Got a question related to mental health? ASK DR KIM

Chris_B · ‎23-08-2016

Hi everyone,

This is a thread for asking questions of our resident GP and counsellor, Dr Kim, who pops into the forums regularly.

PLEASE NOTE as per our community rules, Dr Kim won't be able to answer questions about medications, these are best discussed offline directly with your mental health professional.

UPDATE - 01/03/2018
BEFORE YOU ASK DR.KIM PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

Dr Kim's time is limited! We cannot provide an ongoing dialogue with Dr Kim in this thread - one post/question per person please
We'd recommend you have a look through the forums before posting here to see if your question has already been answered by Dr Kim, our other members, or if there's information about it already on the beyondblue website. If a question pops up that has already been answered previously, or if alternate resources are available, one of our moderators will reply and direct you to the link.
When writing your question, imagine you are speaking to someone in person i.e. provide a clear and detailed post with enough information that outlines how Dr.Kim can help you.

Background

After 20 years of experience working as a GP, Dr Kim realised in 2003 the aspect of her work she enjoyed most was talking to people and understanding the way they think and behave – and so she underwent training in counselling and therapy, where she now solely works.

Her experience includes working with a wide range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression and adolescent mental health.

“Given my training I also see couples, siblings, parents with their children and entire family groups,” she says. “In this work I hope to give families the skills to understand one another and have the strategies to communicate and manage relationships that are distressing them. I believe strongly that best therapy is achieved when there is trust in the therapist's ability but also their genuine desire to understand and help.”

Kelee · ‎02-11-2017

Hi, I know I'm probably posting in the wrong place but I am having great difficulty navigating this site. I know I'm depressed and the symptoms are making the simplest things frustratingly impossible. I rang your help line the other night, the lovely lady let me tell her my problems and she was very kind. Towards the end of the phone call the counsellor ask me what I wanted to do, I said I wanted to take off, get away, run away, just get in my car and go. In the end my mood had lightened because with my ideas and the counsellors encouragement We came up with a plan for me to take a road trip from Perth to Sydney to visit my sister. In a way it's a good thing that In my present mental state I'm unable to organise breakfast let alone a road trip. In my nursing career of 30 years I've nearly seen it all and I've helped so many people Yet here I am unable to help myself.

startingnew · ‎02-11-2017

hi Dr Kim

thank you for you response. it has been very helpful thanks!

Sophie_M · ‎03-11-2017

Hi Kelee, good on you for reaching out for help when you needed it. This thread is for asking questions of our resident GP and counsellor, Dr Kim. We would suggest you start a new thread in the Depression section to discuss your situation with our community. If you're unsure how to navigate the forums, head to the Welcome and orientation section at the top - there are many pinned posts in there with helpful information about how our forums work and how to get the best out of being here.

Kid_in_denial · ‎03-11-2017

Hi Kelee....

Why don't you start your own thread/discussion? There are many people, including myself, who would love to chat with you and everyone is always as helpful as possible. It is a great community.

Let the people come to you if you are unsure how to navigate the site.

S xx

Liam_David_T · ‎06-11-2017

Hello, my names Liam and i'm 15 years old. In the past 5 years a lot has happened with almost losing my dad and mum, family in health issue and so on. I really angry quick and easily, and i don't know why. I get angry over little things and around school i'm known for punching walls and putting a hole in the wall at camp. I've tried getting help but nothing works, I like to be alone most of the time. I find it hard to sleep sometimes because i'm always thinking about things. I push friends and family away from me a lot. Thanks for your time

Elizabeth CP · ‎08-11-2017

I use sleeping tablets at times due to sleeping problems. My psych has recommended me using them regularly ( up to 3 times a week) to stop the downward spiral due to fatigue. I'm noticing that I'm still tired when I wake up after having the sleeping tablets. I am unsure if this is due to the sleeping tablets not providing a good sleep or is it that I am so exhausted that I'm not catching up on sleep when taking the tablets.

If the tablets are not giving me the rest I need I'd rather not take them.

