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Alleycat73 Health Plan - Change of GP for review?
  • replies: 2

Hi - My GP was on holidays last year - so I went to a local clinic (different to his) and the GP there gave me a mental health plan. It's time for renewal - and I'm wondering how I can transfer it to my regular GP for the review? I know if it was in ... View more

Hi - My GP was on holidays last year - so I went to a local clinic (different to his) and the GP there gave me a mental health plan. It's time for renewal - and I'm wondering how I can transfer it to my regular GP for the review? I know if it was in the same clinic i could have another GP there - but it's an entirely different place - and I don't really want to go back to the "fill in GP" for maintaining this. Thanks - I tried to find a post like this - but could only find ones about changing Psychologists during the plan

WokingOnIt Therapy as a "crutch" and what that might mean
  • replies: 6

Hello All. What does the idea of "using therapy (or a therapist) as a crutch" mean to you? Is it a always a bad thing? My therapist has said this to me multiple times - that he doesn't want to and can't be a crutch, and I have been pondering the mean... View more

Hello All. What does the idea of "using therapy (or a therapist) as a crutch" mean to you? Is it a always a bad thing? My therapist has said this to me multiple times - that he doesn't want to and can't be a crutch, and I have been pondering the meaning of that. I can see his point (I think - I still need to ask him to clarify exactly what his point is) but after all, a crutch is mighty handy when you have a broken leg and it is healing but you still need to get around. I fully intend to have a proper conversation with him about it next session - but I am curious as to what other people think about it in the meantime.

Sezza_H In need of extra help
  • replies: 2

Hello all, I’m currently seeing a psychologist at Headspace and have been doing so for the past couple of years. I have a mental health care plan so I am covered for 10 sessions with my psychologist each year. This is going well but I would like extr... View more

Hello all, I’m currently seeing a psychologist at Headspace and have been doing so for the past couple of years. I have a mental health care plan so I am covered for 10 sessions with my psychologist each year. This is going well but I would like extra support on top of this, I am just not sure how to obtain this and how this works with the mental health care plan. Does anyone know if it’s possible to get more than 10 sessions a year? Would this extra support have to be sought outside of an organisation such as Headspace? Finally, how does all this work with the mental health care plan?

silicontrip "No you prescribe it" My GP and Psychiatrist are at odds
  • replies: 18

I saw a psychiatrist for a medication review, and they recommended a particular drug. However my GP doesn't want to prescribe as it's not a commonly GP prescribed drug and they've had no experience with it. So eventually I went back to the psychiatri... View more

I saw a psychiatrist for a medication review, and they recommended a particular drug. However my GP doesn't want to prescribe as it's not a commonly GP prescribed drug and they've had no experience with it. So eventually I went back to the psychiatrist who asked why I hadn't started on the drug saying that they had provided detailed instructions so my GP should know what to do. My GP is still not comfortable prescribing it, saying I should be seeing a psychiatrist regularly for medication reviews. Of course I'm stuck in the middle not able to get a recommended drug. Has anyone else been in this sort of situation? Or know what my next steps would be. I'm a bit uncomfortable contacting a new GP saying "will you prescribe blah?" I don't know what to do.

oceanentity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • replies: 2

Hello. What are your experiences with CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy ) ? I’m doing some research about it online and have started hearing people talk about it as a “breakthrough “ for people with Anxiety and depression etc.

Hello. What are your experiences with CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy ) ? I’m doing some research about it online and have started hearing people talk about it as a “breakthrough “ for people with Anxiety and depression etc.

theo-m Therapy without a clear goal
  • replies: 5

I find therapy challenging as I'm not a big talker and I tend to cut myself off from my feelings as much as I can if I have to be emotionally vulnerable. Earlier this year I had some good sessions with a therapist as I was tiptoeing around a possible... View more

I find therapy challenging as I'm not a big talker and I tend to cut myself off from my feelings as much as I can if I have to be emotionally vulnerable. Earlier this year I had some good sessions with a therapist as I was tiptoeing around a possible mental health crisis (I succeeded!!). After we'd passed the crisis I definitely had issues that I wanted to bring up but I found that: 1. I could barely think about them, let alone verbalise them 2. They weren't impairing my day-to-day functioning so talking about them wouldn't solve an immediate problem (so in my mind I didn't consider them necessary to talk about) I've been able to write some of it down, both the situations and the way that they make me feel, but I don't know that talking about them would help me? As I said, my functioning is fine, and there's no real goal with talking about them apart from having someone know. Hilariously during my last session with my therapist I tried to talk through these thoughts, however, at the time I could barely think about them so it was all a bit of a wash. How should I approach bringing up issues that have no goal other than to have someone know about them? Should I even bring up issues that I don't have a goal about? Previously all my therapy has been functioning focussed so I'm kinda lost.

