Mental Health & The NHS

p999j

Firstly, mature to change your mind, when you have fixed thoughts. Actual early sign of recovery when you become less fixed. While th chemicals might not cure you, any regularity in your life will. Good sleep means clearer day.

You have NOT compromised your beliefs- you have adapted them to new information. I've no doubt you IQ is high.

That dedication it takes to be 'stubborn' or have a 'fixed mindset' is the same dedication that will make you review, observe, experience, all you go through. You will be able to articulate your affects.

I am not happy either that medication seems to be such a first stop shop. However, I am SO happy that (putting aside all the why's, wherefore's and other tortuotous methods of getting to the stage you are at) life is moving forward for you. Hopefully to a better, less painful, more fulfilling life.

Maybe some trampolining, hula hooping or just some big smiles....for you, to have and to share. GOOD LUCK!!!

Hugs!:j

caela_2

p999j wrote: »

Firstly, mature to change your mind, when you have fixed thoughts. Actual early sign of recovery when you become less fixed. While th chemicals might not cure you, any regularity in your life will. Good sleep means clearer day.

You have NOT compromised your beliefs- you have adapted them to new information. I've no doubt you IQ is high.

That dedication it takes to be 'stubborn' or have a 'fixed mindset' is the same dedication that will make you review, observe, experience, all you go through. You will be able to articulate your affects.

I am not happy either that medication seems to be such a first stop shop. However, I am SO happy that (putting aside all the why's, wherefore's and other tortuotous methods of getting to the stage you are at) life is moving forward for you. Hopefully to a better, less painful, more fulfilling life.

Maybe some trampolining, hula hooping or just some big smiles....for you, to have and to share. GOOD LUCK!!!

Hugs!:j

Thanks that's very sweet. I could do with some trampolining!

caela_2

Ok, so I've been taking Citalopram for 2 days at 20mg once per day and I have ringing in my ears, I am more anxious and I have lost my appetite. Whilst I could do with losing more weight and although I was on a bit of a diet before, I find it hard to even put food in my mouth now and have to force meals down. I don't know if this is something that was already developing within me before the meds and I know 2 days is not a lot to be trying this, but the ear ringing was immediate. Also, my heart rate is definitely up.

I am going to stop taking these meds and to be honest, I'd rather not be gambling with my health like this. At least my body is ok last thing I need is to make that sick too.

I'm so furious that I have to jump through these hoops before a GP will just put me on the treatment I think will work- all I want is every day support, maybe keep in touch with my GP, maybe they can just keep up to date and provide support for DLA applications so I can work and get WTC. That would alleviate a lot of the stress. I told my GP my problems were largely situational, although I am stressed a lot of the time. I know when things get better, I'm a lot better. Instead of helping me to improve my environment by helping me taking control and having someone maybe just drop in now and again maybe twice a week to check I'm staying organised with life would be good.

All I wanted was someone to speak to now and again cos I genuinely fear what I will get up to left unchecked. I just wanted the GP to know what I was going through so if I ever did need to pop in and say ok now I'm really ill and they can just take off from there without having to describe everything and go through everything and have them tell me they don't think I'm depressed or whatever.

I know these meds are just another way for them to keep moving the goal post. Once I try these ones, they'll change them because I'm going to say I have problems with them. Then if I get problems with that, change it. Keep changing it, all the time, move the goal, I can never satisfy what they want. Never get the help I originally wanted. Just keep me on and on waiting to try this and try that and see what med is working and drag it out for another decade.

!!!!!!. I've been doing what she said with the sleep too. It doesn't help if I can get up during the day and I'm still demotivated and just sit here all the same on my computer. I go to bed and just lay there awake, then get up tired. I'll do it again tonight, try it for a week, but I have absolutely no hope for it working- not that I won't try it. It's just I have tried this kind of thing it's not like I woke up last month with a sleep problem- it's been going on all my life.

So now in addition to feeling the same as I was before, I'm also more anxious and have a ringing in my ear. Next time I'll cure my broken leg with a baseball bat, it's about the same thing. !!!!!!.

Sugar_Coated_Owl

2 days isn't long enough, you need to give it a couple of weeks at least. Sometimes people feel worse before they feel better. You might find the ringing in your ear disappears.

If you want support when applying for DLA go to CAB.

There aren't the resources to allow someone to drop by a couple of times a week to check on you. The GP certainly couldn't do this nor could mental health services unless of course you had been referred to the home treatment team.

Perhaps I'm wrong but it does seem to be about money. You want to work, you want WTC and DLA. I'm sure that would alleviate a lot of our stresses if we could all get those benefits.

You could always make an appointment to see your GP each week if you felt that was something you needed.

You will find in mental health it is a lot about fighting for what you want/need. It doesn't get given to you on a plate.

Ames

Side effects usually wear off after a few days. I've just changed AD and had side effects for about a week, they've eased up now and the meds are starting to work after nearly a fortnight. So it really is worth hanging in there.

caela_2

Sorry I already flushed all the meds and I've heard the ringing might never go away. I'm not risking my physical as well as mental health so whether or not that means I stay how I am I'll be happy with that than what I went through on just 2 days of these things. Simply not worth it in my opinion and there is no way I could have got through 2 weeks or so of that, after last night I was going to call for help it was that bad.

ineed

caela wrote: »

Sorry I already flushed all the meds and I've heard the ringing might never go away. I'm not risking my physical as well as mental health so whether or not that means I stay how I am I'll be happy with that than what I went through on just 2 days of these things. Simply not worth it in my opinion and there is no way I could have got through 2 weeks or so of that, after last night I was going to call for help it was that bad.

