I'm a 47 year old women who tried to kill my self 3 months ago ,luckily I was found in time and took to hospital and referred to the mental health liaison team who were fantastic and really supportive.but I was released by them after 2 weeks and told to see my GP who has been no help at all . She took me off the medication I was prescribed and is not interested in helping me at all . I have given up all alcohol ,taken up walking every day and eating fruit and vegetables To try to help my self feel better . Is there anything else anyone can suggest I can try because I'm not sleeping and I've lost 3 stone in 12 weeks . I really don't want to die but I'm struggling to live like this tbh . Thanks x
Sorry but you really need to change your GP - is there more then one at your surgery as your medication should not have been stopped or she should had offered you a new one , whenever my GP changed my antidepressants he would ease me off them then gradually ease me back on to another , fortunately he is understanding more so since i told my local Health watch that if i didn't get any help then i was going to take my own life and the helth watch told me that they had duty of care and told my Surgery this , but i had already been referred to community mental health team at my Mental Health centre so he is now just working a long side while an assessment is being carried out - not even sure if they will take me on , if they don't then it will be down to the doctor at my surgery to pick up the pieces , please see if you can seea different doctor and speak out about your concerns xx
I did see another doctor but he just had a go at me and said I should of made an appointment with my original doctor as she knows the history ! I hope your new doctor works out well for you and thanks xx
Hey Joanne
Change GP asap! big time! i can feel a lot about what you wrote. u need some better support, that goes without saying. i have changed my GP a few times as my counselor said she didnt agree with how i was being treated. i ask to see someone other than her everytime i go to docs so i kinda good 2 in backround that i can really talk too. it helps so much. eg my old said to me when i was 37. alcohol would kill me before i see 40. i am 41 in a few weeks. i since found out that they shouldnt be telling you these things because it has a more negative effect. i dont want to pry too much about alcohol but i am pretty much alcohol dependant so i know that side of things. tried F&V etc but doesnt work for me but dont take that just from me....there are some nice people on here who can help when needed....and they always answer....so use them x
Hello Joanna,
Just the same as they have a duty of care you also have the right to change your gp. Considering the actions of that practice I would even consider registering at a different practice. If that isn't possible then demand a different gp. The excuse of your gp knows your history doesn't wash either. They all have access to the same medical files. Think of it like this, if you go into a big shop to buy a TV and the sales advisor is rude and no help your either going to go else where or your going to complain and demand to speak to someone else. Dealing with doctors or any medical profession is exactly the same thing but so much more important than a TV. D
Sorry Joanne, didn't mean to get your name wrong :s I really should stop using my phone to post here. It's like the auto correct is just determined to troll me every time.
That excuse just doesn't wash. My GP sees hundreds of patients a week, how the heck can he remember all of the details of all of them. As soon as you sit down they spend the next 5 mins looking at the computer to see who you are and what your history is, they don't remember individuals at all. Any doctor at the practice can do the same thing. Your medication may well have been wrong for you given present circumstances but just stopping it without discussing other options is negligent. It's so hard to be positive and assertive when you're already in a bad place, we need care and understanding, I know I certainly don't have the emotional or mental wherewithal to be strong with a GP who isn't interested or is abrupt, I'm sure you don't either. There are mental health agencies who can assist without a referral from your GP. Google MIND and see what you come up with. Somebody else on here helpfully gave details of those organisations you can approach without going through the GP system but unfortunately I've forgotten what they are. Maybe someone else can assist. You are an at risk patient, by removing your medication and being obstructive to you they are derelict in their duty of care, so sorry for you. I despair of GPs, I'm so sick of just a scant few minutes in their office and yet another painkiller prescription, me and many others in the same boat, I want a listening ear and a considered diagnosis, not a push out the door and the word 'next' every time!
My surgery GP has all my records on computer so therefore another GP should be able to go to those records and look at my history , My GP has been supported these past years as he originally referred me to a local Steps2Wellbeing programme run by my Local NHS ( Dorset County ) - early 2014 that was but unfortunately the CBT that i started having there didn't work and the apps ceased on the 4th one , eventually the Steps2wellbeing referred me to the Community Mental Health Team at the Mental Health Centre and my assessment started last month and it is through that that i am seeing a Psychiatrist which is different to my GP , i am still seeing my GP every few months as he is working alongside this assessment ( my local healthwatch were concerned about my safety - will kill myself if i don't get a result this time - get help ) , my GP is hoping that the Psychiatrist will prescibe extra tablets as he - my GP can only prescribed so many antidepressant , Have you tried to see if you can refer yourself to a local programme like i could had with mine , you can contact your local Healthcare ( my local one is what referred me back to my Steps2 programme as i asked them for help as i was struggling and they were helpful ) you can also contact MIND charity info line they were also a great help to me last year , don't sit back - change if needed your surgery - fight your corner , thinking of you x
HI Joanne I am so pleased you were found in time as well! Well done you for trying things to help yourself and that is very positive.