If the problem is that I'm still not getting enough sleep should I take them more often. I avoid taking them if I have to get up early as I don't want to risk driving while under their influence. This limits the days I can take them. Do you have any suggestions to enable me to work out whether the tablets are helping but I need them more or if they are hindering.

xxx123456789 · ‎10-11-2017

Hi Dr Kim,

My boyfriend has mentioned a few times to me about going through bipolar moods of hating himself and everything around him, to loving life. he is concerned about his mental state but doesnt think it is anything to reach out about, i, on the other hand, think that even if he doesnt think it is a major thing, should go and seek some advice with how to deal with these changes in mood. i dont know how to explain to him that his mental health shouldnt be left to the last minute to receive help on but he doesnt know who or where to go for help even if he wanted or needed it, and im not much help as im not a proffessional. please help me

Sophie_M · ‎10-11-2017

Hi everyone, apologies for the delay in getting you answers from Dr Kim, she has been busy this week. We hope to have them through shortly. Thanks for your patience.

AmyBGood · ‎12-11-2017

Hi Dr Kim,

I'm newly diagnosed with Bipolar 1 and recently had my first pure manic episode (the others had been mixed or hypo). My doctor put me on all the right meds - mood stabiliser and anti-psychotic meds - and I took them as directed (mostly - I kept reducing the anti-psychotics because they were killing my high). So after 3.5 weeks of mania the meds finally kicked in and I stopped getting obvious symptoms (so I reduced the meds by half and my doctor told me to stay on that amount until she tells me otherwise which I have) but I still had a problems with concentration. For 10 days I had no symptoms of mania or anything else while being on the lower dose and then yesterday I went hypomanic again so I saw a GP (mine's away) and he told me to increase it back to the dose where I stabilised first.

I want to know are these discreet episodes or part of the same one? And if it's part of the same one is this typical for some people?? I use an app to monitor my moods but I don't quite have a handle on the discreet episode idea and how I'm supposed to know whether I'm better or not from the episode. Even though I've had mixed moods and depressive in the past they weren't treated so I keep feeling like I should know what to do and what's going on but I don't. I have a new psychiatrist too so I'm anxious about asking some questions like this.

Dr_Kim · ‎13-11-2017

Hi Liam.David.T
I think that maybe what is happening to you is that your brain has had to try and grow develop whilst there has been a lot of trauma and disappointments happening in your life. This is really difficult for the brain . Let me try and explain.

You see there is a part of your brain , called your “amygdala” which is your primitive brain and helps us to keeps safe. It is the part of our brain that jumps to alert when danger is sensed and will run or punch its way out of danger ( it was clearly a super helpful part when we were primitive man and had to protect our selves from lions and tigers and the like! )

Then there is another part of your brain called your “cortex” which is your thinking brain. It is slower and takes time to work things out. It takes into account things like current environment, past experiences, emotional responses, logical consequences, memories, current resources and abilities and can make a very different decision about how to proceed than the amygdala part!

The thing is, when we are stressed or frightened or upset, guess who is likely to win the battle of being in control ? The Amygdala ! So that explains why you go into that mode of getting angry over little things… your amygdala is is really fired up because of your past. Its just so used to being fired up, that now it doesn’t take much to trigger it.

The good news is that
1. You clearly want to change the routine that you feel you are stuck in ( because you have tried getting help )
2. It is definitely treatable .

I would strongly suggest that you get some professional guidance to change the order in your brain so that your cortex has control over your amygdala!

so….
1. Make a long appointment speak to your GP about getting a referral to a psychologist with experience in trauma .Take a list of everything that you would like to change about yourself or even print put this letter and take it with you.

Here are some ideas that may also help for you both .
https://www.blueknot.org.au/Helpline
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/find-a-professional

2. Go to a Headspace centre or use the eHeadspace resource.
https://www.headspace.org.au/

3. Talk to your school counsellor .

If there is a trusted adult that you can open up to , then i encourage you to try do that too. Its super hard to do this all on your own.
Liam, its great that you wrote into us, There isn’t anything wrong with you . Your brain is just trying really hard to protect you.