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NeySenior Contributor
In response to: I could really use a friend
NeySenior Contributor
In response to: Re: I could really use a friend
Shaz51Senior Contributor
tv`s are all repeats , movies are good , but we don`t get the latest ones as we are in a rural area @Ney, how about you , are you in a city 
In response to: I could really use a friend
MagicAntSenior Contributor
Hey @Ney, you said you had tried an antidepressant but it didn't help much. Did you only try the one? Many people with depression try multiple medications before they hit on the one that is just right for them. You also mentioned you have been seeing a pyschologist. Have you also been reviewed by a psychiatrist? Is your diagnosis of anxiety and depression definitive?
That may seem a bit nosey of me, but they are often good questions to ask. A bit about my mental health history - I was treated for depression for about 20 years, then last year, when I knew that there was more than just depression going on, I was diagnosed with Bipolar II disorder. The psychiatrist who made this diagnosis doubled my dose of antidepressant - and it made my hypomanic episodes of bipolar worse!
I had my first visit to a new psychiatrist on Monday just gone. The first half of the session was psychotherapy (dealing with my immediate issues) and the second half was diagnosis and treatment. This new doctor seems to be at the cutting edge of bipolar treatments, and advised me to wean off my antidepressants (a chall be in itself) and commence a mood stabiliser and atypical antipsychotic medication. The doc has even suggested I am not Bipolar II but rather I have a "Mood Spectrum Disorder" or "Depression Plus." Fancy terms, but the take home is that until you have a definitive diagnosis, no treatment will be effective. Now, I am in no way suggesting you have anything other than depression and anxiety, but a proper diagnosis is always the best place to start when treating any sort of mental illness.
In response to: I could really use a friend
MagicAntSenior Contributor
@Shaz51 Other than the two I mentioned, maybe The Blacklist and Wentworth (the Prisoner remake), but at any other time, the TV is just noise in the background.
In response to: Re: I could really use a friend
Shaz51Senior Contributor
Oh @MagicAnt. @Ney
My husband was on just antidepressant and it never helped him until they put him on anti anxiety Medication as well
In response to: Re: I could really use a friend
Unknown userMember
@Ney - I totally understand that need to "not be inside my head too much" when depressed. I find cross stitching or writing fiction helps me there. My favourite movies are some of the older ones "Contact" (I have worked in radio astronomy), ET, "Close Encounters of the third Kind" and "Grease". I think there is a 70s theme there 😃
In response to: Re: I could really use a friend
MagicAntSenior Contributor
@Former-Member, I love Close Enounters! I watch it every time it's on! In fact, I am sure I have it on DVD somewhere...
In response to: I could really use a friend
NeySenior Contributor
In response to: I could really use a friend
NeySenior Contributor
In response to: Re: I could really use a friend
MagicAntSenior Contributor
Hey @Ney, it sounds you have had the runaround with medications. Having said that, there are newer medications that are non-sedating like the "older" medications tend to be. It is just a matter of finding the right doc and the right medication. Twelve months is a long time to wait, but sadly, that is often the case with mental health services. Are you in a financial position to be able to see a psychiatrist of your choice?
Medication is one thing, but there are plenty of non-medication ways of helping with anxiety and depression. Your psychologist should be able to point you in the right direction. Whatever you do, don't do anything silly. No matter how bad things seem, there is always someone to talk to, always someone who cares, always someone who can help you get through the day. Focus on all the good things about your life: you're a mum, you're a photographer, and besides, there are plenty more Star Wars and Marvel movies being released over the next few years!
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Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
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