Can a GP alone Diagnose Anxiety, depression, Etc?

[Stormgirl2012]

Hi all

I'm new here and have been on and off of medication for about the last 4 years.  My GP has never ever referred me on to see anyone else.  Can a GP alone diagnose things such as depression, bipolar and anxiety etc? I am at a point with my anxiety that I aaoid going anywhere new because I'm worried about crowds and the unfamiliarity of somewhere/something new.  My husband wants to go on holiday overseas but just the thought of it makes me tense up.  I have been overseas before many times so it's not like it's something I've never done before.  Anyway, I'm having a bad time on medication- so tired all the time.  I eat a lot and don't exercise because I am so tired - I used to be a regular gym goer.  When I do it it's like I inhale my food, it's awful!  Anyway, should I get my GP to refer me to a psychologist or something?  At the very least I think a change in meds might work.

[geoff]

dear Stormgirl, I know that it takes a huge effort to decide whether or not to post a comment, but once you have, it then becomes easier to keep responding, so thanks so much for doing this.

A GP can diagnose if someone has any sort of depression which does include anxiety, because that's why they put you on antidepressants, or to give you some other medication to help with your anxiety.

If you aren't happy with your current GP then you can click under 'get support' at the top of the page, where there is a list of doctors who are aligned with BB and would be able to help you further.

If you do this then please don't have any concerns for your current doctor, as he/she should have already set up a medicare plan for you, which entitles you to 10 free visits to see a psychologist.

I normally suggest seeing a psychologist because I have found that they are more approachable, as my visits to any psychiatrist haven't been the best.

I don't believe that you are ready to go overseas at the moment, because the pressure this would cause you would be too immense, and that's a definite reason to contact a doctor who can then refer you a psychologist, and there maybe a wait, but please I would like you to do this, and so would your husband.

If you believe that your medication isn't working then it needs to be reviewed, and I wouldn't worry about going to the gym just at the moment, because you think you want to, but your mind is not ready just yet.

I hope that you can stay with us. L Geoff. x

[AGrace]

Hi Stormgirl,

Welcome to the BB forums, as Geoff mentioned thanks for sharing your story. I hope that by reaching out here you get to discover others' experiences and perhaps help yourself make a decision in terms of what to do next.

We each come here with our own experiences, and these determine our views. My experiences differ to Geoffs and therefore if I were you I would consider getting a referral to a Psychiatrist.

My reasons behind this are: 1. A Psychiatrist will be able to use your history to form a diagnosis. 2. S/he will be able to review your medications to make sure you are on the best combination and the most suitable doses, while taking into account the side effects that you have been experiencing. 3. S/he will be able to do some talking therapy with you and recommend Psychology visits or groups therapy sessions. It's been my experience that tackling mental illness you need to take a cumulative approach. Medicine alone may not help, the same as Psychological treatments on their own may not be sufficient.

As Geoff mentioned if you want to see an alternate GP, then please visit BB's list. Are you thinking of considering this?

When does your husband wish to travel? If it's a few months away, this could be a goal that you work towards. You may find that if you can get your anxiety under control then you won't be so nervous about going.

Anxiety tends to limit us from doing many activities, and yet it's these activities that in the long term have a significant impact on our health. Once you get your medication right, hopefully the tiredness will subside and you will have more energy to do things. In the interim consider trying to push through the tiredness, even if just to go for a small walk. Do you have a regular sleep routine?

Medication can change our appetites, and this coupled with fatigue can contribute to eating more to get more energy. I try my best to try to pick foods that at least wont cause me to feel more lathargic and won't keep attributing to weight gain. Aim to get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, you should be able to eat as much of these as you wish. Also try to avoid sugar and overloads of caffeine, they give us a quick high but then bring us crashing down needing more.

I hope this is helpful, at the end of the day the decision is yours, but it does sound like you need some extra support.

AGrace

[Stormgirl2012]

Thanks Guys - your comments have been very helpful.  I have now changed meds but still not 100% confident as my GP really focuses more on my PMDD than the other stuff around it and is therefore prescribing antidepressants that are proven to deal with that. I have asked whenther I need to see anyone or get a mental health plan but was told no, as it's all chemical.  However I have a lot of deep seated issues which I need help with letting go of before I can think about recovery.   I wonder if there are any better antidepressants out there that don't mess with your appetite and motivation the way these do.  Then again, I've heard that weight gain is part and parcel of taking them.  Has anyone used anything natural that's as potent as conventional stuff?  I have a follow up with my normal GP in a couple of weeks.  After that I'm thinking of going to see one of the docs that are aligned with Beyond Blue and starting from scratch without even talking about the PMDD first off and see what they say.

[redbrigade]

Hi Stormgirl.
While our issues stem from chemical imbalances, it really is necessary to deal with the psychological problems that surround and arise from those imbalances as a whole.
I've been dealing with depression & anxiety for most of my life, but was only aware of it in the past decade or so - there are things that make you depressed, and they're like a glue. You can clean up all the negative stuff that gets stuck to it, but if you don't clear out the glue it'll all build up again. I see a psych once a month, and I can't stress enough how well he helps me deal with all the clutter (physical, emotional, psychological) that builds up within that time period.

Now, you're talking about weight gain. My anti-depressants do seem to have an effect on my weight. About 2 years ago now I had a really stressful FIFO job in the Pilbara and I put on about 10 kg just during that year and came really close to being diabetic. I'm now 1 year into a PhD and you can imagine I'm still stressed, and still busy. It is, really, really hard to try and prioritise my physical health but it must be done. I've lost that 10kg but I'm still (generally speaking) a little overweight. But again, my psychologist helped me through this. I want to exercise in the morning, every day, but it's really hard for me. I feel my ideal time to exercise is afternoon, so at this stage, I go with when it's easiest. You have to remember that most of those really fit people out there have a clear goal in mind and are very motivated to achieve. We can't necessarily be like that yet.

What I want to emphasise to you is a psych will really help you deal with those side effect, be it weight gain or whatever. With that support you can reason out the best approach for you to deal with those things, and in the future you will be better prepared to deal with them on your own terms. Does that make sense?

Best wishes.

[AGrace]

Hi Stormgirl,

I have to agree with redbrigade, medication will do some of the work, but talking therapy and learning strategies through a Psychologist will also assist. 

If you're thinking of seeing one of the BB suggested Drs, I'd do that for now. I'm a little surprised that the GP you saw didn't suggest anything other than medication.

It certainly helps to tackle our issues from a few angles. 

Most of the medication we are recommended in the early days does have an influence on weight and appetite. Their are then medications you can change to that are not prone to putting on kilos.

Let us know how you get on. Sadly I'm not sure of any natural therapies. 

AGrace

[Coming_up_roses___]

I hear your pain 😞

Antidepressants, therapy (DBT is great), alternative remedies and lifestyle changes alone may not be the whole answer.

Have you engaged the help of an obstetrician/gynaecologist who (in cooperation with your mental health care providers) will investigate and treat the possible underlying hormonal cause of PMDD or ovarian cycle syndrome??? XOXOXO