Avoiding doctors?
 

Ok, I used to and still do have 'extremes' of moods, I can be mega happy well most of the time, but I can switched to being angry frustrated or extremely sad.
I have been in a 'sad' phase for like a month so far and wen I get really down I just want to stop feeling this way, stop thoughts etc, and I thoink maybe I should see my doctor, but when I can make an appointment, it doesnt seem to be a big deal as it did say the nite before and I dont make an appointment, Well I made one today, but I feel 'plain' right now, not happy, not extremely upset, just alittle sad and I have an appointment at 5:10 and it doesnt seem like I should go and waste anyones time, plus the doc wud prob just fob me off anyways.
I dunno, what do you think?

Keep your appointment. If you were having bad stomach pains, and you knew that they come and go, you would still get checked out (well I would!) same with moods. You don't have to be having one at the precise moment you see the doctor.

You shouldn't be fobbed off......if you doctor does that, come back and tell us!

It could be best if you go while you are feeling OK. That way you can calmly recount what's been happening to you. If you go when you're down or super-up ... it's hard to report logically. Ya know what I mean?
We have the best talks when I go about other things. Otherwise, he spends most of the appt trying to get me to calm down enough to answer questions.

I went, in the begining it felt like he was fobbing me off.
She asked things like do u want to end ur life, and yes I do want my life to be over but I dont have the guts to do it :( So then it felt like she didnt think I was serious.
but we was talking and she offered me some antidepresants, I said well what if I feel like this again later on?
and I told her some more stuff and she then asked if I spoke to people that wasnt there or heard voices, I felt completely stupid.
She wanted to speak to a another doctor and did so and she told me she's refering me to a quack. I asked if its possible if I had a condition, and she told me from what I told her she began to think I was bipolar but isnt sure from the rest I told her, which sounded like stress.
I dunno. I feel better today not on top of the moon but not sad...

I'm glad you went to the doctor. It's good they've referred you to a specialist so you can be sure of what you're dealing with before you try treatment options.

Keep in touch with how you are getting on.

Remember doctors are a dime a dozen, if your not comfortable with one, move on until you find the right one. It took me a long time before I found a doctor who's IMHO the best !!! I used to go to women b/c I felt they understood me better...boy was I wrong. I'm glad she's refering you to another doctor that can properly diagnose you. This IS good and its the beginning of you feeling better.

Good luck to you sweetie !!!

Sometimes I keep track of my moods on my calendar.......happy face vrs sad face......just as a reference.....and I write appointments, work etc on their so sometimes there are patterns.......also surrounding my cycle.......that way you have a quick reference when you go to your doctor.......I am not one of those that are totally in touch with my feelings and not always great at articualating things.

It is important to have a doctor you can relate to but it is not helpful to go from one doctor to the next.......trying to get the answers you want to hear. I have seen that happen......it is a fine line

Good luck and keep in touch!

Liz

My flatmates a med student and I was in the house when she was doing a psych revision and those are pretty much the standard questions they have to ask someone when they come in with suspected depression or thats what I gathered anyway its just to see how depressed they are so don't worry about it I'm sure she didn't think you are stupid and I'm sure she took you seriously.

I have problems every now and then with depression, I get insomnia and hormonal mood swings due to tricky periods and it makes me feel quite depressed but then other days I feel totally fine. I'm exactly like you wonder whether I should get anti depressants or not. One thing I find for me is doing exercise is a big mood elevator and also what I eat. When I live off sugary stuff or don't eat properly I get more depressed but if I moderate it and have lots of fruit I dont get as bad. I've thought about tablets but manage it with healthy stuff I find evening primrose and taking st. Johns wort really help my moods too. You have to speak to a doctors before taking st. Johns though really because it can effect other meds if you take any others like it can make the pill less effective.

Anyway if you need someone to talk to at any point I'd be happy to chat because i think I know where you are coming from with the moods.

I'm exactly the same way, it's not so uncommon. I hope you find what you need. I'm not an expert so don't quote me but I have a few friends who are bipolar and that is what it sounds like.. but of course you can't rule other things out. Find a doctor you are comfortable with.. don't just settle on an "okay" one. You'll be thanking yourself later:). Anyways good luck (and exercise is a mood lifter for me as well)

I went for an appointment at a mental health clinic yeaterday (I was refered there from my doctor) and I arrived on time to somewhere I hadnt been before and I needed to blow my nose from some what of a cold I have suffered from the few days before so I proceeded to the uni-sex toilet where some guy was smoking weed. Well I went to reception and sat waiting for 45 mins past my appointment time. During that time of waiting: That same guy came over as soon aas I sat down and asked me very bluntly why was I there, I told him I was there to find that out, for that time I was subject to his direct questions and offers to take me out which didnt help with my nerves from being there.
When I finally spoke to the lady I was meant to I wasnt sure who I was talking to after answering her questions I found out she is a social worker, which felt weird as I told her some of my problems or be it most of them, after she filled out a form that was going to present to a panel, she told me that an appointed will be made soon with a consultant.
She told be that Im depressed and that the consultant will want to medicate me, she then said 'Im telling you this as an older sister, not as a professional so you cant tell the consultant I said this, but dont take any medication, you havent seen the mental health patients, they arent the same, this medication isnt like a painkiller that ud take once for a headache, its over time' she also said that my personality will proberly change that after taking the medication I would be worst when coming off of them so I will get stuck there in that cycle, and that Im young, pretty etc to pull myself together and the shed put me intouch with services to try and make friends (one of my problems, it feels like I dont have any close friends)
I dont want meds, I just dont wanna feel the way I do sometimes, or maybe have an answer to why I do, and I thought that Id prob speak to a quack about my problems.
Speaking to the social worker I did feel better and still do I feel like I change change things, But I havent and I know its just a matter of time before I start feeling 'low' again

