Changing meds

glad to hear that you are doing some better this afternoon @WIP

Thanks @Bow only a small improvement on y'day. Still very teary and unstable.

How are you going?
I haven't been up to following ppls threads the past few days, but did I see that you are seeing a psychologist or pdoc soon? I hope they are helpful for you.

My psychologist has been away for a couple

of weeks and I've really needed her support. xx

any improvement is improvement yeah @WIP ? but i get it.

im trying to be ok. yeah i seen a pdoc on tuesday, not the greatest of appointments, apart from him being really old, like in his 90's i would guess? surely there is some criteria around being registered?! i could hardly hear him, he struggled to walk and get up and is real old school i think. he said he moved to the area 25 yrs ago to retired but loves his job so much he couldnt give it up! he is against meds, and i feel i need them at the moment.

its been a big day for me already. i sent an email to my psych last night, ive struggled to verbalise alot of things recently and inform those around me of what is going on for me, so was encouraged to email it.... well she called comm mh, i have to see them, which i dont want to. just a real mess.

when is your psych back?

It's not really much improvement, apart from some extra hours sleep this morning from taking extra meds. I'm the same as y'day, just trying to put on a brave face. I'm not coping & truely don't know what to do. Can't stop crying, so deeply sad & hopeless @Bow

My previous psychiatrist was elderly in the end - I'd been seeing him on & off for 15-20 years, and he was 'older' when I first started seeing him. I trusted that man with my life and was devastated when he retired. He was like a second father to me. Very wise and experienced.

He sounds a bit different from the old fellow you saw earlier this week. Did he give you any meds? Will you go back to see him? Some GPs do prescribe anti depressants.

I would often type of my thoughts or what had been going on in between appointments with the psychiatrist I just dumped. Because I'd usually forget to cover off what I really wanted to say, if I didn't take notes with me. So I think that's a great thing you did with your psychologist.
I don't understand why she called Community Mental Health. Isn't she your treating psychologist? Can you refuse to see comm MH? Sorry, I don't know how that system works, so if these are silly suggestions please forgive me.

My psychologist is back on Tuesday.

I have to deal with Centrelink on Monday first - that's already stressing me out. I find them really difficult to deal with

@WIP wish i could help make things better for you. i do hope that by seeing your psych on Tuesday, they can help in some way, or point you in some direction of getting some more targetted help and relief from what you are feeling at the moment. i know that you are not sleeping and that can make things so much worse when you are tired, hopefully even being able to address that will help.

the pdoc i seen didnt give me any meds. i am currently on a low dose AD and thats it. i have an appointment with him in 2 weeks time and then another a week later. i will discuss with my GP and psych about it though, i just dont feel like he will work for me, ive got to feel comfortable with him right?

i think my psych called comm mh health cause she isnt equipped for acute care and crisis stuff, which i guess is where i am sitting at the moment. she also tried to call me this morning and i didnt answer, so she was concerned...based on what i emailed her... mandatory reporter and all. comm mh informed me that if i dont show up tomorrow then they will call me and if i dont answer they will come to my house. so guess that was her telling me i need to attend the appointment? they talked about hospital, i said no way. im at least hoping that they will look at my meds, but not holding my breath @WIP they have been extremely unhelpful in the past.

i hope centrelink goes ok. ive had alot of issues with them too!

Hey @WIP💗I'm sorry, it sounds like things have been a struggle recently. It also makes sense that you already feel stressed about having to deal with Centrelink on Monday- it's a very demoralising system. I can only hope that the worker you interact with will be nice and the wait time won't be too long 💞

I'm glad to hear your psychologist will be back soon. In between now and when you get to next see them- perhaps you have hobbies, distractions, forms of support etc. you might usually draw upon when you're struggling? Do you think you'll be able to get by ok?

Demoralising system - that's a very accurate description @Former-Member

Thanks for your kind note, most appreciated.

I don't have any hobbies, I need to find an interest. I'm just that unwell at the moment, I don't even know what I like. I bought a puzzle in lockdown, I haven't even opened the box yet. I have homework from the DBT class that I missed, so can work on that if I have the concentration in between crying outbursts.
And of course taking my puppy to the dog park. He turns 1 on Sunday & we will be meeting one of his brothers at the park. I'm nervous about that, as I've been isolated so long - I've lost my confidence in mixing with ppl.

Life is really hard with a debilitating mental illness.. @Former-Member

Do you have a good r'ship with your GP? @Bow If so, def talk to them about medication - they should be able to help. I don't feel the psychiatrist you saw this week is a good fit for you and it's paramount that your trust your medical team - I spent all of last year with the wrong medical team (GP, pdoc& psychologists) and a lot of damage was done by all of them, on top of the damage covid lockdown in Melb did.

Can you give your psychologist a call this afternoon to discuss the comm MH process - she may be able to fill in some gaps for you. If you've made it clear that you won't go to hospital, the appt tomorrow should go alright for you. Hopefully a med review and adjustment, then setting up a structured plan of treatment - regualr

appts etc.

I can understand you're worried about it, but try not to be. They have a copy of your notes, so know exactly what trauma you've been through and trying to manage on your own. They are there to help you, and ask them that - 'do you think you can help me'. After 2 shit psychologists this year, when I met my 3rd at the end of the appt I asked just that - can you help me? My diagnosis is complicated and I was sick of wasting time with incompetent ppl.

My gp is new.... started seeing her this year. I had a bad run with gps late last year not listening to me, not taking my mental health seriously. I went to one gp and told her that I have developed some eating issues, all she did was print out a blank referral form, signed it and told me to go home and google someone. I was in no state to do that. Week later I went and seen someone else at the medical clinic as requested by my psych who was concerned at my lack of eating and now physical symptoms of such and this gp was just as bad. I ended up in hospital the following day with dangerously low potassium. I haven't been back there since. I have found a lovely new gp. At my first appointment after telling her everything that's gone on recently she said she thinks she can help me... music to my ears. I've been seeing her weekly since, phone calls in between. I still really struggle to be absolutely honest though. Shame. Fear. Just not knowing the words. I'm scared how she will responde when I see her tomorrow and she finds out the truth of where I am at.

I've been to comm mh health before and not returned home, been taken to hospital instead. That can't happen. Guess just have to be careful with my words? I am frustrated that I will no doubt have to tell them everything too. If they aren't going to be me regularly which I don't think they will I really don't see the point in spending ages giving them my life story all over again. This will be my 3rd or 4th visit to them in the last few months and every time I have to explain everything, why can't they just keep notes ans read my file before hand? It would be nice if I actually see the person I have spoken to today and who my psych spoke to also, but I doubt that also. No faith in them at all.

have you found a gp and pdoc you can work with @WIP ? I know you said you have a new psych, which is great.

@WIP your puppy sounds adorable

I'm hearing that things are really a struggle for you right now. Sending so much support your way 💞

It might be helpful to reach out to our Help Centre? You can try calling, the online chat (as I'm writing now, it is available/there are counsellors free), or booking a time for one of our counsellors to reach out to you.

And of course if you're approaching or at a point of crisis, remember there are crisis services like Lifeline