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crazymum1975 Depressed
  • replies: 1

I have decided that I need to go back on some medication to help with my depression. I have no motivation I am crying all the time I hardly leave the house except for work and essentials. I have no social interactions as I feel unworthy of love and f... View more

I have decided that I need to go back on some medication to help with my depression. I have no motivation I am crying all the time I hardly leave the house except for work and essentials. I have no social interactions as I feel unworthy of love and friendship. I am a single mum of 4 amazing young adults and a grandma to 1. I don’t know which antidepressants to go take. I have been on medication before I don’t feel that it helped. I have also gained so much weight in the last year I am heavier now than I was pregnant with any of my kids. I was wondering if anyone has felt similar and experienced the same, and if so what helped?

I_live_in_the_cracks The system is broken
  • replies: 2

I have a psychiatrist but I can’t afford the psychiatrist and a psychologist or rehabilitation. I feel locked in to seeing the psychiatrist monthly because I don’t think I would cope well with withdrawal from the medication I am on. I had a bad workp... View more

I have a psychiatrist but I can’t afford the psychiatrist and a psychologist or rehabilitation. I feel locked in to seeing the psychiatrist monthly because I don’t think I would cope well with withdrawal from the medication I am on. I had a bad workplace experience. I have extensively researched what does and does not constitute workplace bullying and I am 100% positive that I, and multiple others were bullied in that very toxic work environment. I know the research says that the way to recover is to work through what happened with someone and then get back on the horse. Where is the help to do that?i am not perfect and I have not done everything right. I have made mistakes but what happened to me was not about me.I do not like who I am now. I am reactive and cry at the drop of a hat. I used to be functional. I used to be optimistic. I used to participate in life. I used to look after myself. I am not myself. I am about to lose what is left to keep me clinging to life.I had just started feeling capable of moving forward and that I was improving, but time is up. I asked for help or direction to find help and I got a sorry we can’t help you. At least I can tell the next person that points me towards beyond blue that I have done that and it is pointless. The systems need to be changed. Introduce workplace mediation services so there is independent parties an employee can go to for help before formal procedures. HR will always protect the company because they need to keep their jobs. When your only action is a legal complaint which you have to pay to make and agree to pay everyone’s costs if you can’t prove it, it is immensely intimidating. No complaint - no help.

TheBigBlue Help! Health Insurance for out-patient services
  • replies: 7

I’m meant to start DBT in a few weeks, the hospital called me yesterday saying I needed to increase my private insurance coverage for psychiatrict care. I called my health insurer & got some info & an exorbitant quote. Then when they asked about my t... View more

I’m meant to start DBT in a few weeks, the hospital called me yesterday saying I needed to increase my private insurance coverage for psychiatrict care. I called my health insurer & got some info & an exorbitant quote. Then when they asked about my treatment they said they only covered in-patient stays, not out-patient. I called the hospital back & they ensured me is was an out-patient service & to call my insurer back & ask for a policy that provides cover for outpatients. So i ring back the health insurer to be told Medicare covers out-patient services, not private insurance. Now my anxiety is through the roof & I’m lost. so what are my options? Pay full cost for DBT? Claim through Medicare if possible? Are their insurance companies that DO cover psychiatric care for outpatients???? im so stressed about it now I can’t even think straight

Soberlicious96 Not the best week I've had. Not the worst either.
  • replies: 1

So I can confidently say that this is not the best week I've had in a while. Got Covid for the second time, but not as bad as it was the first time around. Still feel like crap though. Sore Throat, lethargy, stuffy nose. No fever though and no vomiti... View more

So I can confidently say that this is not the best week I've had in a while. Got Covid for the second time, but not as bad as it was the first time around. Still feel like crap though. Sore Throat, lethargy, stuffy nose. No fever though and no vomiting or diarrhea like I had last time, so that is a BIG relief. But in other news, I am part of a fairly large recall for a medical procedure that I had done 18 months ago where the diagnoses were either incomplete or incorrect. That particular surgeon, I believe, has now lost their job. Having said that, I think I am pretty much okay because apart from having COVID, which is not related to the procedure I had, I have been quite well and not had any symptoms. Still, it doesn't necessarily fill me with confidence. Some illnesses can be very slow to develop and don't show symptoms sometimes until it is well advanced. Anyway, it is what it is. No matter what is around the corner, I have all the love, support and encouragement that I need in my life. Just taking it one day, one hour, one moment at a time.