I've struggled with depression since I was a teenager. Up until last year, I was diagnosed with depression and the medication they gave me ended up making my condition worse, because I was misdiagnosed and had Bipolar II depression. I have taken so many medications since I was diagnosed. Paxil was the worst medication for me. I would black out and I don't remember ANYTHING from the month and a half that I was on it. That being said, there were some medications that helped me feel a little better. But because of the fact that I have bipolar, those medications only increased my cycles. After years of taking medications, I have stopped. I haven't taken any medication in 5 months and I have been feeling pretty normal. I still get periods of sadness, anger, and elation but I've found that doing some talk therapy and incorporating exercise has helped me more than anything so far.

I do know many people who have worked really well with medication and I think that it's a fallacy to assume that everyone on medication becomes a mindless zombie. I say that you should give it a try for about 2 months or so and see how it works for you. It took me almost 4 years before I felt like I DIDN'T need medication. It usually takes about 2 weeks or more to see results from depression medication. Any good doctor will start you off really slow. It sounds like the place where you went is kind of shady in my opinion. I'd definately go to another place for a second opinion if I were you.

Get Help Now!!!!!
 

I'm bi-polar axis I. I have/had extreme mood swings and major anxiety issues. My doc is my lifeline.

Don't waste time with social workers. If you need/qualify for their assistance your doc will refer you.

It is essential that you find a doc that you can relate to and has been in the same place for a while. You don't want to be seeing someone new everytime you turn around. This happened to me for a while and caused me to quit going.

I now have a doc that I have been seeing for 3.5 years. He has stablelized my meds (after trying many different things). I take a combo of 3 different meds, but it is what works for me.

Everyone is different and has different experiences. The most important thing is finding a doc you're comfortable with. Being honest with him and yourself! And sticking to it. The first thing you try may not work, but don't give up.

Side effects will occur, but by working with your doc you can find what works and causes the least side effects. Unfortunately all of the meds have a side effect of weight gain.

Having been stable for a few years now, I finally feel that I am "normal". I believe that I will stick to my weight loss goals this time. Mostly because I am no comfortable with people that I have a support system.

Bottom line: GET HELP NOW!!!!!! BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

I was the same last year I found it really hard to see my GP but glad I did as I got the help I needed and now I am feeling a lot better!

Sometimes just talking to someone about anything and everything makes you feel a heck of a lot better. I've never understood how GP's are allowed to even prescrible anti-depression meds, it's something that needs a lot more follow-up and therapy as well. Maybe seeing a therapist you feel comfortable with on a regular basis would be better. But of course, I'm no doctor, just speaking from my experiences.

Hang in there
 

I went through this same thing a while back, where I was feeling really sad and then sometimes I would be fine. I would get really grumpy too. My Dr. prescribed me Lexapro because I was having anxiety about my schooling and graduating. Im fine now and have since stopped taking them. I was going through a lot but didnt realize it. Something may be bothering you inside, and you dont realize how it is affecting you emotionally. I hope this helped. Just make sure you are honest and open to your doctor. :)

That experience sounds creepy. Not so much the weed guy (because you are in a mental health facility, some will be off their rocker), but the case worker's comments. :sp:

As far as seeing a social worker, if you go to a county funded place (and maybe other places) that is standard procedure. Usually they just gather info and refer you to the phychiatrist. I've had 2 phychiatrists (in 2 different states) so far they have been fine. They do ask certain standard questions and typically much more in depth. That's so they can get an accurate diagnosis. The wrong one can put you on a medicine or treatment plan that sounds reasonable but is all wrong for you. It is not a judgement.:flow2:

The best thing is to walk in with a list so you can think of things you would like to share both experiences and questions. Ask questions as you go along. You might be suprised at some of the answers. :?:

One thing I really loved about my first doctor is that she knew my diagnosis but knew I was ambivelent about it. She ASKED me have I ever thought that I was bipolar instead of depressed. I had and told her and asked a bunch of questions of why I was doubting it, but in the end she simply said, we don't make diagnoses overnight (yeah sometimes they do) so go home and ask people, do some research, write down your thoughts and come back and tell me what you think. I came back the second time and she said DEFINATELY. When I was leaving the state, I asked to see my medical records. She already knew at the first appt, she was just giving me time to get used to the idea. I went to the 2nd one without medical records and he asked me questions and said the same thing. Prior to that I was being seen by general MDs and they all said Depression because they never asked the other questions.

In the end, don't be afraid to accept things :nono: because it makes things easier in the long run even if it is rough initially. Just think of it like this: Diabetics have lifelong treatments (not saying you will, I don't diagnose), which some reject and some accept and work on the treatment plan. In the end, rejection costs you life or life quality. Which is better?:angel: