experience has been with getting ECT. I know that there were a few people considering the option after talks with their different doctors. Personally I have found ECT to be ama... View more

Hi guys, I just wanted to come back on the forum and let you know what my experience has been with getting ECT. I know that there were a few people considering the option after talks with their different doctors. Personally I have found ECT to be amazing. It has been nothing but positive for me and I am feeling GREAT!! It took until the ninth treatment to notice a change, and also a change to bilateral ECT, but now that I have, wow, I am very happy with the result. Basically I currently feel 100% better. I don't know if this is going to drop off and I have heard that it can, but I would have no hesitation in undergoing more treatments in the future if so. I am now up to my twelfth treatment. There are some side effects that I need to mention. I have noticed some difficulty with my memory. I try to keep in mind that my memory was pretty bad just with the depression but I have noticed sometimes I am trying to find an answer to something that I am sure I would know and I just can't get to the answer. For example I was asked the question where I have travelled in my lifetime and I found it difficult to know for sure that I was giving the whole answer! I was thinking, "I know I've been to the UK and Bali and Singapore but is there anywhere else major I have been?" and even though I was Reasonably sure, I wasn't Entirely sure that there wasn't. I know this probably sounds pretty bad but it was one of the few times with problems with my memory and honestly I don't care at all... it is very much worth some memory and maybe some concentration problems to be feeling better than what I was. Anyway I just wanted to come on and share my story. I know it is not a small decision to go ahead with ECT and I don't want to pretend it is. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask. xxxxxx TJ

High Blood Pressure

replies: 4

Hi, I know we are not to refer to specific medications on here and I will not use the names. I have been struggling with high blood pressure (HBP), oh and I am 27 years old by the way. I have been getting high readings at home and at the doctors offi... View more

Hi, I know we are not to refer to specific medications on here and I will not use the names. I have been struggling with high blood pressure (HBP), oh and I am 27 years old by the way. I have been getting high readings at home and at the doctors office for the last year or so. I am on an antidepressant which can cause HBP and am on the combined contraceptive pill which can also cause HBP, the problem is that I know that if I have to go off either of these medications my mental health will get worse because both of them help me manage. The other thing is that my HBP is variant, it is normal when I am resting or on the weekend, but high during a normal work day. I cannot quit by job simply because I have HBP and I doubt it would make any difference which job I have, it would still be high. Even if I just move around it can get higher again. So really, do I even have HBP if it is normal when I am resting?

Frustration at no diagnosis

replies: 4

Hi Everyone. I was hoping that someone may have been in my position and maybe able to help me. For the past 6 months I have been unable to work fit to numbness and pain in my arms and legs. My arms and legs are now weak and I cannot walk large distan... View more

Hi Everyone. I was hoping that someone may have been in my position and maybe able to help me. For the past 6 months I have been unable to work fit to numbness and pain in my arms and legs. My arms and legs are now weak and I cannot walk large distances. Neurologist today said that everything neurologicaly is fine and now wants to refer me to a rheumatologist. I’m feeling as though everyone is passing the buck. I also have chronic fatigue. Sleeping 10- 12 hours overnight then maybe sleep up to 4hrs throughout the day. Someone please give me some suggestions as what to do. My bloods were all fine but I have a critically high B6 level

How to manage withdrawal symptoms?

replies: 4

I have recently seen my GP and asked him if I can trial stopping my antidepressants. I have been on them for 5+ years and have managed to get down to the lowest dose. My GP told gavs me some tapering advice and told me to do that for a month and see ... View more

I have recently seen my GP and asked him if I can trial stopping my antidepressants. I have been on them for 5+ years and have managed to get down to the lowest dose. My GP told gavs me some tapering advice and told me to do that for a month and see how I go. It's been 4 days and at some point of every day I've felt nauseous and dizzy. Plus when I feel sick, I start to panic because I hate the way it feels which leads to near panic attacks. Right now I'm crying for no reason because I feel so sad today and I don't know why. My partner has gone to work and I just want to be held by him and I can't. And I don't know what to do by myself. I don't want comfort from anyone else right now. I don't know how long this is supposed to last for and I wanted to see if anyone else here had any experience. Thanks for reading, hopefully I feel better soon.