LeeLee18 Upset about my kids health
  • replies: 1

Long story short, my daughter came down a cdiff infection last year (community acquired, hadn't been on antibiotics but had been in contact with an active case unknowingly). She became sick end of October and recovered in January after multiple round... View more

Long story short, my daughter came down a cdiff infection last year (community acquired, hadn't been on antibiotics but had been in contact with an active case unknowingly). She became sick end of October and recovered in January after multiple rounds of antibiotics and fmt enemas. Since then she has dealt with residual ibs throughout this year that has gotten better for the most part. When she got sick, my youngest son had a change in his stools, had him tested for the bug but kept coming back negative. Fast forward to one month ago, he had a fall and had to get his front two teeth removed which entailed antibiotics. What happened in addition? It set of a cdiff infection, even though he tested negative for carrying the bug. Antibiotics and fmt enemas and now waiting for results to see if it resolved the infection. Now, my middle son has had a change in his stool but is testing negative, so who knows if it's the same situation. Every day in my house is hot washing linens, bleaching high touch surfaces, mopping the floors with a specific product that kills this bug, pumping the kids full of probiotics and checking the toilet everytime they go. I have to worry about their future because who knows if they ever get rid of this or if it sits in low numbers in the gut waiting to strike? Can't have them take an antibiotic unless it's life or death. To say I'm upset is an understatement, and I'm exhausted. I can't believe our family has been hit with a fairly rare antibiotic resistant superbug and it's potentially spread to all 3 of my kids. I don't even know if their lives will be normal in the future. God forbid if they get sick and need antibiotics, can't go out and drink with their mates when they're older because we don't want to upset the microbiome. Some days I'm ok, other days I'm not. I'm not today and can't accept this is happening in mine and my children's lives.

Carpetenthusiast Can a psychologist view the votes of my previous psychologist?
  • replies: 1

I can't find the answer. I'm not talking about records of visiting a previous psychologist, I'm talking about the notes the previous psychologist took.

I can't find the answer. I'm not talking about records of visiting a previous psychologist, I'm talking about the notes the previous psychologist took.

OrangeYouGladYouMetMe Where Else to Turn?
  • replies: 9

I've been diagnosed with depression/anxiety since about 15 (symptoms from 12ish) and I'm now in my mid 30's. I've been on an SSRI for eight years which helped with my anxiety and being a functional human. Last year I was diagnosed with ADHD and began... View more

I've been diagnosed with depression/anxiety since about 15 (symptoms from 12ish) and I'm now in my mid 30's. I've been on an SSRI for eight years which helped with my anxiety and being a functional human. Last year I was diagnosed with ADHD and began taking stimulants, which has helped a great deal but has the downside of feeling like I am puppeteering my body. It has destroyed my appetite and I feel like I'm caring for a needy Tamagotchi all the damn time (Oh look 2PM better force the woman to drink).The big problem is that I'm more depressed and frustrated than ever. I'm incredibly lonely, I have no friends, no family and aside from work I spend all my time alone. I'm a virgin, haven't dated and despite trying everything from mixed-gender sports to online dating, I'm still alone. My psychiatrist is a medication vending machine (Insert $250 and get a script - yay!). He told me I was 'too clever to have suicidal thoughts and should just not think about it'. My GP reluctantly referred me to another, but after waiting for six-months the appointment was cancelled when the doc was off sick and I was added to the end of the list.I fully believe in psychology, but in my experience they let me give TED talks about my current ADHD driven hobbies and take everything at face value, which is unfortunate as I lie unintentionally/easily. I've never gotten anything I would see as therapy from any of them. I had begun to see one on the regular this year, but she had to have an operation, and now it has been three months. They then cancelled my appointment 'as she was no longer taking late appointments' and I was put on the back of the three-month + long wait list....So what is the point?Really, what else can I do? I'm pretty sure the way things are going when I have my classic breakdown/freakout/anxiety attack one day I'm just going to kill myself, or at least try, as I get very distressed and reckless (and it's getting worse, month by month) Obviously, I don't want that but I am also finding it is too difficult to keep getting help. The constantly changing appointments stress me out, the price of it all stresses me out, and honestly nothing has helped, I'm still the same depressed person I've always been. What else is there? Where can I go? Please, there's got to be somewhere I can turn for more support or accountability.

