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Annemieke123 Reluctant to go to psychologist
  • replies: 2

I have severe bipolar, anxiety and depression. My GP is very keen for me to start seeing a psychologist so he has referred me to one and made an appointment for me for September. the problem is I have tried seeing psychologists in the past and have n... View more

I have severe bipolar, anxiety and depression. My GP is very keen for me to start seeing a psychologist so he has referred me to one and made an appointment for me for September. the problem is I have tried seeing psychologists in the past and have never found it helpful in anyway. Talking about my past and problems just upsets me. i have tried DBT, CBT, and mindfulness as part of Therapy. Nothing works for me. i told my GP I don’t want to go, and I am scared, but he says this needs to be part of my overall treatment plan along with meds. He said meds can only help so much and to get better I need this. the whole thought of going is giving me major anxiety and I am really upset. I don’t relate to strangers easily either. The whole idea fills me with dread. My question is, do I go with my gut and just cancel the appointment or do I go anyway despite feeling very agitated? has anyone else felt this way? How did you overcome it? It’s not that I don’t want to help myself, I am just struggling to see the benefit in this kind of help, to be honest. I’m struggling with life at the moment as it is, I am worried revisiting my trauma is going to make me worse. I can’t afford to get any worse. thanks in advance, appreciate any advice.

John_P test at the gp for anxiety/depression
  • replies: 3

hello. I am battling with anxiety. I have most of my adult life. i was wondering if there is a test that could be done at the gp for levels of hormones. testosterone. estrogen. iron. etc and other stuff.....a type of blood test?!

hello. I am battling with anxiety. I have most of my adult life. i was wondering if there is a test that could be done at the gp for levels of hormones. testosterone. estrogen. iron. etc and other stuff.....a type of blood test?!

TimTams Psychologist break confidentiality?
  • replies: 30

Hello I have a question regarding when a psychologist is allowed to break confidentiality. I am over 18 but was abused at 15. If I speak to a psychologist about the details, can she break confidentiality and tell the police? Or is it only if someone ... View more

Hello I have a question regarding when a psychologist is allowed to break confidentiality. I am over 18 but was abused at 15. If I speak to a psychologist about the details, can she break confidentiality and tell the police? Or is it only if someone is still a minor that they can do this? I did some reading and I think as I was the victim and am now over 18 that I can choose to keep it confidential? Is this correct? Thank you

Becca_Maria Rapid Weight Gain
  • replies: 1

Oh no please dont tell me this is the side effect i have to live with just changed anti psycotics and despite eating completely healthy and going to gym 4-5 times a week I have noticed weight going on and just stood on the scales to a whopping 4kg ga... View more

Oh no please dont tell me this is the side effect i have to live with just changed anti psycotics and despite eating completely healthy and going to gym 4-5 times a week I have noticed weight going on and just stood on the scales to a whopping 4kg gain. I am soooo upset this is not what I want and reading up if weight gain is rapid at the start im on the way of continuing gaining. Please help me with any advice on avoiding weight gain ???

MrBrightside Choosing between a bulk billed psychology practice and a paid one
  • replies: 7

For context I'm 25 and for the last few years I'd attended Headspace for free. It was very helpful, I learnt a lot and I left with the belief I could handle things better on my own. However as life tends to do, it throws up some barriers and I've sta... View more

For context I'm 25 and for the last few years I'd attended Headspace for free. It was very helpful, I learnt a lot and I left with the belief I could handle things better on my own. However as life tends to do, it throws up some barriers and I've started to encounter some difficulties again which I feel I should seek some additional support for. Headspace is now closed to me as I'm over 25 and there's no real dedicated mental health centre for someone around my age, that I know of. Now most of the places I've researched all come with a fee. I found one place that I liked. It kind of markets itself as a new-age, hip to the jive mental health centre. That's good because I feel speaking to someone as close to my age as possible and who is familiar with modern problems is what I need. However it's about $80-115 a session. Can I afford that? Yes. Can I afford it long-term? No. Looking at other options I found another place. It's bulk-billed and I can't find any less than favourable reviews. Normally I'd always take the cheaper option but I don't know, for some reason I just feel the first one gives off a better vibe and less of the clinical sterility of other psychology places. Am I just being swayed by better visual marketing? Maybe but I've found nothing but glowing reviews for that place too. Does anyone have familiarity with such options? And how would you go about weighing up the dilemma of affordability versus a place you feel is better suited to your needs? Cheers in advance

FxZIONZ SSRI and Low Blood Sugar
  • replies: 3

Hey All, So i am getting low blood sugar episodes which if not 'treated' last for up to an hour and intermittent throughout the day. I am struggling to eat which doesn't help the low blood sugar episodes. I am just wandering if i should see the doc a... View more

Hey All, So i am getting low blood sugar episodes which if not 'treated' last for up to an hour and intermittent throughout the day. I am struggling to eat which doesn't help the low blood sugar episodes. I am just wandering if i should see the doc about it? I stopped taking my meds and have been back on them at a higher dosage for 3 weeks now. Most of the other side effects have passed. I know its low blood sugar because i can eat a jelly bean or a cup of juice and feel better within half a minute. As well as seeing if i should seek medical advice, Does any body else experience this side effect? What do you do to help it? Thanks Everyone!

