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Hi everyone

BaxterburgerCasual Contributor17 Feb 2021, 3:43 pm AEDT

Hi everyone

I am about to begin a psychology care plan.

Not my first, but first for a while.

Over the last year or so I've been sliding deeper into depression from a fairly low base. I've spoken to my gp and at the same time the psychiatry team at a large city hospital. I now feel that I'm near the bottom with a positive feeling about recovering slowly over the next 6 or so months.

Over the last couple of years my chronic pain level has been intolerable. I suffer from peripheral neuropathy caused by an autoimmune disease. The opiate drugs do nothing for me except to feel very nauseous. Drugs that intersect with that part of the brain like lyrica were reasonable pain attenuators but left me feeling very cloudy and absent.

Combination anti depressant drugs are a bit hit and miss and do assist at times for the brain pain nexus. Sleeping at night is horrible even with circadian / melatonin / sleeping tablets and anti Histomines.

I'm desperately looking for a pain clinic in or near Melbourne that can help! The one I'm with has largely shut down because of COVID-19.

Just wanted to say hi!

Cheers

2 replies

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In response to: Hi everyone

MazaritaSenior Contributor17 Feb 2021, 4:37 pm AEDT

Re: Hi everyone

Hi @Baxterburger, welcome to the forum.

Good to hear that despite your low state of being, you still have positive feeling about recovering slowly. Your past experience of dealing with pain and the mental suffering that comes with it seems likely to help you move towards a better quality of life.

I live in Queensland and am unable to recommend a new pain clinic for you. Searching Google has helped me with things like this in the past. Even if what I have been seeking has not shown up immediately in search results, sometimes something else appears that might help me to get what I need. Most of all hoping someone in Melbourne may reply to your post with better information than me, or somewhere to go that can help you find it.

I have symptoms of peripheral neuropathy related to fibromyalgia (or that's their best guess). Different nerve issues over the past couple of years, high levels of pain, though fortunately with periods of respite. I also have crohns disease and so understand how hard it is to live in a lot of pain, and how my mental health suffers a lot more than usual. I am mostly starting from a fairly low base there with depression too.

It is unfortunate that the meds prescribed for peripheral neuropathy are of little or no use to you. I am so glad you are starting a psychology plan. Will you be getting the 20 sessions in a year arrangement? There has been an increase in psychology sessions available to us because of the mental health rises due to Covid.

Well wishes to you.

In response to: Re: Hi everyone

BaxterburgerCasual Contributor20 Feb 2021, 1:49 pm AEDT

Re: Hi everyone

Hi @Mazarita

Thanks for your encouraging thoughts.

I 'zoomed' my first visit to the psychologist on Thursday - it went well.

Cheers

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