That second paragraph gives me hope. Thank you for sharing
That second paragraph gives me hope. Thank you for sharing
Fantastic description in the last paragraph of how the anti depressants are helping you mate, better than any medical jargon. Without teaching you to suck eggs, make sure you keep taking them at the same time everyday, as I know from my own experiences that missing a dose or taking them late can throw things out of kilter for a bit. Your GP should get you in every now and then for a review to see how you're doing with them and if they need tweaking.
Keep posting mate, as stories like yours provide inspiration for others and show that things can and do get better
Fletch
Player Valuation: £5m
I am booked in again Wednesday and I think I will ask to stay with the same prescription for a while, I'm certainly not doing cartwheels around the place but I understand that the tablets will just bring me to a "normal" level.
Ive tried digging by the way, into my mind, see if I can bring something to the front and see if I can make myself tune into it and cause myself anxiety but I cant, strange feeling.
Ive tried digging by the way, into my mind, see if I can bring something to the front and see if I can make myself tune into it and cause myself anxiety but I cant, strange feeling.
Rather than try to self-council, are you booked in for any counselling?
A lot find it most helpful. Counselling yourself can often lead to more problems.
From my own experiences mate, " feeling normal " again is something that takes time to get used to. You go from living in a state of depression to slowly staring to feel okay again and it takes a while for your brain to register that you aren't feeling like crap anymore. Kind of like a weird state of confusion.
I'm no expert. but from what I've read, the anti depressants are rebalancing the chemicals in your brain that are out of kilter, hence what you describe as a " strange feeling ".
I remember having the same feelings - " what's wrong with me, I feel normal ! ".
Just takes a while to get used to mate.
BiggyRat
Player Valuation: £35m
Have to agree with Groucho here Fletch. I think it would be wise to have a professional assist you with your self analysis. They can subtly steer you in the right direction and avoid any pitfalls along the way.
There's no problem with thinking about your problems, but coming to the wrong conclusion over some matter may be detrimental to your overall recovery. I urge caution mate.
A review of a paperback book caught my eye in the Sunday Times. It may be of interest to some, and the review itself is worth a read.
"Reason's To Stay Alive by Matt Haig", review by Ian Critchley.
"At the age of 24, suffering from depression, the novelist Matt Haig stood at the edge of a cliff and almost threw himself over. Although he pulled back from suicide, the episode heralded years of mental illness . Depression is, he writes, "total exposure :. A red - raw naked mind. A skinned personality."
In a series of short chapters, consisting of snippets of autobiography, philosophical musings and lists such as "Things depression says to you", Haig explores how the illness affected him and those around him, and what helped him gain equilibrium. Pills didn't help; yoga, reading and writing did. He isn't cured, but the episodes have become fewer and more manageable.
Despite its subject, the book is warm, engaging and shot through with humour. Haig notes that the causes and treatment of depression are still not well understood. But it is , he writes "one of the deadliest on the planet". He wants to encourage discussion because "where talk exists , so does hope." His book is a valuable contribution to the conversation. "
"Reason's To Stay Alive by Matt Haig", review by Ian Critchley.
"At the age of 24, suffering from depression, the novelist Matt Haig stood at the edge of a cliff and almost threw himself over. Although he pulled back from suicide, the episode heralded years of mental illness . Depression is, he writes, "total exposure :. A red - raw naked mind. A skinned personality."
In a series of short chapters, consisting of snippets of autobiography, philosophical musings and lists such as "Things depression says to you", Haig explores how the illness affected him and those around him, and what helped him gain equilibrium. Pills didn't help; yoga, reading and writing did. He isn't cured, but the episodes have become fewer and more manageable.
Despite its subject, the book is warm, engaging and shot through with humour. Haig notes that the causes and treatment of depression are still not well understood. But it is , he writes "one of the deadliest on the planet". He wants to encourage discussion because "where talk exists , so does hope." His book is a valuable contribution to the conversation. "
TheAlmightyFloater
Player Valuation: £30m
Wondering if I can ask some questions here (and it's completely fine if no one feels like answering).
How do first visits to the GP go? What happens at them?
Were any options other than pills/medication discussed? Or are antidepressants the first thing offered?
How do first visits to the GP go? What happens at them?
Were any options other than pills/medication discussed? Or are antidepressants the first thing offered?
Fletch
Player Valuation: £5m
Mine was straightforward but then I knew when I went what I had to do, I have spent many years avoiding any type of medication for anything but I have never been able to lift myself out of the fog of depression so wanted to try SSRI's
He asked a few questions, did I feel like harming myself, have I taken them before, remarked that i looked very smart and able to look after myself, which I do. He then suggested an anti-depressant and prescribed it there and then, I took the first tablet before I got home and then every morning since then.
You will get a 2 week trial first so they can monitor you and review at your next appointment. Only thing I would say is that I have noticed a drop in libido but not too bothered at this point, I'm hoping this will return to a normal level.
TheAlmightyFloater
Player Valuation: £30m
Thanks for replying.
If you don't mind my asking, did you go in asking to try SSRI's or did the doctor suggest them?
I think it all depends on your GP and how the surgery is run. I saw my GP first who then referred me to the practise CPN - Community Pysch Nurse. She did an evaluation based on a tick box sheet on general mental health. Each question gave a score out of one to ten and the sum total gives a rough idea of your mental health. There's a name for this test, but I can't remember it. At the time I wasn't il enough to fall under her care, so I was reffered back to the GP. He then prescribed a short course of anti depressants and then got me back in for a review. They didn't agree with me, so he changed them for different ones which had anti anxiety properties too.
Your GP will have seen many many patients in your position mate, so don't feel embarrassed in anyway. Be totally honest too, as the more info the GP has, the more they can help you.
You don't need to mention anything about medication at all to the GP as he / she will have a full knowledge of what's available and that's why it's important that they have as much info as possible, so that they can decide which is the right one for you.
TheAlmightyFloater
Player Valuation: £30m
Thanks for the info. Not sure if there are differences in the way it's handled up in Scotland, although I'm sure there are similarities.
The reason I ask about medication is because, after watching what happened to a close family member, I am extremely suspicious of the pills and their effectiveness relative to their side effects.
Considering making an appointment just to chat about stuff because uni is getting a bit unmanageable. I've got an exam tomorrow which I'm not prepared for and a portfolio & dissertation project due in a couple of months that I've been struggling to do the work for.
Probably too late for the exam tomorrow but might get some help to cope with the other stuff.
All medication has side effects mate. It may be that one person out of a thousand in the clinical trials had some kind of reaction, which means legally the drug company has state that as a side effect. Look at the side of a packet of Paracetemol and you'll see what I mean !.
The effects are far greater than any side effects. Also that's why your GP should get you in for a review after prescribing them, to discuss efficiency and side effects. Anti depressants are quite hit and miss, what works for others may not work for you etc. So that's another reason for reviewing what's going on mate.
TheAlmightyFloater
Player Valuation: £30m
I get that not everyone experiences side effects, and that the majority of side effects are minimal in terms of harm caused.
I have seen the side effects first hand though, and the over-zealous nature in which the pills were prescribed in the first place.
I just thought I'd ask and see if anyone has experienced something similar.
Theres always alternatives - CBT - talking therapy, herbal medication, even acupuncture. These are all things that you can discuss with your GP too ?