Nv1 How to renew expired mental health plan?
  • replies: 3

Hi All, My GP in a medical centre wrote the plan for me two years ago and I had just one session with the counselor in that centre and I didn't really connect with him so didn't continue to visit. I finally found a good psychologist and I visited her... View more

Hi All, My GP in a medical centre wrote the plan for me two years ago and I had just one session with the counselor in that centre and I didn't really connect with him so didn't continue to visit. I finally found a good psychologist and I visited her but my plan has expired. How can I renew it? The GP who wrote the plan for me does not work in that medical centre anymore.

mkr666 ADHD diagnosis in 13yo, should she decide?
  • replies: 4

We saw a paediatrician yesterday and she was very convinced my daughter has ADHD. She is 13 and does very well at school , but is not well socialised (has friends though). I guess as a dad I think she is fairly normal, but then again I think most peo... View more

We saw a paediatrician yesterday and she was very convinced my daughter has ADHD. She is 13 and does very well at school , but is not well socialised (has friends though). I guess as a dad I think she is fairly normal, but then again I think most people are strange. My wife however feels she does have problems and is not normal and could do with help. So I'm thinking my/our approach is to let her decide what she wants to do, whether she wants to do more tests, take the drugs etc. We both think she will do what she wants anyway. The paediatrician was on the verge of prescribing drugs, but I expressed concern so she suggested more tests. Anyway just want an opinion, should we let her decide (of course she might get it wrong), but at least she will be in control. I'm very mindful of mental health and I'm really thinking it from what her mental health will be in the short and long term. I've being searching the internet about ADHD.

Ovait Feeling violated by treatments
  • replies: 4

I have suffered with depression & cognitive deficits for the past 2 years since a mild traumatic brain injury. This injury has turned my world upside down with unknown future implications. I have lost my job, my career, my identity, my home. Depressi... View more

I have suffered with depression & cognitive deficits for the past 2 years since a mild traumatic brain injury. This injury has turned my world upside down with unknown future implications. I have lost my job, my career, my identity, my home. Depression (& SI) seems a perfectly rational response to me. Over the past 2 years I have been hospitalised multiple times (usually involuntarily), been diagnosed with as many psychiatric illnesses as professionals I’ve seen (all based on nothing more than subjective observation & most not resonating at all), subjected to lengthy rounds of ECT & made to take countless medications that proved completely useless in curing let alone helping me. Whenever I’ve questioned “why” re a diagnosis or treatment I’ve been labelled as having no insight or being narcissistic thinking I know better than my doctors. My cognition has now improved to the point that I can read again. In my reading I am discovering evidence from expert psychiatrists & researchers regarding the harmful effects of ECT (that it is basically causes brain damage to the frontal cortex which accounts for my trouble with some higher executive functioning that wasn’t evident pre ECT) & that antidepressants aren’t any more clinically significantly effective than sugar pills in treating the “chemical imbalance” of depression (a theory that the World Health Organisation among others has refuted for many years due to lack of scientific evidence) & are basically neurotoxins that lead to long term physical changes to brain structure. And don’t get me started on the violation of my human rights being involuntarily detained in hospital. We don’t detain medical patients who refuse treatment so why do it to a psych patient? I feel completely violated. These so called treatments have created an almost PTSD state in me. I have faith in the “talk therapy” I get with my psychologist but I have completely lost confidence in the pseudo scientific treatments dished out by psychiatrists. All they have done is delay my recovery by refusing to entertain the idea that I might actually have a brain injury (which has now been diagnosed) requiring cognitive rehab. Now to hope that 2 years down the track isn’t too late for correct treatment. Ovait

WeAllNeedHelp Mixed feeling about work.
  • replies: 4

Hi all, Kaylee here. So I have recently started a new job as a registered nurse around 2 months ago at my local hospital. It feels nice to be in the work force working however I am already starting to feel burnt out? Not exactly sure what it is I am ... View more

Hi all, Kaylee here. So I have recently started a new job as a registered nurse around 2 months ago at my local hospital. It feels nice to be in the work force working however I am already starting to feel burnt out? Not exactly sure what it is I am feeling. I don't mind the shift work and working up to 6 days in a row, however I am not enjoying the ward itself that I am on. I don't know if it's the environment ( I think this is a major part) as it is a busy and fast paced ward, and/or partly the people even though they are good for the most part. So I don't know what to do, if I should start looking for a new position, or just wait it out until my contract has finished in January? I know the transition is hard from finishing Uni and finding my feet in a new job. In saying this I feel like I didn't go through 3.5 years of uni to have anxiety going into work because I feel like I'm going to have a terrible shift because I wont be able to come and because I am not enjoying it and I'm already not wanting to be there. I am seeing a counsellor in a few days so I will ask for some advice there also. I just don't want to quit after putting in so much time and effort to get this far. On top of all of this I have recently started back on my antidepressant medications as I feel it was important to try them while starting. They have helped somewhat in my emotional state but they still can only do so much. SO trying to manage this on top of the stresses at work has been making it a struggle as I don't want people to think I am not cut out for the job due to the high standard expected of me to be able to deliver the best care. How can I do this when I am trying to manage my emotions outside AND inside of work hours ? I have already taken one mental health day for myself which was REALLY nice. I can't afford to take any more! Cheers