Doctors: Diagnosis of Depression

abbieken888

Hi all, hope you'll bear with me if this is all over the place - I'm not feeling to good atm.

I've bit the bullet and I have a doctors appointment tomorrow. I'm hoping to get some help with what I think is depression. I've been treated for depression between the ages of 11 and 16, but now I'm a bit older (18!) I need your help

When I was younger my Mum took me to al my appointments, and helped me with the doctors. I'm now married, and although very happy, the depression had come back really bad this time round I can't ask OH to go with me to the docs, bit complicated but I don't want him too and he doesn't want to!

I've moved house 4 times in the past year, so my medical records haven't caught up with me yet. I'm wondering what I am supposed to do when I walk in. I know I'm just going to start crying. When I phoned to book an appointment today, she said there was none left tomorrow, and I just started crying down the phone

I just want a bit of advice really on what I am supposed to tell her? I tend to get a bit stuck for words when I'm feeling like this, would anybody recommened taking a list f all the things I want covered in with me?

Thanks in advance

Barcode

You might want to mention how it is affecting your day-to-day life. When I went back in November for the same thing I said things like:

(i) Interrupted sleep patterns were making it difficult to carry out my day-to-day tasks to the best of my ability. I felt lethargic.

(ii) I was upset a lot and unable to focus as much as I should upon my work.

(iii) I was withdrawing from my social group and becoming isolated.

(iv) I was not eating properly.

Fairly typical symptoms. I also said I wanted something to calm me down. It may be the case that the first thing they prescribe you might not be that good; unfortunately, it's sometimes a case of trial and error. Depending on the extent of the problem, the Doctor may also suggest counselling, or you can ask for a referral.

Good luck.

black-saturn

abbieken888 wrote:

I'm now married, and although very happy, the depression had come back really bad this time round I can't ask OH to go with me to the docs, bit complicated but I don't want him too and he doesn't want to!

Forgive me for asking but why doesnt your other half want to help? I know you dont want him there but he should have at least have offered to help.

Just explain your symptoms to the doctor as well as you can. He/she cant expect you to be brilliant at explaining things especially as you've gone there about depression.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

abbieken888

black-saturn wrote:

Forgive me for asking but why doesnt your other half want to help? I know you dont want him there but he should have at least have offered to help.

Just explain your symptoms to the doctor as well as you can. He/she cant expect you to be brilliant at explaining things especially as you've gone there about depression.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

Its hard to explain. He does want to help, and he does help me at home etc, but he struggles with doctors/depression as his dad was very ill with manic depression as a child. It sorts of reminds him off that, he finds it hard. As I know me being depressed upsets him, I wouldn't be as open with the doctor with him ther if you know what I mean.

Savvy_Sue

Hi abbie and hugs, I think I added to a previous thread of yours a while back and I'm glad you've taken the plunge and made the appointment. So what if you do just burst into tears? You won't be the first! So writing a letter or list that you can hand over might be a good plan. Also whether you've tried any self-help remedies, like St John's Wort, and whether they've helped at all.

Hope the doctor is a sweetie, one of mine was fantastic, and really listened to what I was saying.

Dora_the_Explorer_5

Excellent advice from Barcode. The main symptoms of depression are:
Loss of interest or pleasure in all oralmost all usual activities and pastimes.
Felling depressed, sad, low, hopeless, down in the dumps, irritable.
Poor appetite or weight loss when not dieting or increased appetie or significant weight gain
Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping more than usual)
Restlessness or feeling slowed down
Loss of energy, fatigue.
Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach or excessive or inappropriate guilt
Complaints or evidence of diminished ability to think or concentrate, suck as slowed thinking, or indecisiveness.
Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, wishes sto be dead, or suicide attempt.
Someone who is depressed may experience some of the above but not necessarily all of them
As your notes may not be with your new gp yet it's really important you explain how you were treated and with what and for how long when you were treated for depression as a child. Hope this helps, and good luck.