Please recommend a Course or Group that helped you! (improve your mental health)

replies: 8

Hi BBers! Our journey towards mental HEALTH does not have to be travelled alone. We are SO fortunate to have the BB forums! An analogy I use to describe my own mental wellness journey is like finding many pieces to a puzzle. This puzzle is uniquely o... View more

Hi BBers! Our journey towards mental HEALTH does not have to be travelled alone. We are SO fortunate to have the BB forums! An analogy I use to describe my own mental wellness journey is like finding many pieces to a puzzle. This puzzle is uniquely our OWN. Sure some things are really common and helpful for ALL like self-care. We all have the human need for "connectedness". A few pieces to my own puzzle included Courses and Groups. If you've completed a Course and would highly recommend it to others, please post to let others know about it. Let us know if the Course was online or is offered face to face in your state. Any and all details could help others access same or similar. eg Name of Course. Topic covered. Duration. Cost. You can put a - rating of you like. Same if you have attended a really helpful Group! Naming your State or Territory, if you're comfortable to do so, may help others to access the group or the information / support. Group: "Way Ahead" Tonight I found out about this Group running at a local Neighbourhood Centre for people with anxiety. - Offered throughout NSW. - FREE - 2 Facilitators - Group goes for 1 hour. - Held monthly here. I should be getting some feedback on this one soon, stay tuned! Course name: "Breaking Free" I attended this brilliant Course for women in (or leaving or who've left) domestic violence relationships. This Course was sensitively facilitated through Women's Health Centres in NSW, please holler if it's available in YOUR state too! Details: - FREE - 8-10 week Course. - Facilitated by 2 Counsellors / Social Workers. - Attendance at weekly group. NB: Can be completed in a 1:1 setting upon application or requirements. - 2 intake sessions; 1st via phone, 2nd face to face. - Certificate is presented upon successful completion. (Goes a LONG way in Family Law Court). I thought I knew what domestic violence was. This Course was so comprehensive, I simply had little idea about it before then (2016). Rating: Let's share what works and get well together. Love EM

Diagnose

replies: 13

I don’t know if I’ve asked or not but I apologise if I have but can a psychologist make a mental health diagnosis? As I’ve done research on google and most websites say yes they can. Or is it just a clinical psychologist that can? Or just possibly a ... View more

I don’t know if I’ve asked or not but I apologise if I have but can a psychologist make a mental health diagnosis? As I’ve done research on google and most websites say yes they can. Or is it just a clinical psychologist that can? Or just possibly a gp or definitely a psychiatrist? I just need a definite answer as I’m so confused about all it is.

Internal Family Systems/Parts Work

replies: 3

Hi, Have you any experience with this therapy (as a practioner or patient)? What are your thoughts on it? I'm intetested in receiving sessions which use the Internal Family Systems (IFS), also known as Parts Work. I am aware that this is a niche area... View more

Hi, Have you any experience with this therapy (as a practioner or patient)? What are your thoughts on it? I'm intetested in receiving sessions which use the Internal Family Systems (IFS), also known as Parts Work. I am aware that this is a niche area & I live semi-remote, thus finding a practioner is unlikely to happen. However COVID has caused many practitioners to use online delivery, thus I'm hopeful enough to ask. Can anyone help me here? If it's against Forum rules to suggest individual people (or medications) - instead, please advise...should I search for this specific treatment, or do all psychologists have training/skills with this work? What about self-guided exercises using IFS work...where would I find this? If I can't find anything, I thought about observing a recorded (online) IFS sessions & writing down how it unfolds (the therapists' directives)...then repeating on myself? Or finding guidelines in how to run such a session - but, where could I do this? Any advice is GRATEFULLY APPRECIATED. I hope this helps others, too.

Binge eating disorder?

replies: 5

I am off to seek advice from my gp tomorrow as I suspect I suffer from a binge eating disorder & have for a few years. What are some ways to work through this? I’m not 100% sure if that is what I’m going through but my online research about binge eat... View more

I am off to seek advice from my gp tomorrow as I suspect I suffer from a binge eating disorder & have for a few years. What are some ways to work through this? I’m not 100% sure if that is what I’m going through but my online research about binge eating seems to relate to my unhealthy relationship with food. I feel it may all just be in my head but I am on a journey to a healthier & happier me, starting with my health as I’m mainly focusing on losing weight a healthy way.

Treatments, health professionals and therapies

All discussions

First Psychiatrist Appointment

replies: 4