Sardonicat wrote: » Go to your college gp. Write everything down and keep a mood diary while you're waiting for your appointment. Tell the gp everything you have told us here and in as calm and objective way as possible explain that you want to be referred to a psychiatrist for assessment and possible diagnosis as you want to be able to manage your symptoms and move forward with your life. Best of luck with it. You sound very self aware and this will go a long way in improving your situation once you know what you're dealing with.
Cash_Q wrote: » Pieta House offer free counselling for anyone at risk of self harm or suicide. Phone 1800 247247 and they'll have a number for your local centre. They'll off an initial appointment to assess your level of need and then offer counselling sessions. It sounds like you have a lot more going on than their remit covers, but it could be a stepping stone onto another more specific service. It could also keep you going while you wait to be seen by another service. I hope you get the help you need, take care.
Tell me how wrote: » Hi OP, Unfortunately, mental health care can be very expensive. The public health system, from what I understand, is struggling to deliver adequate services and people end up seeing different therapists with conflicting approaches and/or opinions or a course of x number of sessions just comes to an end when they felt things were starting to get better. This post isn't a suggestion that you can not get help in this way but to maybe try to help you to do what you can for yourself outside of professional help until such time you can access professional care. I am well aware of the difficulty in actually following through and sticking with good practices and intentions but I also know that sometimes, starting small, can lead to surprising success and benefits. Some areas which could definitely help your mental (and general health) which you could try to implement yourself.Diet I appreciate you struggle in this space but it does help to eat healthily. Fruit/Veg etc is actually cheaper than processed or ready made foods and better for our mind and body.Sleep Again, easier said than done if you struggle in this space but it really cleanses the body and mind. If you do struggle, try to make sure you are following good practice in ensuring room is dark, correct temperature, you limit screen time etc.Exercise Helps in every way. Could start with just 30 seconds deliberate exercise walk or cycle or swim and take it from there. Helps mind and body and also gives confidence as well as enjoyment.Hobbies Can give a sense of achievement or enjoyment or just put you in good form such as listening to an album you like. Helps the mind to actively consider doing something for yourself for no other reason than it is fun.Social activities Once again, something that can be very difficult and can even raise concerns if you are uncomfortable in this space but social interaction is helpful and also makes it easier to connect with people. I have been in a difficult place at times and the simple act of going to the cinema on my own helped me to get through a difficult day and feel that at least I had done something. Such events can also lead to making connections with like minded people which can help us in other ways. Aside from the above, I would echo what someone said about starting a mood diary. I would 'suggest' if you do so that you try to write one thing each time you write in the diary which is positive. I found doing so helped me to look for and see positivity which I might have ignored if I hadn't tried to push myself to see it. As you mention, people have already told you about not getting caught up in diagnosis, I can understand your desire to understand why you are suffering, but, it can be a very difficult thing to do and also, unfortunately, can be expensive. I was diagnosed with clinical depression, but that really just put me in a category, I still had to find my own path in understanding it and trying to learn how to overcome/deal with it. Finally, you are not alone in feeling lost in this space. My username is because I came to Boards looking for similar answers. I didn't find direct answers as such but the Anxiety and Depression thread did help me to see others were struggling in a similar way. I don't know if you have seen it but you might get some comfort and support should you pop in there. I feel like I lost a number of years of my life to Depression, I was lucky enough to be able to afford whatever care was out there, but, having the money was no guarantee of success. Hopefully you will find some way to get on top of your issues. Take care, it's a difficult but rewarding journey.
goregrrrl wrote: » Hey! Thanks for this, I’ve been implementing all these things mentioned before for years or at least trying to since i’ve been sick for so long. To be honest when I’m at the point of having full on character hallucinations I don’t think it makes much of a difference and I still think being in or at least involved with a hospital would be more suited.
