Mental Health Thread • Page 288

The combo of being asked to do the work of 3 people (2 of whom literally make 20k more a year than me!) and the painful eczema breakout crippling my right hand has me p much ready to die. I’m just laying in bed crying because I worked 11.5 hours today to try and get these reports done and my hand is so itchy and in pain and it’s pathetic.

 

it really does help

 

I made a commitment to visit my dad at his nursing home every single Monday and I'm sticking to it but it's always so fucking hard seeing him in the state he's in and even harder to leave every single time. And I'm always going to feel like I didn't do enough to help prevent the stroke that put him there in the first place.

 

I am perpetually the orange m&m in terms of anxiety and overall life worry

 

I feel like my medication really doesn't help my depressive episodes or my anxiety these days, but then I can't say for sure if my worst episodes I had before being medicated were worse than the ones I have now

I just wonder if I really do have slight improvement over who I used to be, or if the meds are really doing nothing other than making me a little number, less creative, and more socially awkward.

I just feel like I've tried so many things that gave me a lot of bad side effects and don't want to go through that again. I'm functional on my current meds and feel fine for the most part, but I still have outbursts over the tiniest stressors and so much depression, self-doubt, and just hating myself in general. I'm angry all the time, too, and I hate it

My girlfriend and my sister both tell me that I always think the worst is going to happen like my father

 

I'm going to start meditating and try to commit to it at least once a day. I've been doing it every now and then but really want to make it a routine.

 

Y’all!!!!!!! I took my test today and I passed!!! I feel so relieved and proud of myself! I’m going straight to my grandmas bc she has no idea I even got my permit. She’s gonna lose her mind! And tomorrow I’m showing up at my brothers with pizza to surprise them.

 

congrats!

 

way to go @Jams !!

 

So fucking proud of you! Damn, that’s so exciting. Congratulations!!!

 

Why do we lose friends as we get older?

I know they've got their own lives and priorities to worry about, and they're not thinking about me or where I've been at all. Anxiety is telling me otherwise. :( I think they all hate me and cbf'd with me anymore.

 

I think I identify more with this song now than I did even as an angsty teen

 

So I guess I did the calculations wrong (even tho I did them several times), I guess I do qualify for a low income apartment and going to call to get back on the interest list in hopes I find something. It’s still like a 10 mile commute because these apts are way far out at the edge of the city I live in. What’s funny is the map on their brochure has the totally wrong highway and that highway doesn’t even go near this city

 

Changing birth control has made my skin a wreck and I dread even getting out of bed now because I don't want to look in the mirror and contend with what I'm going to have to deal with all day or attempt to cover. I had bad acne as a teen that resulted in crippling anxiety and self esteem issues so its bringing back sucky feelings. I'm so stressed and tired and done and exhausted. My goal is to clean my house Friday so I can relax comfortably this weekend. My friend wants to go to the haunted corn maze which normally I'd be all over, but I've had to drive so much I just do not want to drive to the town an hour away for that. I'm actually like half hoping the stress will turn into me getting sick so I can at least slow down. Idek. Will def do some form of self care this weekend.

 

Just came across my ex on a dating app on the recommended. I prob should't complain since I'm on there too, but I have unhealthy coping mechanisms. It just kinda hurts, I mean its been less than 6 months since he blindsided me, and I just keep thinking about all the lies he's told me, and will prob deny it. Trying hard to find a place so I can take my cat and thats it not talk to him. He had the fucking nerve to use a photo of us (but of course my face cropped out) and still uses old photos. Another lie his his body type (which before we met I knew it was a lie, because I can tell based off his pics). I just want to cry

 

How do people go about seeing a doctor about antidepressants? every time I've filled out those questionaries for normal visits, I lie because I don't want to be admitted to a psych ward. One of the major reasons I avoid therapy and such. I just feel like I'm getting worse by day.

 

I just went to my primary doctor and told her I was going to therapy but I thought I needed meds too and my therapist had suggested it as well. She asked me some questions about my mental health, prescribed me meds, and then made me a referral for a new therapist per my request. I had a few trial and errors before I found a med that worked so don't give up if it doesn't work right away. Sometimes they need to adjust dosage and which med they prescribe. Def no mentions of psych wards or hospitalization during my visit. Idk. It was a pretty positive experience but I know it's not like that for everyone. I came in pretty low but they were cool.

