Immediate support
Immediate support

Treatments, health professionals and therapies

Information on a range of different areas, including managing relationships with GPs and psychologists, and finding the right services for you.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

All discussions

Start a discussion

Wonderlands I don't have a mental Illness?
  • replies: 10

Third session with my Therapist. I asked them before I left, is there some sort of diagnosis or something ( because I work best with labels). They said no, it is only our third session and right now, I cannot say you have a mental illness. There is d... View more

Third session with my Therapist. I asked them before I left, is there some sort of diagnosis or something ( because I work best with labels). They said no, it is only our third session and right now, I cannot say you have a mental illness. There is distress (self esteem, confidence and putting other people first vs yourself) which causes you anxiety, depression and also unrelated phobia but nothing to say you're ill and we will work through this with what is best for you, rather than a label. So now I'm confused and conflicted? Why am I so sad all the time if I'm not "actually" depressed. What's the explanation? Is it just my personality that's really bad? I feel like I'm wasting resources of this is the case. I shouldn't have asked the question.

Moonstruck CBT for anxiety; Mindspot online course
  • replies: 11

Just a few weeks into a Mindspot online course..they're great people..and explained the correlation between thoughts, actions leading from those thoughts, how it makes us feel etc...how they all work together etc. Other clients' personal stories whic... View more

Just a few weeks into a Mindspot online course..they're great people..and explained the correlation between thoughts, actions leading from those thoughts, how it makes us feel etc...how they all work together etc. Other clients' personal stories which are helpful to read...but what do I DO now? I already knew most of the initial information and also how CBT is supposed to work....I am eager to get to the "next bit"..how do I put CBT into action so that it works for me? I have heard it is very effective...and willing to give it a try...but what comes next? Ok...I "challenge my thoughts"....yes, done that...what's next?? Or is that all I have to do to improve and handle my crippling anxiety and over-thinking? If I have an unhelpful thought....then challenge it...is it like a magic wand? Any input from others with experience of this therapy would be very appreciated.....wishing all a positive day...Moonstruck

LilyR I have developed feelings for my psychologist
  • replies: 50

I started seeing a psychologist for depression and anxiety in March 2016. I had seventeen sessions with him in total and my last session was in November last year. Approximately nine or ten sessions in I realised that I was starting to develop feelin... View more

I started seeing a psychologist for depression and anxiety in March 2016. I had seventeen sessions with him in total and my last session was in November last year. Approximately nine or ten sessions in I realised that I was starting to develop feelings for my psychologist. I realise that it is stupid and ridiculous but nevertheless the feelings are still there even though it has been five months since I saw him. Appearently it happens quite a bit and is called ‘transference’. No matter what I do I cannot seem to get him out of mind and it is affecting my mental health. I honestly wish I had not gone to see him in the first place as it has made everything worse. I am after some advice or suggestions on what I should do. Has this happened to anyone else? I obviously do not want to tell my psychologist about my feelings as that would be extremely embarrassing and awkward but I need to get some help with this. Should I talk to my doctor or another psychologist about it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated- thank you.

Jacket Should I give my new psychiatrist another chance?
  • replies: 9

Hi all, I posted on 17/1 the post "A few questions about starting with a psychologist". I really appreciated the replies, and am now 1½ weeks away from finally seeing my third psychologist, desperately hoping that I will have more luck. But now I hav... View more

Hi all, I posted on 17/1 the post "A few questions about starting with a psychologist". I really appreciated the replies, and am now 1½ weeks away from finally seeing my third psychologist, desperately hoping that I will have more luck. But now I have a different tricky situation, with the psychiatrist I saw. Important to note: I've never seen a psychiatrist for medication until now. I had a one-hour session (my psychologist appointments so far have been 2-2.5 hours, because my situation is so "complex", according to them), and tried to explain everything in brief, also showing my writing on my life. During that hour, I talked about how my and/or my wife's potential infertility and how that has led to me feeling a lack of control in my life. He called my writing "obsessive", which didn't feel like a helpful comment, and also was surprised at my list of 15-ish friends I've told about my troubles. My support network means a lot to me, and I felt he was challenging me or disapproving. He ended up saying I have "substantial depression" and prescribing me medication, saying I should start them straightaway so I could have them in mornings and so I'd be a little used to them by the time I started work four days later. I put my faith in him and took them immediately, then started to read the information about that drug on the tram. I felt so betrayed when I saw that it has an identified risk of adversely affecting fertility. (As well as this, I had dizziness, headache, stomachache and vomiting. This was my first time ever trying an antidepressant.) I called him, and he spoke through his receptionist, saying that if I have such concerns, I should stop taking them and go back in a week's time to get something new. Did he not know about the fertility side effect? Did he know and conceal it? Does he just want me to visit again soon so he can make more money off me seeing him? It's very expensive to see him. For now, I booked a new appointment for this Friday, but I don't know whether to cancel it, postpone to see how I go at work without drugs and how I go with the new psychologist, go to see him and decide later whether to take his new prescription or not (I will of course be reading everything thoroughly this time), or seek a new one? I'm feeling very fragile, and already had such bad luck with two psychologists, I don't want to go through this all again because of a bad psychiatrist too. What would you do? Thank you in advance for your advice.

Sneed Mental Health Care Plan - changing psychologist
  • replies: 1

Hello all, first time time posting here. I just have a question in regards to the mental health care plan. Towards the end of last year, my GP wrote one of these up for me, and I went looking for a psychologist. I wanted someone to see me reasonably ... View more

Hello all, first time time posting here. I just have a question in regards to the mental health care plan. Towards the end of last year, my GP wrote one of these up for me, and I went looking for a psychologist. I wanted someone to see me reasonably quickly as I had some pressing concerns, which was a difficult task as many seem to have long waiting lists. I was, however, able to find someone who would begin seeing me at the beginning of the year, an I have since had a few sessions with her.Unfortunately, I don't think it's going very well. Not to go into specifics, but I'm not sure her methods are appropriate for me personally. I would like to try seeing someone else, but I am just not sure how to go about this with the MHCP situation. Is it possible to start seeing another psychologist on the MHCP after you've started with someone else? Would it require a new MHCP or do I use the old one? I guess I just want to know if it's possible to transition from one psych to another on the MHCP and what the process for doing so would look like. I gave my MHCP to my current psych. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Rae76 Can SNRIs affect menstruation?
  • replies: 5

Hi, Weird question. I am in the process of tapering off from an SNRI in preparation for changing medication. My period is due, but instead I have had a week of cramps on and off and sore breasts but no bleeding. I don’t know whether the withdrawal ca... View more

Hi, Weird question. I am in the process of tapering off from an SNRI in preparation for changing medication. My period is due, but instead I have had a week of cramps on and off and sore breasts but no bleeding. I don’t know whether the withdrawal can affect this at all or whether something else is going on. I have had every withdrawal symptom on the list but nothing like this was mentioned. I’m seeing the GP in three days anyway but I just wondered if I should be taking a pregnancy test in the meantime! We haven’t been using protection but, I had to use IVF for my two kids because i was supposed to be unable otherwise! Sorry I should probably just wait for the GP but I’m wigging out since we didn’t want a third child. thanks.

Lurkette How does Centrelink expect us to pay for two DSP evaluation on Newstart?
  • replies: 11

I'm on Newstart and I'm at least partially disabled due to mental health probs. I wanted to be evaluated to determine if I'm disabled enough to get the DSP. To get the DSP I need two evaluations from Clinical Psychologists. My GP is no help (knows al... View more

I'm on Newstart and I'm at least partially disabled due to mental health probs. I wanted to be evaluated to determine if I'm disabled enough to get the DSP. To get the DSP I need two evaluations from Clinical Psychologists. My GP is no help (knows almost nothing about mh probs). I called around on my own to find clinical psychologists. Each evaluation has the low-low price of 3-4 thousand dollars each. Medicare doesn't cover any of this. I called Centrelink and they said they don't have any programs to cover the cost and they don't have any suggestions. This is the first time I've run into a literally impossible situation (no one can pay 6-8 thousand dollars when all they have is Newstart) What am I supposed to do?

Bluebirdbrown Assessment tool- results for anxiety depression. How accurate is it ?
  • replies: 7

Hello, I am just curious how others feel about the reliability (or accuracy) of those online assessment tools for depression, anxiety and stress etc. How do we interpret the results? My GP tends to simply rely on the numbers scored and diagnose you. ... View more

Hello, I am just curious how others feel about the reliability (or accuracy) of those online assessment tools for depression, anxiety and stress etc. How do we interpret the results? My GP tends to simply rely on the numbers scored and diagnose you. And prescribe more pills etc. I partake in PHQ-9, K10 and SPIN and the overall results indicate that I have score high mark which representing severe symptoms or in a very high distressing range. This worries me as I don’t feel that the results reflect exactly how I feel and how bad I am. Indeed I am feeling I get better each day. Small steps but not going backwards. I know it sounds silly to ask this question but it’s annoying me and I tend not to distort my feeling to make the results looking nicer !

Ellen2811 Feel like giving up - no Dr seems to want to help
  • replies: 3

Hi. Sorry for the long post, but want to explain why I feel the way I do. I've always had terrible fatigue which stops me doing things I want to do. Have tried many anti-depressants with no effect. My mind is fine and wants to do everything, but my b... View more

Hi. Sorry for the long post, but want to explain why I feel the way I do. I've always had terrible fatigue which stops me doing things I want to do. Have tried many anti-depressants with no effect. My mind is fine and wants to do everything, but my body doesnt want to move and feels like lead - all day every day. GP wanted me on stimulants. Psych wanted a sleep study. Sleep physician said he can see I'm tired as I kept falling asleep during the day and they had to wake me, but it took me 10min to fall asleep each time and he can only help if I fell asleep under 6min. Another psych put me on a non-amphetamine stimulant which worked well, but 3 years later, I fall asleep 4 hours after taking it. If I increase the dose I cant sleep. Gp put me on a new non-benzo sleeping tablet with no effect. Went to another psych and was told to get off all the nasty drugs and go and live my life and then my brain will re-wire its thinking and I'll be cured. Left her appointment with depression, crying while driving down the highway for an hour. They all say it's not chronic fatigue, but fatigue from long-term anxiety. I had an adrenal gland test and it's normal. I dont take my kids anywhere or do anything with them. I dont cook them dinner as I'm too "drained". My friends can see I'm not the same as I used to be and that my house has deteriorated, which makes me feel worse. I know in my mind I want to do all these things and live my life, as the psych said, but my body wont move. So, I'm back to square 1. Noone seems to want to help or prescribe meds to help me. CBT and mindfulness dont work. My relationship ended due to me being "lazy".