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the importance of the gp.

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Posted 3/17/2009 10:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all.

to those who are experiencing an episode of depression or who are depresesed and are unsure of what to do, there is help, and that would be your gp, even if not your own. depression is a medical condition, and as many have posted it is wise to have a chat to your (a) doctor, as other things may well be evident, thus you and your doc can take a focused approach in the management and treatment of the illness.

depression has many faces, causes and effects us all differently. you and the doc can be proactive, especially if noticed early, thus the best treatment options can happen more quickly. i am aware that people may feel worried about talking to the doc, let me just say that i had this happen to me, but the more honest i was with the doc the more honest the doc was with me. now i tell my doc everything. i take in notes, because i forget the important stuff half of the time! and he appreciates this and tells me what to work on and what i am doing well, etc.

gp's today are well trained in the area of mental illness. some even solely work in this area. so please see your doc, they will help.

blessings to you my friends, seeing my doc soon, have notes too!

jamiee idea

Posted 3/17/2009 12:50 PM (GMT 0)
Jaimee, you give good advice. My GP was the beginning, and has tried to help based on what limited info I first gave him. He then referred my to the specialists (same day) when I was more forthcoming, realising that he was at his resource limits.

Yes, I also made notes this time, explained thoroughly the details, and received more support. We'll see what happens next as I sit in this Emerg Psych ward (voluntary).

I'm glad that where I live, I don't have to pay for any of this, since it is under the Ministry of Health. Just my meds will cost $4, due to a subsidation by work benifits. I have read that in some US places, people are thinking about the costs of a GP's visit, meds, hospital stay...and $ becomes a deciding factor. That situation would be horrible, making people think of money over health. If I faced such an issue, I might not be here today, originally being from a poor family.
I hope that I am misinformed about medical care in the US.

See the doc, and emphasize the urgency to the med secretary for an immediate visit. The secretaries/administrators are good at screening calls to schedule appointments later (even weeks later) if they sense a lack of urgency. I'm not pushy by nature, but I have assertively asked for same day help, citing intense pain, which I truly had, emotionally and physically. I got the same day, on two really bad occasions, and the doc was glad that I did. Noone got mad, and I got help. Good luck, all.
Posted 3/17/2009 1:00 PM (GMT 0)
I forgot to mention to go directly to the ER if docs are unavailable. If one of your local hospitals has a Psych Centre, even better. Scary, but sometimes necessary. Even just sitting in a medical area (doc's office or Emerg) can feel reassuring and calm, feelings you may be short on at home.

Good luck, everyone.
Posted 3/18/2009 12:32 AM (GMT 0)

thanx my thoughts for your thoughts, oh welcome to the community. yes where i live we have community mental health teams, and psych triage at hospital also. i have exhausted all of the above and even took out private health insurance to gain access to private admissions. no longer have private health ins, too expensive. the public system in my area is stuffed and to gain an admission in the public system is like the lottery, 1 in a few million! thus my gp is always my first port of call.

take care and thanx for sating hi.

jamiee wink

male 37, iddm, endogenous depression, severe borderline personality disorder, diabetic nuropathy,

(feet), hormone deficiency and some bits and peices!!

Posted 3/18/2009 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Jamiee. I wish you well, too.
Wow, I'm sorry to hear that Mental Health is so underserved where you live. But I'm glad your doc is there for you.
It's sad and wrong when people with more money get faster service in some areas. Two tier health care has been talked about here (and has begun in some heath disciplines), but is not well received by many Canadians. We complain about its shortcomings, and the taxes needed to fund it, but we dig Universal Health Care.

Again, I hope your doc can keep helping you.
Posted 3/18/2009 8:00 AM (GMT 0)
I'm glad you found your doctor helpful, my experience of seeking help through my GP was not a good one. They were very good at dishing out the smarties and sick notes, but in terms of coping strategies they were terrible. It wasn't until my second major episode that they referred me to counselling services. Such services literally are a postcode lottery here in the UK.

In fact I remember on one occasion my GP actually remarking 'are you still here?' on one visit. I need to change my GP, I currently have other health issues and they aren't explaining anything to me and I feel really in the dark.
Posted 3/18/2009 12:55 PM (GMT 0)

to alimonkey and my thoughts. here down under!! our psych services are pathetic. once you are of the books and or discharged from hospital you are not merely forgotten, more like you seek to exist. and here in oz the private system is just as bad, especially if you are a patient that seeks to have input to your tratment. me, i am in the too hard basket, thus because of burning out  2  shrinks from 2 seperate hospitals i am no longer welcome back. and i am somewhat blacklisted. shrinks do not like borderlines, becuse we refute all authority when unwell. yeah i challenged everything!

thanx jamiee

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