GP's and Anti-Depressants Important Info

[blondguy]

Hi Everyone! New Posters are very welcome to share your experiences with a GP too!

I had an appointment yesterday with my GP. He is aware of what I do on the Beyond Blue forums. I asked him about anti depressants and how he treats his patients with depression/ anxiety and why some GP's dont prescribe meds. This is what I learned yesterday from one doctor.

• He has always had an interest in depression and anxiety and prescribes AD's where the symptoms fit the criteria to do so
• He will refer to a psychiatrist if a patient shows symptoms of a more 'complex' mental illness and not prescribe meds himself
• Some GP's have little interest in 'getting involved' with depression and will refer to a psychiatrist with little if any discussion
• He isnt 'pro meds' or 'anti-meds' He treats depression as a serious illness with meds to improve his patients health & well being

• He mentioned that a pro-active GP can know more about AD's than some psychiatrists as GP's have more frequent patient contact

It did surprise me that some GP's have little or no interest in treating depression. I hope these GP's are in the minority.

I am interested to know any good or not so good experiences other people have had with a GP. I posted this thread originally so any people with untreated depression/anxiety have a better understanding of how experiences with a GP can be positive step towards recovery.

All your thoughts are most welcome

Thankyou for taking the time to read my thread

Kind thoughts

Paul

[Guest8901]

Thats okay Pilgrim.

Try not to think of it as another nail in the coffin however. Think of it as one less avenue to pursue. There are other options still out there that could be right for you. Options which could unlock the key to your future happiness. Please dont give up looking. Did you phone the help line to see what they had to say?

Amanda

[Dr_Kim]

Hi there everyone,

It is super frustrating for everyone to live in a community that has an underfunded health care system. I can promise you that GPs would love there to be all sorts of specialists readily available for their patients when needed but this is rarely the case. 

Mostly we make do with the system we have which is often slow and often imperfect but if we all work together can often get some results.

In order to manage this system, my suggestion is that you try to see your GP as “on your side”. They know the system pretty well and can usually work it for you but you need to feel that you guys are a team together working to get the best from the system that you can without unrealistic expectations getting in the way and making you both upset.

So maybe slow down and start with a double appointment at the GP. Come in prepared. Write down a list of immediate issues and maybe more long term goals. That way the GP knows what to prioritise and what can wait a bit. ( clearly no one can do everything in one session) .

Then I suggest that you work together on a plan . For example. If you both feel that a mental health plan to see a psychologist is a good idea, then organise that. If if it is going to be a number of weeks until you can be seen ( which is actually the norm these days ) , then work together on what strategies you might use to get through the next few weeks.

You might like to think about what you have done in the past to "get yourself through". In times of increased anxiety or negative thinking, have you tried to relieve the thoughts with going for a walk , or going to a movie , or calling someone you know or a helpline or doing a puzzle or anything that might distract you momentarily from the thoughts ?

Remember it's a partnership with the GP , which means you need to add SOMETHING to the plan , some options. 

Your GP might offer some things too.. maybe until your appointment comes up, they might offer regular appointments so you can drop in and tell them how you are going and which coping strategies are helping or not. Or maybe during this time.. you guys can get to know each other better and develop a relationship so the appointments are not “ wasted” but important building blocks to a long term collaboration.

Try to remember that the GP is most likely coming from a place of genuinely trying to help you and behave in an ethical and professional way too. Sometimes this means that they may seem a bit cold but ultimately the usual reason is that they have a checklist going in their minds of what they believe is the best thing for you in the long term and are brave enough to withstand your short term disappointment in them in order to serve your long term health needs.

A good example of this is when people come in wanting antibiotics for a viral cold . We know the antibiotics won’t help and in fact just contribute to the worrying problem of antibiotic resistance in the community. The person in the office however believes they will help and wants the script. Sometimes you appear "heartless’ by not giving the prescription , but you are not being unkind, you are acting according to all your medical  knowledge about what is the best path to take. 

So … maybe take a breath and next time see your GP with a double appointment and some preparation and the belief that they are trying to help and also that you need to do at least half of the work on the team. I feel this will make you and your GP more likely to develop a good productive relationship where you can feel understood and supported but also not put the bar up too high and feel disappointed and alone.

[Sophie_M]

Hi everyone,

This thread is crossing into territory that is covered by a number of other threads, so we're going to close it off.

As Dr Kim mentions, managing your mental health takes place in partnership with health professionals, but also involves working through issues that are happening in your life outside of the doctor's office.  You can start up or use a support thread in the relevant section to focus on how our community can help and support you at the moment, looking at the whole picture of what's going on.

If you're interested in improving the relationship you have with your GP, we have this thread here:

Have the conversation: how to talk to your doctor

And we've also addressed how to find a good GP or psychologist in this thread here:

Are you looking for a doctor, therapist or support group?