 

I'm not seeing a therapist tho, so I don't know how to go about it. Usually a primary will have you fill out a survey and I know which questions I've lied about in the past (the ones that talk about feeling depressed and suicidal thoughts) and from that I fear they'll do some psych eval and I have to stay in the hospital, and I just don't have that kind of money

 

As someone who has been in psych wards you don't just get forced in there - they need to see a present danger to yourself or others to do that, and even then it's on a 72 hour (generally) basis where they then have to petition the court to extend your stay. You can say you're feeling suicidal but that's still not enough to justify the hold on its own so please don't let that stop you from truly getting the help you need.

Of course things vary state to state if you're in the US but there has to be a lot of criteria met and generally your first consult with a psych is not going to go like that unless you're truly coming in there in real crisis mode. And there's an obvious jump in severity that is generally** noticable to a doctor when that's the case.

 

I don't think it would've mattered if i was seeing a therapist already tbh. I think if I had come with the same inquiry about meds without the therapist part it would've gone the same. Sometimes doctors can be hesitant to prescribe certain meds or dosages of things if the patient isn't seeing a therapist too. Not sure how common that is, but I know it happens with some of my clients. My doctor asked about my suicidal thoughts and history of self harm and I was honest and psych ward never got mentioned. I get ur worry tho. Some doctors are better than others about mental health and there is still a stigma. It's a scary step to take, but a good step towards getting better

 

I got a prescription by telling my general care doctor about my anxiety and depression, but definitely wasn't fully honest. I'm supposed to see a therapist...but I haven't. Technically my refills ran out months ago, but they kept getting refilled anyway by the pharmacy and then last month they said they couldnt refill and my doctor's office was like "we need you to come in for a general check up before we allow refills" and then my refills happened anyway despite my not calling my doctor back. I dunno it's weird, but whatever.

 

I can't encourge enough people to go and be honest with their doctor and to pursue talk therapy with medication if they feel they need both. Sometimes medication is good for getting through particularly difficult periods but is not necessary once proper coping skills and a care management plan has been put into place - if I am being honest I think psych meds are overprescribed and often provide horrible side effects and the cycle of finding the right meds is really hard. I tried over 25 different meds and combos and had incredibly horrible side effects because I was being over prescribed and it hindered my long term progress. Most people will not have my experience. I was actively suicidal and doctors were desperate to do something to get me out of crisis mode. This started a cycle of med experimentation that last years. When I think what I needed more than anything was to just talk, talk talk until I was blue in the face. And I am on no meds now. After all that. It really can be done.

Only a professional can determine what you need. Which brings me to my point about using your PCP to manage your meds.

Your PCP can only help you so much and while may be a good starting point to get on some medication, they are not the best way to manage a care plan for you (generally). Having both a psychiatrist and psychologist is ideal because a psych is specifically trained to manage a med plan with your specific diagnoses/trauma/life circumstances/etc in mind and requires regular check Ins while talk therapy helps to provide the regular outlet for you to work through things, gain coping skills, etc.

If it seems cost prohibitive I completely understand and have been there - look in you area for places that work on a sliding scale. They take your income into account and can even cost as little as nothing depending on what you make. I was fortunate enough to use these types of services at certain points and was able to see a psych and therapist.

As I have seen others say in this thread, not being completely honest is very normal and understandable. But we all deserve an environment that makes us feel safe enough to share the darkest parts of ourselves or we will never fully deal with certain things. Having a place that's isnt a few minutes with a PCP is going to foster that environment for yourself if you feel you may be somebody who holds back certain things out of fear of the consequences. There are no consequences worth your life.

I am not a doc or professional just somebody with many years experience and this is what I have found to be the best. If you go to your PCP and can manage everything with just that, that's great! But I want to encourage people to not be scared if you need more because you deserve all the help you can get. I share these things because I fell into emergency care when I was initially hospitalized and figuring out the system when under suicide watch is not the best way. If you can get out ahead of it please do. You're all beautiful people who deserve help so if I can offer any more guidance feel free to PM me.

 

My girlfriend also got back on anti depressants from just talking to her doctor. She also helped point her in the direction of a therapist, as well.

 

When I hang out with friends or other people, instead of feeling positive or good about it afterwards I just get more depressed. Like it reminds me that I have trouble relating with anyone. The only interactions I don't walk away with that feeling is with kids. With adults I feel like it highlights how much I don't get people, even those who are friends.

 

We’re doomed to misery.