Medical help with Depression

LegacyUser

I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I need help with my depression. I am always ridden with sadness, anger or anxiety at any one time, and when I am not, I’m aware that it’s right around the corner. I have tried so many ways to overcome this, but they always fail, and over the last few weeks I’ve realized medical help is probably what I need.
The problem is, I’m not sure the medical community in Ireland is geared towards the treatment of depression or anxiety. Two months ago I went to hospital with what turned out to be severe panic attacks. I finally thought the Doctors would decide on treatment for my condition, but instead they threw a weeks worth of valium at me and told me to try taking up exercise (I go to the gym 4 times a week), and do breathing exercises ffs. I’m in a long distance relationship (not ideal, but TBH I’ve been this way YEARS before this relationship), and the Doctor told me to dump her and find someone local. I couldn’t believe it – I love this girl and that’s his MEDICAL ADVICE!!! I told him I self medicate with drink, and he told me to drink less (I can go weeks without drinking but that constant, sinking, empty, hopeless feeling in my heart rarely leaves), again, not really satisfactory advice.


Anyway, I’m basically asking what to do? Do I visit my GP, and try to convince him I’m not looking to “score some drugs” and that my condition is something real? And where do I go if he tells me “get more exercise, drink less, and dump the person you love because things are somewhat inconvenient”? I need help, but I’m worried, wherever I go, I’m not going to get it. Has anyone else been through this? Any advice welcome.

Nevyn

If you are not happy with what your dr said then go get a second opinion.

LegacyUser

I will be watching the reply to this thread because I can relate to how you feel.

The first thing I will say is finding a doctor may not be easy - I went to a doctor close to having a nervous breakdown - I was physically sick had cold sores and couldn't stop crying. I told the doctor everything and all I got was a complimentary pack of vitamins!! However have you tried to find someone to talk to? If so how did you go about it?

[/QUOTE] I am always ridden with sadness, anger or anxiety at any one time, and when I am not, I’m aware that it’s right around the corner. [/QUOTE]
.[/QUOTE] constant, sinking, empty, hopeless feeling in my heart rarely leaves)[/QUOTE]

This is exactly how I feel 90% of the time I cannot motivate myself to do anything even though I know I will feel better if I do. I really do wonder what the hell we are put on this planet the receptiveness of life is unreal. I find myself wishing that I will get knocked down by a car or even more bizarrely that I will get cancer - I know that is just weird and very selfish as so many people do have cancer and I don't even know what I am talking about, I apologies if I have offended someone. I don't want to kill myself as I could not do that to my family/loved ones.

af_thefragile

Being through a long distance relationship myself, i'll say they rarely work. Mine failed quite miserably even when we used to speak to each other for hours everyday and meet up at least once a month. It resulted in a long spell of heart ache and depression and all that crap for me...
So I'ld say its really much wiser to find yourself a local girl. It'll keep you happier.

Apart from that what you said about feeling this way for ages n all... Well, to find the solution for your depression you've gotta first discover the roots of the problem. Your depression is probably rooted somewhere deep down where your conscious is not allowing you to easily reach to and so i'ld say go visit a counselor and with his help you should be able to get to the root of your problem. From there onwards you can find out how you've gonna solve or get over the problem and basically do what it takes to get over it!


About alcohol, your doctor is right again. Alcohol will only make you run away from your problems rather than face them and solve them. And you can't keep running away for ever unless you wanna fell depressed for your whole life! Yes, i'm probably sounding like your doctor here, but he is right! Listen to him. He's got your best interest in mind. Alcohol is not gonna end your misery.
Drink is not a medicine and you don't "self medicate" yourself by drinking. You're only deluding yourself and also making your problem worse. Did you know alcohol in large doses (and large as in more than a couple of pints) is actually a depressant? It'll actually make you feel more depressed than any better.
Also when you drink, you're running away from your problem or putting it away till sometime later, that way you're just gonna end up feeling worse later on cuz you're not doing anything to make your life better and you're still left with that grim feeling not getting any better with the major dissatisfaction that you're not doing anything significant to make it better either!