Tell me how wrote: » I hope you can get the care you need. Hospital care for mental health seems to fall in to 2 categories. Public admission - For crisis treatment only and only until you are no longer in need of such severe measures. Private admission - limited number of locations. Expensive. Heavily reliant on health insurance. I spent time in St Pats Private hospital in Dublin. Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes either. Many still leave there feeling like they do not have a clear understanding of their illness. If you looked in to private health insurance, you may find that a policy of €80 - €100/month might be enough to get you such coverage (I do understand money is an active concern for you). I do not know exact figures or whether you'd have to have such a policy for x amount of time before using it. Even with the option, it still comes down to your GP or psychiatrist referring you for admittance and they may not want to do so unless they have treated you for x amount of time. As I said, I have seen people who have had private inpatient treatment and they still struggle to deal with their illness. I am not suggesting such care would not help you or that you do not need it but that in and of itself is no guarantee of success. Keep trying to do what you can in the mean time, as you have been doing. Best wishes.
Sardonicat wrote: » OP you would not be covered for at least a year for any pre-existing illnesses with private health insurance. You say you can tell when an episode of psychosis is going to occur. I think your only solution is to present yourself to A&E when this happens while you still have the rational capacity to do so. Not a pleasant experience, I know, but you need to be cared for if you break with reality for your own personal safety. This will also get your 'foot in the door' of the system and start the ball rolling for assessment and diagnosis. It's obvious from your posts that you have a clear, logical mind when well. This will help you a great deal in recovery and can help you stay 'safe' from yourself when your mood spirals out of control. Take care OP. All the best.
wiggle16 wrote: » Hi OP I'm sorry to hear what you're dealing with. It's great that you are willing to start seeking help. One thing I will have to correct you on: contact student services in your college and ask about the GP or whatever medical liaison they have in place. The support services that most universities and colleges offer are not shut down completely during the summer, because the September-June academic year does not apply to post-graduate students and some masters students. Even where they have been scaled back because of a lower demand during the summer, most universities make provision for students to be referred elsewhere if they can't offer a service. So at least enquire about the college GP. And the academic year has not finished just yet. Please take it from me, do not push yourself through college at the expense of your health, especially not your mental health. You need to sort out your priorities here. Your mental health must come first. All universities make provision for students to defer an academic year if they need to - I would strongly suggest you talk to your course coordinator or your head of department about doing that, what the requirements are and how it works. If this comes across as criticism, I'm sorry, because it's not intended to be, so please don't interpret it in that light - this is not criticism for its own sake. But I'd ask you to read over your replies to users who have posted here. For each suggestion they have given you, you have found a reason why you're reluctant to engage with it or to doubt it would work. You're dismissing somethings as non-runners or that you don't expect much from them, but you haven't sought help prior to now, so if I were in your shoes I would ask myself what I was basing that on. I understand where you are coming from, you're not sure where to start and you're right to scrutinise things, but that doesn't mean you should put things off. Pieta House will not turn anyone away empty-handed, and considering what you are dealing with I would recommend phoning them rather than sending an email. - you're worried that the professionals will focus on psychosis initially rather than your other issues. OP, you need to keep two things in mind: 1) they are, as we have put it, professionals. I would leave it to them to decide what is most urgent, and put more trust in their judgement. You're also making the assumption that one thing gets treated first, then another, and so on. Your issues may all be related and either way there are many conditions that can be treated concurrently. Very little medical intervention is piecemeal. You need to present yourself to someone who can help you before you will have any idea of how they will go about that. 2) if you are concerned about one thing taking precedence over another, you need to advocate for yourself and you can involve yourself in the management of your treatment and care. But you need to seek treatment in the first place. - please do not go down the road of waiting to see if you get a medical card. You may not be entitled to a medical card, and a GP has to sign off on your application anyway. By all means apply, but whether or not you seek treatment should not be based upon whether you are issued with a card or not. Don't put off getting help for the sake of 50 quid. You are obviously well able to research these things, and fair play for doing so. I think you are a bit off the mark with your expectations and your evaluation of what will happen. You really need to get the ball rolling on this, so I would strongly urge you to contact Pieta House by phone as soon as you can. Please do. Best of luck and please mind yourself
cuddlepunk wrote: » Go to your GP and get a referral to a psychiatrist. A family member I'm caring for struggled with serious mental health issues for over a year until I finally convinced him to go to see his doctor and to get a referral. He tried to think of every excuse and reason not to go but finally he dragged himself and the doctor had nothing but praise for his courage in doing so. Things have only got better since he started on his medication. You could try contacting St. Vincent de Paul in your area, explain you need money to see GP and they may help.
