Who should I see??

meds alone are  not working for my severe depression, now should I be seeing a Therapist, a counselor, or a pyscatrist( sp). any help would  be great.

Thanks, Annie

Hi Annie,
A therapist or counselor is usually who you would see for talk therapy. Psychiatrists are usually seen for more severe mental disorders (schizophrenia, DID etc.). Psychiatrists are also seen as a medication management doctor as well as seeing a therapist. Hope this helps a little.

Dear Annie,
I too live in Canada. You most likely do want to see a psychiatrist, rather than a psychologist. The reason for that is that our health care system pays for you to see a psychiatrist, however most psychologists are $180.00 an hour.
I see a psychologist. The reason for this is that the psychiatrist I saw felt there was nothing wrong with me. He said I just needed to lose 30 pounds and I would no longer be depressed.
You can ask your family doctor to refer you to the local hospital. Tell your doctor that you feel it is urgent that you see someone. At the hospital you will first be assessed by a social worker. That appointment should occur fairly quick and about a week later you should get an appointment with a psychiatrist. I am sorry that the Cdn. Mental Health has not gotten back to you. That is ridiculous.
I hope you find this information helpful.
There are some family doctors who have had training in psycho therapy so if you can find one of those that might also work. Or if you have additional insurance you may have coverage for a psychologist. However all these places have long waiting lists unless you either go to the nearest ER or get your family doctor to make the referral.
I will keep you in my prayers. I wish I could take away all the pain you have been through in your life. The first step to healing is to tell your story and to continue telling it, until one day you do not need to tell it quite so often. Just choose your audience wisely. I have been stung by sharing my pain with some of the wrong people, so choose carefully who you share with. You know you can always count on the HW family to lend an ear. However eventually you must find a professional and get their services. Right now the gold standard of treatment for depression is considered to be cognitive behavioural therapy along with medication. You may have to try several different meds till you find the right one for you. However med alone is just putting a bandaid on the problem. Hang in there. I will pray for you. god bless. Judy/Effie

Hi Annie,

Each Province in Canada differs slightly. I live in BC and in BC if you are at a certain income level the government will pay for certain therapies if referred by your doctor. Regardless of the Province, if you are married and you oryour spouse are working your extendend health will probably cover the costs of a registered psychologist. In addition, employers often provide Employee Assistance Programs also available to family members that provide confidential counselling services and may refer you for more treatment if necessary.

I recommend seeing a Psychologist and one that specializes in depression. I suffer from chronic pain and depression and see a psychologist that specializes in both, she practices cognitive-behavioural therapy and some relaxation techniques. If you live anywhere near the lower mainland of BC let me know and I will post her information. She is excellent.

Good luck! Keep smiling and perservering.

Hi and welcome...
Its very important that your husband feels comfortable with his therapist. I went through a few before I found the right one. Its a very frustrating experience but very necessary. You want to make sure foremost that your personalities match. Therapy can take its toll on you, especially in the beginning because you are getting all of those bad thoughts out and it can be very overwhelming however IMO its the only way to start healing. I hope that he can find a good match with a therapist and I will keep you and him in my thoughts. Be well.

If he is not comfortable with his therapist, there is no reason to keep going to that one. You would be paying for a service that will not be doing him any good. I would suggest he looks for another one. My suggestion though would be for him to call different ones because sometimes we get a sense for someone on the phone. If when he calls to schedule with a new one, he will be able to go with his gut instinct after talking on the phone. This doesn't always work but it helps and saves you a bit of time. The therapist is actually the one that suggestions the frequency of the visits with the agreement of the patient, they kind of work together but the therapist usually leads this. I agree that 3-4 weeks apart is a bit stretched out much for him as he is just starting therapy. Normally in the beginning of therapy you would go more often then stretch the appointments out in time.

I'm sorry that you are going through this with your husband. You sound like a very caring and patient wife which is hard to do. I am on your husband's side of the fence but realized a lot of what I have put my husband through and realized this when we had our therapy sessions together. You may ask your husband if he would like you to attend sessions with him or seperate ones with a different therapist but make sure that he has his individual ones as well. These are most important.

Take Care