I agree with the others - change your useless doctor. When I first went to the doctor with depression I asked for sleeping pills because I wasn't sleeping and I was so depressed I wanted to kill myself with them. He not only refused point blank, he gave me a lecture about sleeping patterns and a few leaflets. He didn't diagnose my depression and just called me an 'uptight' person. I left in tears and it took me 6 months to go back to another doctor who forunately was great. In that 6 months I did take a serious overdose...
The key is finding a good doctor but that is trial and error. As a woman of 61 I never go to older doctors ie over 45 especially male as I have generally found them to be most cynical and less understanding. I find younger ones are better especially the younger women and my current doctor is female in her mid 30's and she is a diamond.
Unfortunately sometimes you have to persist and keep fighting to get proper treatment which I appreciate is really hard when this is the last thing you need but you will get there. Good luck. x
Hi Joanne
I guess there's not much more to say, the advice others have given is really sound I just want to say you have my support here
And I will be thinking of you x
Heres a link to mental health services, the majority of which you can self refer to, by-passing the ignorance of GPs. My old GP once told me how he did things like go away to their holiday home in Scotland for the weekend to combat work stress when I was in my early 20s and unemployed as well as depressed, not really an option haha! He clearly didn't get it (sad but true as he was a very good GP when it came to the physical ailments) so I went to someone else!
Recently self referred to talking therapies via the link below, telephone assessment on Monday.
Thank you all for your messages , I must admit to being reduced to tears by your lovely support and help . It means a lot xx I'm going to try going back to my doctors on Monday and demand some help now I know I'm not getting it and if that doesn't work I will try to change my practice. I just wasn't sure if this was normally how they treat people . Once again thanks for helping me when I know you all have your own problems to deal with xx
I have been with my current doctors for many years and use them for different things. If I want something ie a test and think I will be refused I see an older female one who is obliging.
For my depression (and for general understanding) I see my younger female one and for everything else will see another young female doctor. I don't mind seeing a couple of the younger chaps but there is only 1 older guy I will see. I have got them all sussed out and use it to my advantage lol x
Hello. I take it you have depression but don't understand why your doctor has taken you off medication and is not interested in helping you. Do you know why that is? I think you should find another doctor. They are not all like her.
I am so sorry you tried to kill yourself. I too have taken an overdose and been in a psychiatric hospital. You cannot go on without support, that is all wrong. Is it possible for you to contact the team who helped you and explain what is happening? Perhaps they can recommend another doctor who helps people with mental health problems. Perhaps they can recommend you to a psychiatrist.
It is all wrong that a GP cannot help. Please, please don't go on like this. You are doing everything you can to help yourself, but you definitely should have professional support. To leave you like this is very wrong indeed.
In my Surgery there are 10 GP's plus other staff like nurses etc , every patient has their own dedicated GP , i had a male one because he was always the one i saw the most so i was happy ( was a new system they brought in couple of years ago to make sure everyone had a GP they were happy with and to make the practice run smoothly ) my Mum had her usual one and my Dad was given my the one my Mum had but he asked to be changed to the male one that he usually saw . I know that if i need to see a female one for an appointment - which i did for a more personal matter however i would only do that if it was really neccesary as i don't have a problem discussing most health issues with my male GP - he is probably mid thirties and unless he wasn't listening to me then i will continue to respect him as my GP , i would only recommend changing a GP if someone with depression had a GP who wasn't listening to their concerns
Hi Anne , yes I am depressed ( due to horrible circumstances beyond my control ) . I have no idea why she took me off the medication, I was on 50 mg sertraline ,150 mg quetiapine and 7.5 mg of zopiclone which was delivered every 2 days to my house ( so I couldn't overdose again) but she canceled it when I ran out on Christmas eve and prescribed antibiotics for an ear infection! I Was crying to much to ask why and left . It feels like they think if they ignore me long enough I will go away and stop bothering them ,but I could just be getting paranoid and just be really unlucky .unfortunatly Ive lost the details from the hospital or I would phone them as I'm getting desperate now .
Sorry joanne I shouldn't have replied to your post. I am going away now coz I am rubbish
You are NOT RUBBISH hypercat . You were just saying what works for you xx As its over 10 years since I've been to my surgery I havent a clue which doctor is which and unfortunately we just get to see whatever doctor is free at the time you have been allocated. Don't put yourself down for trying to help .i really appreciate all input and thank you xxx
Loxi and paul think that. I am glad you don't so thank you. I was trying to help but am finding the right words very difficult at the moment. I don't want to hijack your post so will shut up now. I have put a separate post on about feeling rubbish if you are interested.
I don't need any more negative comments though so if anyone is going to get hacked with me please stay off. I need support and love. x
Don't let it get to you ,xxxxxx ( i don't come on here unless i can help so i often bypass many discussions .