Treatment for Depression - What to expect?

123anon

Firstly apologies to the mods, I posted this this morning but I guess no-one is on duty for this board today so please delete my other post.

I was diagnosed with depression a few months ago. At the time I agreed with GP that it was a natural reaction to a situation I was in at the time and it would be best to hold off on treatment.

That situation has ended and while I thought I was going to snap out of it when my circumstances changed, that has happened.

In fact I think I am getting worse. I barely left my bed this past weekend and couldn't face leaving the house at all. I feel totally lost and unhappy. I actually have no reason to be feeling down at all, my life is pretty close to perfect at the moment. So I've made another appointment for the GP this evening and hopefully we can start on whatever treatment I need.

I just don't know what to expect. From what I've heard GP's in Ireland mainly start people with medication. Can I expect to be referred to a therapist as well? Is this something I should push for?

How have other people found that medication effects them. Am I going to be a totally different person? I am afraid of becoming dependant on it, is there something I can do to stop this happening?

Any advice at all would be a help as I am quite scared of what lays ahead

P. Breathnach

You can ask your GP to refer you to a therapist. It might even be instead of medication rather than in combination with medication - but that judgement is for a specialist to make.

123anon

P. Breathnach wrote: »

You can ask your GP to refer you to a therapist. It might even be instead of medication rather than in combination with medication - but that judgement is for a specialist to make.

Thank you for your reply. I do think that the decision is mine to make, rather than a specialist though.

I have learned through dealing with health professionals for my daughters illness, that every specialist will have a different opinion on how treatment should go.

Ultimately we are all responsible for our own health and need to try and inform ourselves as best we can before making decisions which is why I have posted here for advice.

P. Breathnach

My comment about its being a specialist decision was in recognition of the rules of this forum: we are not qualified experts here (and even if somebody is qualified, posting here is anonymous, and credentials cannot be verified).

You are correct in saying that the decision is yours to make. You can, wisely or unwisely, disagree with your health professional.

We are walking on eggshells here: I don't know you and you don't know me; and we are constrained in our discussion by forum rules. We can't get too deeply into dealing with your concerns.

I see where you are coming from in having worries about drug therapies for a condition like depression. Some people have become long-term dependent on anti-depressants. That's something you should discuss with your GP if he or she reaches for the prescription pad.

You ask one particular question about the effects of medication:

Am I going to be a totally different person?

I am confident that I know the answer to this, but if I gave you my answer, I would rightly be taken to task for going beyond what is permitted here. But if any medical person proposes a chemical therapy, it is very reasonable, even wise, to ask what effects you should expect the chemicals to have.

It is important in circumstances like yours that you trust your GP. If the GP you meet today does not inspire your trust, it is reasonable that you ask for a colleague to see you.

Podgers

Hi OP

You don't need a doctor to refer you to a therapist, although in some cases they do. if you feel its something that will work for you go for it. GPs have different views, some give you meds and send you on your way, others like your current GP feel its something you can work out yourself. some people can do it and they will be fine, for others its not so simple.

If you feel you need then to get you by mention it to your GP, however if your considering taking meds and going to a counsellor/therapist its not recommended, anti-depressants control your emotions ie. stabilises them to help you get by. therapy helps you express them emotions and get them of your chest.

LegacyUser

however if your considering taking meds and going to a counsellor/therapist its not recommended, anti-depressants control your emotions ie. stabilises them to help you get by. therapy helps you express them emotions and get them of your chest

completely disagree with this. Personally I've been through cognitive therapy and it really helped me change my thinking and outlook in general, it's not just getting emotions off your chest its much more than that, CBT gives you the tools to deal with those emotions and control them.

As for the don't take meds and councelling statement? I'm not a medical professional but i'm pretty sure it's quite common and beneficial for both treatments (meds and councelling) to be used in conjunction with one another tbh.

LegacyUser

I'm currently having issues with anxiety and as it turns out, there's elements of depression creeping into my life too. I originally went to my GP a couple of years ago as I thought I was suffering from depression and he didn't think I was clinically depressed but he thought there was potential there and he suggested going to see a psychologist and he also mentioned CBT. I think my GP isn't too fond of prescribing pills unless they are really needed which I guess is a good way to be.

It's taken me about 2 years to eventually make an appointment with a psychologist but I started going a couple of weeks ago.

I'm not sure how it works and I didn't know this until recently, but I think psychiatrists normally are the one's who would recommend/prescribe anti-depressants and not psychologists. I'm guessing a GP could prescribe them too but I'm not sure.

I'm not going to say I know exactly how you feel, but I've been feeling really down this past few days. I got up the other morning and basically sat on my bed for 2 hours doing nothing before I finally managed to make myself go have a shower and go to work. Although I've been somewhat unhappy in my job for quite a long time so it's taking a while to get out of my rut and get into something else. There has been days where I've got up and just couldn't face going in to the office and worked from home instead.

It's hard for us to know what to say as I don't think any of us are professionals regarding the subject matter, but I guess I would suggest going to talk to your GP. Go see them and tell them what you've told us and see what they say. Don't be afraid to suggest that you might need to speak to some sort of psychologist/psychiatrist. I know it didn't really dawn on me about talking to a psychologist until my GP mentioned it. He also brought it back up a year or so later when I was asking him about anxiety.

But definitely go talk to a professional OP. Even if it's not cured overnight, you will start to feel better that you are actively doing something about it. I know I did.