guidance for my depressed friend?

undecided

I have a friend who is 50 and needs help. She is Ithink depressed? but also grieving for her marraige. She had a v rough upbringing, then her blissfully happy marriage crumbled 15 yrs ago, her family have all grown up and moved on but try to help but without much sucess.

This woman seems to be in a standstill in her life. She is unpredictable {ie rages anger) She at times appears to be on the brink of a nervous breakdown. I know her all my life and can see how things have affected and changed her and now i'm really starting to worry for her sake.

I managed to get her to go to a GROW meeting but she didn't feel this could help her. I then asked her to get her GP to refer her to a counsellor he gave her the no. of one but doesn't take medical card and she can't afford the fees.

MY question is can any of you reccomend counsellors that take the medical card in dublin area. Also any other suggestions as to how I could help her would be great as she cant go on like this.

thanks

Lizzykins

I would strongly recommend Accord from personal experience. They only look for donations as and when you can afford them. Lifesavers.

JuliusCaesar

HSE provides free counselling with Clinical and Counselling Psychologists and Nurses trained in psychotherapy & counselling. GP should be able to refer her to her local services.

There's also Grow, Aware, Recovery Inc etc.

undecided

GP seems to be quite ignorant in this respect gave her details of a private councellor whom she cannot afford!

Do Accord do private meeting? She tried GROW but don't think she liked it as it was in a group setting.

Can she go sraight to the HSE or does she have to be referred?

Thanks!

LegacyUser

undecided wrote: »

GP seems to be quite ignorant in this respect gave her details of a private councellor whom she cannot afford!

Do Accord do private meeting? She tried GROW but don't think she liked it as it was in a group setting.

Can she go sraight to the HSE or does she have to be referred?

Thanks!

That seems Odd. GP's have lists of counsellors they can refer patients to who are piggy backed with the public health system. If not the GP themselves, they can check with the nearest hospital. I would persist with the GP queries until they help her. Good luck.

Lizzykins

I went to Accord on a one to one basis in 1996. My husband and myself went together the first time and it was clear that the problems we had lay solely with me. I can laugh at it now but at the time I was seriously depressed. I went every week for about three months for an hour a time. We hadn't much money at the time which was a major cause of worry for me and I had been referred to a private counsellor who was charging 40 pounds an hour as far as I remember. That was a non runner-we just couldn't afford that at all. I remember giving Accord 50 pounds now and again. My husband was very insistant on us donating something. They helped so much that at the end of three months conselling and Prozac I was back to normal. I have never looked back. The Prozac helped to take the edge off the depression so that I could at least talk without blowing up. The counsellor said she had never seen anyone so angry in her life! My issues were unresolved grief and in-law troubles. All very much in the past now. Hope this helps. You will find Accord in the phone book or possibly online-I haven't looked to see if they have a website. They were formerly the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council but don't let that put you off-there is no religion at all discussed.