goregrrrl wrote: » It’s not that I am being a brat and turning people away it’s rather that when you’ve been sick on your own for this long you know what you want. It’s more an assessment and a psychiatrist and getting diagnosed that i’m after, not counselling. I’ve done counselling before. I’m not completely opposed to Pieta House it’s just that, it’s only counselling and only deals with self harm and suicide, not specific illnesses. So they’ll more than likely just refer me somewhere else.
Tell me how wrote: » You really need to start with your GP, they can co-ordinate your care and assessment appropriately over an extended period. They can suggest appropriate consultants to attend. Unfortunately, just going to a single appointment with any specialist is unlikely to result in an accurate diagnosis. While this might be frustrating to hear, proceeding with an inaccurate diagnosis will only prolong your suffering. Could you raise funds specifically for your care through working overtime or staying with a colleague or friend near to work for a period to save some money?
Tell me how wrote: » Could you change jobs? What part of the country are you in? Many places would be looking for staff right now as summer approaches. Or, even the likes of Dunnes or Supermacs could be a guarantee of more hours. If you are currently only working one day a week, then an extra day would pay for a GP visit.
Sardonicat wrote: » OP, in some parts of the country psychiatric health care is free. This is something you could look into with the Citizens Advice. Also, some third level institutions have an arrangement with the HSE for free psychiatric appointments and as Wiggle said, your college health centre does not shut down for the summer. Reputable counsellors may not be able to diagnose but they can pick up the phone to psychiatric services and recommend that you are seen. Pieta House can certainly do this. If you are only on 1 day a week at work you may be entitled to claim some benefit based on your PRSI contributions to supplement your income. Lots of possible solutions there for you to look into before you dismiss them out of hand. You don't need anyone on here to tell you that something serious is going on with you psychologically. You are intelligent and strong enough to have understood that yourself. Many people are not and saddly become very ill or worse before they get the help they need. I'm going to urge you again, while you are clear headed and rational and relatively calm reach out to someone who can start the ball rolling for your health care . I'm speaking as someone who once had an episode of depression so severe that I began to loose the ability to tell the difference between what was real and what was not. I thought I was supposed to be dead. By then I didn't understand that I was sick. You do NOW. I think your illness is holding you back from acting. Put your excellent rational mind in control and switch of the negative voices. Pick up the phone, knock on doors. Follow every suggestion that's been put to you here. Some of them may be dead ends but eventually you'll find somone who knows how to get you what you need. Do it NOW.
Tell me how wrote: » goregrrrl, Can I make a comment. I don't doubt that you need assistance but I fear that you may be placing too much sway in a belief that a diagnosis will change everything. It is a factor but it is subjective, it can change, it is difficult to do and it can take time. And even if all of this is done, you still have to then work on overcoming the illness which likely will bring you back to counselling with maybe medication to aid you. I am saying this, not to knock you but because I have seen people struggle with mental health treatment because they thought it was a pretty straightforward case of diagnose/prescribe/counsel/recovery. It is not a straight line in this way. It is difficult but possible and worth it to overcome mental health issues, many small steps are better than one large one, if they are in the right direction. I would advise caution on starting a Go Fund Me for mental health treatment such as this as it is difficult to say how much you would have to aim to raise and falling short might add to your feeling of negativity. Finally, I repeat, the A&D thread on boards is a place where a lot of people seem to get support if not any direct advice to change things. https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057564333&page=166
B0jangles wrote: » OP, I have no extra advice to give on top of the many great suggestions already here, I just wanted to say that your desire to finally have a diagnosis of what your condition is, is 100% understandable and reasonable. You can't fix this by yourself, and it's not going to go away by itself either. Call Pieta House - they should at least be able to get you started on a way through this. You sound like an extremely resiliant and brave person to have managed largely on your own for so long, I really hope you get the supports you need, and very soon