So i'll repeat again, stay off the alcohol!! Go on a holiday, take a brake, go away to south of france or spain (or even somewhere in Ireland for that sakes!) and do something you love for a week or two or something, then once you've gotten your mind's state out of your everyday life, think about whats really wrong with you and why you feel depressed. Then think about how you can get out of your depressing and make your life better and happier. Keep thinking till you find the answer and act on it!

af_thefragile

Unregistered wrote: »

This is exactly how I feel 90% of the time I cannot motivate myself to do anything even though I know I will feel better if I do. I really do wonder what the hell we are put on this planet the receptiveness of life is unreal. I find myself wishing that I will get knocked down by a car or even more bizarrely that I will get cancer - I know that is just weird and very selfish as so many people do have cancer and I don't even know what I am talking about, I apologies if I have offended someone. I don't want to kill myself as I could not do that to my family/loved ones.

For your its more a case of giving yourself a good kick on your back side, a splash in a cold swimming pool and then a warm cup of coffee.
All to get you out of this "I can't do anything" state of yours and start seeing things in a new light.

Really get out of what you've put yourself in there. Just snap your fingers, jump on your feet, raise your hands up and scream out of it!
Cuz you've gotta realise how privileged you are to be living the life you are right now. Think about it, you're living in a developed country with tons of luxuries your grandparents could only dream of. You've got tv's, internet, cell phones, media and music to keep you entertained 24/7, a nice warm home, good food, a good health system, a good car (if you don't have a car then a good public transport system) and i could go on and on about this...

And before you start to diss Ireland for not being the best country in the world, think bout it, you could have had been born to a starving family in a war ridden country in Africa. You could have been living an incredibly unhealthy and sick life watching your friends and family members starve to death everyday living a life where your only objective is to be able to find enough food that can enable you to get through the day.
Just go to google.com, type in "Congo" and look up the first link that comes up. Think about it. You could be one of those people living in those incredibly harsh situations.

So before your look down and loathe your life. Think about the kid starving to death in Africa, think about the mom dying of Cancer, think about the kids in Africa being born with AIDS everyday.
Now realise and acknowledge how you are not suffering from any of those problems and how insignificant your problems are compared to those people's. Appreciate that, feel sorry for the people in Africa and donate some money towards helping them and feel better than you've done something good with your life by taking a step towards helping humanity and stay happy!!

P.C.

af_thefragile wrote: »

Your depression is probably rooted somewhere deep down where your conscious is not allowing you to easily reach to and so i'ld say go visit a counselor and with his help you should be able to get to the root of your problem.

That is the only sensible thing you said

P.C.

Depression is a chemical state.

It can be caused by psychological, chemical or physical things/reasons.

The first thing that a health care professional should recommend is therapy, the second would be medication.

The things that most people do not understand about treating depression with medication are:
1.) It takes between 3 to 5 weeks for the medication to take effect.
2.) You might have to watch your diet – i.e. alcohol, other medication, etc.
3.) Treating depression with medication does not take away the cause of the depression.

There are no such things as ‘Happy pills’
Depression is a serious psychological illness, and should not be taken lightly.
My advice to the OP would be to find a qualified therapist who will help you. Together with your therapist, you will be able to decide if you need medication, or not. You will be able to determine what course of treatment/counselling will be best for you, and the results that you want.

Unfortunately, it is a long term course of treatment, but, as you go through counselling, it does get better.

sam34

P.C. wrote: »

Depression is a chemical state.

It can be caused by psychological, chemical or physical things/reasons.

The first thing that a health care professional should recommend is therapy, the second would be medication.

The things that most people do not understand about treating depression with medication are:
1.) It takes between 3 to 5 weeks for the medication to take effect.
2.) You might have to watch your diet – i.e. alcohol, other medication, etc.
3.) Treating depression with medication does not take away the cause of the depression.

There are no such things as ‘Happy pills’
Depression is a serious psychological illness, and should not be taken lightly.
My advice to the OP would be to find a qualified therapist who will help you. Together with your therapist, you will be able to decide if you need medication, or not. You will be able to determine what course of treatment/counselling will be best for you, and the results that you want.

Unfortunately, it is a long term course of treatment, but, as you go through counselling, it does get better.

"Treating depression with medication does not take away the cause of the depression."

really? if a depression is an endogenous/melancholic depression, then meds will indeed 'take away the cause'. obviously, if a depression is a reactive depression, then meds wont take away the cause.


"Depression is a serious psychological illness, and should not be taken lightly.
My advice to the OP would be to find a qualified therapist who will help you. Together with your therapist, you will be able to decide if you need medication, or not. You will be able to determine what course of treatment/counselling will be best for you, and the results that you want"

so, while acknowledging that depression is a serious illness, you nonethe less advise that someone who is not qualified to prescribe medication should make the decision about whether meds are required or not. very very few 'therapists' are qualified doctors and therefore are not qualified to make a decision about medication.