I think you should have a chat with your doctor about new medications, I really think you should try something different, even if the old medication didn't work new medication might. I take medication myself, I don't want to but I have to. The side effects do go away after a week or so.

Torry_Quine

caela wrote: »

Sorry I already flushed all the meds and I've heard the ringing might never go away. I'm not risking my physical as well as mental health so whether or not that means I stay how I am I'll be happy with that than what I went through on just 2 days of these things. Simply not worth it in my opinion and there is no way I could have got through 2 weeks or so of that, after last night I was going to call for help it was that bad.

It's never a good idea to stop taking medication without medical advice and you really should see your GP to at least let them know of the problems you had on the tablets.

Also to say that unwanted tablets should never be flushed away but returned to the phrmacy for proper destruction.

caela_2

Yeah I was worried about flushing the tablets as you shouldn't do it, but I had to get rid of them right there and then cos I was scared I take more and go through the same thing. I knew if I didn't do it then that I might forget how bad it was and it was kinda in the heat of the moment. It was that or throw them all in the bin which is even more dangerous as animals could eat it.

I haven't had any withdrawal I only took 2 in total so not expecting anything. I will book an appointment with my GP on Monday so she'll probably lecture me again. Oh well and my sleep is completely off now as well, I literally managed that for one night and last night I couldn't sleep cos I was so hyper from the meds so ended up sleeping all day.

However, I do feel a lot better today, back to my usual self, although the meds did still have me quite anxious throughout the day it has worn off now.

zkellerman

Some of your side effects from the medicine could be partly psychosomatic or made worse due to huge anxieties and paranoias in taking these medicines. Also, side effects usually only last a couple of days with anti-depressants and permanent side effects are almost unheard of and in those cases it's almost always going to be with people whom have been taking these medications for years and years on high or maximum dosages.

All anti-depressants have different mechanisms of working and not all medicines will work for all people - you can't fit everyone into one box. Over the past few years I've tried many different anti-depressants (after being incredibly wary about 'relying' on them to be normal or better and having horrid side effects / being a zombie - all of which were not the case) as I seem to be treatment resistant to them, with the only one having any real noticeable effect being escitalopram (and even then it wasn't a huge benefit - but I tried it and stuck with it until I didn't need it - some benefit is better than none).

On a certain level I can respect your personal decision in not wanting to take medicine and see your reasons behind it but at this point it is your quality of life at stake - which is incredibly serious - so in my opinion your quality of life simply needs to be placed above your moral grounds and not to be ruled by your fears. To progress and become well you need to be open and willing to adapt and change and take a chance with exploring new territory, which, unfortunately might have to include medicines and force yourself into uncomfortable situations. You have not tried anti-depressants (2 days does not count, they take up to 6 weeks to start taking an effect) and you do not know whether or not these will help you or not:- there is only one way to find out - and if one doesn't work then try (and stick with) another!

It is my belief that you have become so wrapped up in worrying about what might happen or not happen (which has developed over time) that you've closed yourself off to treatment options, even possibly therapies you've had in the past - though this is just a conjectured observation.

If you believe or keep turning over in your head that A or B won't or might not work or could go bad for reasons C or D, then it won't, because you've already convinced your sub conscience through belief, opinion, feeling and past experience, which in turn becomes such a strong thought / feeling that it effects your conscious mind and the way you function (which on a very simple level is how mental illness develops!). In reality, every day of your life is a chance of becoming seriously ill or even dying no matter what precautions we take - but that chance is so incredibly slim that it's almost certainly not / never going to happen - just like with these medicines, in which, the chance of becoming better and helping to manage your illness so very vastly outweighs the slim chance of becoming worse off.

To see a psychiatrist, you're looking at about 3 months on an emergency level, no matter who refers you (unless you are hospitalized or sectioned). For short term intensive therapy, this can range from weeks to months referral time and for longer term therapies and group therapy, you're looking at a maximum of 2 years on the waiting list. All this could be shortened a tad by extreme luck depending on how good the service are and where you live.

If it comes to a stage where you're in crisis though, just go to A&E as they have dedicated mental health Crisis Teams there to try help. Samaritans are good if you just need to get a load off your mind but they are not allowed or able to advise you.

To sum up, I'm sorry to say but when you're this ill medicine is the most accessible and potentially effective shorter term solution unless you can somehow afford to have private therapy sessions.

You CAN do little things to help though - medicine is not the be all and end all -, new hobbies, social interaction, exercise (especially regular exercise), good sleep and a good diet amongst others can boost your mood if you stick with them - but I know these are incredibly difficult to start and keep up with, especially when you're not well.

If you are having trouble with your G.P., in stead of waiting for them to suggest things, you tell them what you want, i.e., I want an emergency referral to see a psychiatrist because of X & Y, I want to be referred onto therapy because of X & Y or I want a referral to be assessed by a community mental health team for issues X & Y which are effecting me severely. They are nowhere near experts in mental health but if you speak on their level and show that you know what you want I find you get better results. If you have a particularly stubborn G.P. then just see a different G.P. in the surgery. Unfortunately some doctors just think they have all the answers and are not willing to work with their patients but instruct them on what to do.

Good luck.