First step in asking for help?

[massdancer]

Hi I recently moved to australia from the US, and I don't know who to see for the first step in finding help for treating my anxiety and depression. I was never diagnosed by a doctor for it in the states. Would I make an appointment with a GP here first?

[Croix]

Dear Massdancer~

Welcome here to the beyondblue Forum and also to Australia I guess. Coming here for advice from others who have coped with depression and anxiety is a pretty good idea and I hope you will feel at home and gain benefit.

I'm going to assume you have the same rights to social services as other Australians and am answering on that basis.

It is normal practice to visit your GP as a fist step in having a mental illness diagnosed and treated. Depending on the results of that visit you may be referred to other health professionals, a psychologist or psychiatrist, and may be given a Mental Health Plan that can assist by subsidizing some treatment by the psychologist.

I personally found that by booking a long consultation with the doctor and writing down in advance my circumstances, symptoms and about my life I was able to present a clear picture, which of course is needed for diagnosis.

These are other options. If you are under 25 you could ring Headspace and deal with them. They specialize in younger people. For those in immediate distress and in danger of suicide then emergency numbers such as dialing 000 or visiting the Accident and Emergency department of hospitals is the way to go.

Although you have mentioned anxiety and depression you have not really given many more details. Should you wish further information there is The Facts menu above, as well as which you are welcome to browse around this Forum and see how others have coped.

As someone who had had both those illnesses long term I've found personal support to be of great benefit. Do you have anyone you can talk frankly with, who will listen and care?

We would hope you come back and talk more

Croix

[startingnew]

hi welcome to the forums 🙂

yep make an appointment with your GP, they will perform a mental health assessment and can diagnose you. they can also give you a mental health care plan and can also reffer you to a psychologist in your area as well.

i wish you all the best with your journey 🙂

[massdancer]

Thanks for your help. I've never mentioned it to my family or friends before. We never talk about mental illnesses and it's not something that I can easily talk about. The move here has been really difficult to cope with, and the distance between my family and friends back home is making it hard to find comfort. I made an appointment with a GP hoping that they'll be able to point me in the right direction. Thanks for the support

[startingnew]

well done on taking that first step.

its not easy when friends and family arent there to support you

[Croix]

Dear Massdancer~

Thanks for coming back, feeling isolated is something a lot of people here know well.

You are most welcome to talk here as much - or a little -as you'd like. There is no judgment, complete anonymity and a surprising amount of care from those that have traveled down the road before and wish to ease the experience for those that follow..

Other people's experiences can be very helpful, plus the atmosphere here is unique.

I'd very much like to know how you get on.

Croix

[massdancer]

Hi guys!

I went and saw a GP today and it felt really good to just talk about what i've been feeling and experiencing lately. I was put on a medication and am going to speak with a therapist. Hopefully things will start to get better 🙂

[Croix]

Dear Massdancer~

I'm really pleased you've taken that first step. As I mentioned I could not have gone far without medical help, and now I'm in a pretty good place. Feeling able to talk frankly with your GP is a blessing

I did want to mention something, Even with help there can be ups and downs, mainly 2 causes. The first is pretty obvious, meds and therapy have to be right for the particular person -no one size fits all - so getting it right can take time and feel pretty discouraging if it does take rather long. Even the lag until old medication is tailed off and new one takes hold can seem ages. Don't be discouraged if this happens, it only has to be right once.

The other thing is your current life makes a big difference - new job, uncertainties in a relationships, just about anything you can think of, so sometimes your regime needs tweaking to compensate.

That all sounds a bit gloomy and discouraging, don't let it be. You are most definitely on the right path and things will indeed get better.

I hope you keep on posting, knowing how you are getting on will be good

Croix

[startingnew]

Hi Massdancer

thats fantastic! well done on taking that first step and getting help. youve definently taken the right step in a positive direction. now you can start to work on your recovery 🙂

feel free to keep posting your progress too, id love to hear how your going through out the days 🙂