court8 Bad experience with GP... Unsure how to commence MHCP?
  • replies: 3

Hi! I'm new here and hope this is the appropriate place to post this. About a month ago, I went to a GP to discuss feelings of anxiety and depression I had been experiencing for some months. I also shared that through my line of work I had experience... View more

Hi! I'm new here and hope this is the appropriate place to post this. About a month ago, I went to a GP to discuss feelings of anxiety and depression I had been experiencing for some months. I also shared that through my line of work I had experienced a few triggers that took me back to trauma in my childhood relating to domestic violence. The GP began to give me a "pep talk" on opting to think "positive thoughts" instead and to not become too attached to my job and to also see any experiences I had as a child as just "arguments" rather than witnessing what I am certain is emotional abuse. This really upset me and I found myself shutting off from her during the consultation as it had taken me months to build up the courage to seek help and I felt I was being judged for the feelings I was having and for not coping better in a professional sense. I don't have a GP I regularly go to so I did not have the option to seek advice from one that I knew or was comfortable with. I received a Mental Health Care Plan and the GP gave me the number of a psychologist but told me she can be difficult to book an appointment with, which made me feel more anxious. It is my own fault that I haven't arranged my first session with a psychologist but after this experience, I felt defeated and upset, particularly as it felt hard enough going to the GP. I am now at a point where I know I need to seek some support, particularly as I have started a new job and have been experiencing nauseating worry after each shift concerned that I have done something wrong, relaying everything I did during my time at work. I wanted to ask how do I go about finding a counsellor/psychologist who will see me with the mental health care plan? I am uncertain about the one the GP provided because of this experience. I want to find one that suits me but I don't know how to find one that will accept the MHCP. I would also like to know if I can see another GP when the MHCP is up for review? I do not feel comfortable going back to this GP. Thank you!

FPD1 Medication side effects
  • replies: 4

I noticed in the (Medical Treatments for Anxiety) page on Beyond blue that the most important side effect is not mentioned at all. Suicidal thoughts and feelings are mentioned as a side effect on every anxiety medication i have ever taken and i think... View more

I noticed in the (Medical Treatments for Anxiety) page on Beyond blue that the most important side effect is not mentioned at all. Suicidal thoughts and feelings are mentioned as a side effect on every anxiety medication i have ever taken and i think it is irresponsible not to mention it clearly and to not have a section discussing it. Why is this?

Hanna3 Trouble with group GP practice & obtaining S8 medication - toxic practice?
  • replies: 9

Hi all, I have moved to a new regional town and needed to find a new GP. I'm on an S8 medication for panic attacks so it requires a phone call from a GP to obtain a script - not usually a big deal. Went to a big group GP practice here and the woman G... View more

Hi all, I have moved to a new regional town and needed to find a new GP. I'm on an S8 medication for panic attacks so it requires a phone call from a GP to obtain a script - not usually a big deal. Went to a big group GP practice here and the woman GP I saw was nasty, halved my anxiety medication and put the form through to the heath dept before I had the chance to stop her. I found her rude and she made inappropriate put-down remarks to me. I tried a second doctor at the practice on the advice of the receptionist, was told to call her Dr Jane as I didn't know how to pronounce her surname and neither did the reception staff, when I called her hello Dr Jane she blew up and said how dare I, I was to call her Dr Smith (I'm using made up names here obviously). So I ruled her out. Third GP at the practice was recommended to me. She didn't want to phone for the S8 drug but did so and I got it fine. That was the last visit, although I could see at that visit that her face changed when she realised I had tried two other doctors at the practice...they don't seem to like that. Went again yesterday, she told me I had to go back to the first doctor. I asked why, she said to get the S8 med. I said but you can give me that. She rang and got it no problem. Then asked me why I didn't like the first doctor. I found this highly inappropriate to talk to one doctor about a colleague of hers, so I simply said "I don't care for her manner". She said but other people like her. I said well I don't care for her manner. I came out shaking. Why in a group practice am I not free to see another GP there, other people do if their usual doctor is booked out or away etc. Why is it such an issue at a group practice, where all the doctors have access to my heath records, that I see the same one all the time for the S8 script? I am feeling like the practice is toxic the doctors seem so unpleasant. In a regional town it's hard to find a new GP. Has anyone ese had this kind of experience? Any advice (other than find another practice which I'm probably going to have to do but it's hard). Thanks.

Jazza86 Private health insurance for Psychiatric services
  • replies: 8

Hi. I have been trawling through the private insurance options for psych inpatient care and there are very few that offer full cover that aren't the most expensive top cover. I have found BUPA standard hospital for $122 single and then the top cover ... View more

Hi. I have been trawling through the private insurance options for psych inpatient care and there are very few that offer full cover that aren't the most expensive top cover. I have found BUPA standard hospital for $122 single and then the top cover of most other funds, but that is it. Does anyone have any experience using insurance for inpatient treatment since the changes were made? I am in NSW. Thanks in advance