Ted_Hutchinson

IB214 If you get the chance to read the mental health descriptor statements before your appointment with your GP it may be worth drawing to his attention your behaviours which match those statements.
You have raised the matter of your depression in the benefits section rather than the health or discussion sections so I presume a claim for IB or DLA may be on the cards at some point.
While I do not want you to assume anything sinister in the relationship between the DWP, Medical Services and your health professionals, I am aware that it has happened that "off the record" phone calls between Medical Services and GP's surgeries have happened and that if your GP isn't fully aware of you state of mental health in respect of the the IB214 mental health statements any further IB claim could be in jeopardy.
If you are thinking that maybe a DLA claim on mental health grounds may be needed then it would be as well not to be reticent about any suicidal thoughts you may have been experiencing. Mind you I think if this is the case then you shouldn't be ashamed of acknowledging the fact anyway, benefit claim or not, too many lives are lost this time of year through people not being sufficiently clear about how bad they are feeling.

goldentouch

Does your Mum still live nearby?
She'd be pleased to go with you. I do when my older daughters want me to. Actually I went with my friend (age 45) last week because she also felt very low.

joemardo1

Hi sorry to hear you are feeling a bit down. If you could ask yoru doctor to prescribe something for your depression and maybe a safe drug called propranolol 10mg to be taken when required. Will help to reduce anxiety and things like shakes in hand etc. I take it myself ...very safe and really does help. I have been told that even snooker players and dart players take it sometimes to steady themselves up a bit.

best of luck

joe

Turning_into_scrooge

Dora_the_Explorer wrote:

Excellent advice from Barcode. The main symptoms of depression are:
Loss of interest or pleasure in all oralmost all usual activities and pastimes.
Felling depressed, sad, low, hopeless, down in the dumps, irritable.
Poor appetite or weight loss when not dieting or increased appetie or significant weight gain
Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping more than usual)
Restlessness or feeling slowed down
Loss of energy, fatigue.
Feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach or excessive or inappropriate guilt
Complaints or evidence of diminished ability to think or concentrate, suck as slowed thinking, or indecisiveness.
Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts, wishes sto be dead, or suicide attempt.
Someone who is depressed may experience some of the above but not necessarily all of them
As your notes may not be with your new gp yet it's really important you explain how you were treated and with what and for how long when you were treated for depression as a child. Hope this helps, and good luck.

After reading this list, Dora you've certainly confirmed my suspicions that my depression is coming back

to the OP if you are having memory problems at the mo, same as me, then i would write down everything you are feeling and explain to the doctor why you wrote it down. I wouldn't worry too much about your records not being with yet as this is a new diagnosis not necessarily a continuation and if you don't feel you get much help fromthis new doctor do consider seeing a new one but most doctors are very sympathetic to depression and i'm sure you'll be fine. good luck

freebie_junkie

hi, i know exactly how it feels to be young and suffer from problems like these so i really sympathise. im 22 and have OCD ive been signed off work for 2 years and its for the long term, (i.e. my doc doesnt have to send sick notes anymore) and at the time that i got too ill to carry on with uni my mum and dad kicked me out and i ended up in hostels, luckily i have my partner.


we dont live together but we've been together for 4 years and he shares everything with me and he stays with me, (in my flat i now have!) i really think that you should try and talk to your husband. i tried anti-depressants but they zombified me and i tried cbt but it wasnt for me and i even had a cpn but she refused to remove her shoes when she came to my house and my ocd is cleaning-related!


what has helped me get so much better (im back at a new uni part time and my aim is to be full-time by 3rd year which will be feb 2007) is my partner. he listenes to my concerns, he helps me to challenge my obsessions and he buys me small rewards or takes me out when i overcome my obsessions. i can really say that love is the best cure for illnesses of the brain!!!


e.g. last year i couldnt use nay other loo except my own, not even his. it was hell coz i was nearly house-bound so i was promised a day out to liverpool on my 22nd birthday when i could manage public loos and he helped me do it bit by bit- at first we had to go in the disabled coz i needed him in with me (that took some explaining to the sales assistants in m&s!!!)


also, try writing down your feelings and symptoms for your doctor i did initially and after not being taken seriously with another health issue (unfortunately people with ocd are seen as hypocondriacs when the exact is opposite why would i choose to go in a docs if i didnt need to?!) i wrote all of my symptoms down and eventually it was found out im allergic to wheat but writing down the symptoms was the first time i was taken seriously and also if you do that they cant interupt you and make you forget what youre gonna say and if youre crying they can still undertsnad you.



anyway, i know it seems well bleak now but you can get through it, i didnt believe thais until i started working on my ocd, i did it without drugs or councellors so if you cant face medical interbention, maybe you should talk to your husband instead.



best of luck, love ill be thinking of you