charliecharliebear School psychologists moved school and anxious about going back to school
  • replies: 6

Hi There, I have been reading these forums for a while but as I could not find any with a similar topic so it is my first time posting. A little background is that I have always been quite isolated at school and have never really had any close friend... View more

Hi There, I have been reading these forums for a while but as I could not find any with a similar topic so it is my first time posting. A little background is that I have always been quite isolated at school and have never really had any close friends. I experience some social anxiety and also general anxiety. In the last half of last year I started seeing the school psychologists. I found it really hard to talk for a lot of it but I’m the end found some ways (mostly writing to him) and we also worked on some ways to manage my anxiety mostly what we called ACE or acknowledge connect engage. I found out at the end of last year that he is moving schools and there will be a different school psychologists coming. I do not know who this is, what their name is or where their office will be but the old psychologists said that he would pass on my file. As it is coming up to when I start school I am getting really anxious about going back to school, with social issues as well as no longer being able to go to my old school psychologists. I am scared that I will not get along with the new one and that I will have no one to go to when I get anxious at the start of school. Would anyone have any recommendations about how to get to know the new person or other ways to find support at the start of school when I will not know them yet?Thank you for your time and reading this.

tmas Wondering about Autism
  • replies: 3

Hi, I'm a little unsure as I write this. I'm at a point where I've begun to seriously consider I might be on the spectrum, but I'm not sure what to do with this. Throughout my teens I had a myriad of diagnoses, they all made sense for my symptoms, bu... View more

Hi, I'm a little unsure as I write this. I'm at a point where I've begun to seriously consider I might be on the spectrum, but I'm not sure what to do with this. Throughout my teens I had a myriad of diagnoses, they all made sense for my symptoms, but I'm a big believer that diagnoses are not definitive (they certainly never felt that way). It's easy to identify with a label, but I am now at a point where they are more of a diagnostic/treatment tool that doesn't always serve the patient. Thought I'd preface with that. About six months ago I was diagnosed with adult ADHD, I'm now 21 and the signs were always there, but they were largely blamed on anxiety. I know neurodivergent women are under diagnosed, and I had huge pushback from my family when I was considering ADHD assessment. In the end, I was diagnosed and respond very well to medication. The one thing that didn't really change, and perhaps even became more identifiable, were sensory issues that I had blamed on my OCD but realised had been there my whole life and had continued even as my anxiety became more manageable - I'm in a constant battle between under (novelty-seeking) and over stimulation (panic attacks, burn out, shut down). They were just a little quirk of my behaviour (I hated hugs as a kid, hated certain foods, was generally just that weird little kid that spoke fast, or not at all, and knew too much about certain things), but living with a partner I've realised a lot about myself - my communication style, my obsessiveness, my inflexibility with routine and love for the mundane. I'm rethinking stimming, and listening to the stories of late-diagnosed ASD women is frighteningly relatable. I did the autism quotient test and scored well into the range for ASD, but am struggling to understand the pros and cons of diagnosis. I've been considering it since I was 14, but only in the last year or so have I actually bothered to learn what autism really looks like (outside of gross 90's movies). Advice is appreciated.