Getting Help for Depression?

Over the past couple of months my depression and anxiety has been getting worse, I want to get some help when I return home but have no idea where to start. For those of you who have suffered and sought out help, be it medical or spiritual, how did you get it? Where did you start looking? Who did you speak to?

I spoke to my doctor in the past but having a small-town mindset he just brushed it off as being nonsense and told me to drink more water and sleep longer! If only I could. I will try with him again, I’ll ask for another doctor if I have to but would also appreciate some other ideas of where to look to help and support.

Friends of mine recomended that I go to a Clinical Psychologist.

First time it was difficult to start talking about things that made me unhappy and depressed, but once I start talking she could give advice and just give me a different perspective and outlook on things. I'm feeling muh better, still have some off times where I feel depro, but like she said: "It is unnatural and humanly impossible to be happy 100% all the time, but we can be content with it."

She told me that she would like to spend some time to see if the problem can be solved through a couple of sessions first before she would recommend medication.

Long story. Long Journey. And it's not over yet.

It depends what you're depressed from.

The last time I spoke to a shrink ( 6 months ago). He wasnt any help. He kind of brushed
it off. The circumstance of my life situation at that time would had made anyone depressed.
I know too much. Read plenty of self help books, pyschology books, worked the 12 steps program
for decades on both side of the coin...the addiction side and codependent side. I also grew up in a church.
Spirituality, different ways of looking at things...ect..ect...ect.

I've yet to speak to anyone that's gone through what I've gone through or dealing with as a whole.
Some people might had gone through simular circumstances. Bits or pieces of it.

I know what a good life or the idea of it should be...but my life hasnt turned out like that.
I'm not crazy. I'm just mother fucken stressed from extreem abnormal complicated circumstances
and conditions.
It's probably why the shirnk knows I'm not crazy from my evauations.
And taking medications, drugs, pills..ect wouldnt help me....becuase that's what I'm
figthing against. The messed up consequences of it all.

Conseling?
I take advice like a grain of salt.
The shirnk also knew I would ultimately do whatever the fresia I was going to do
and no one could stop me.

Logically I can figure it out. What my hearts tells me is the opposite.
Therefore conflicts within me. I followed my heart.
There are those that would say..."dont make decisions with your feelings."
So...there you go. Ultimately I had to make my decision and take a leap of faith.
It was MY CHIOCE. No one is to blame. I knew what I was steping into.
Win or lose. Right, wrong or in difference, I would not REGRET.
This in itself....gave me releave.
I had my experince with regrets. It made me depressed as fresia.

My duaghter needs me. Shes very heart broken, depressed..ect, ect.
So whatever the fresia issues I have. I need to deal with them head on
and quickly.

Some materials that I've been using to help me.
Beyound positive thinking by Dr. Robert Anthony.
The Law of attreaction by Abraham Hicks.
The Sedona Methdoe.
Brain Sync.
Seffegio Tones.
Plus some other literature such as The Power of the NOW.
Choosing to get WELL.

I also attend support groups every now and then.
I have a support system...if it gets really bad.

The sedona methdoe helps me in releasing negative emotions.
My current release is on self rejections then piveting to allowing myself
to love myself as I am....not wanting to change myself.
What this dose is releave tensions.
A common slogon in recovery is "you're exactly where you're suppost to be"

The law of attractions and beyound positive thinking.
Dont judge a book by it's cover or have preconcieve notions.....
They both will tell you straight up.. " You're responsible for your own happiness and life"
You are responsible for what you think and feel.
You are responsible for what you feed your mind.
You have the power of chioce to choose.
They both go into details...cover alot of bases.
Tell you no nonsence, straight up, to the piont with clearity.

What the law of attraction dose is give you instructions to pivet
from negative thoughts and feelings to positive thoughts and feelings.
You simply practice piveting from negative to positive.
If you feel like crap....dont dwell on it.
Acknowlege your negative feeling then...refocus/pivet to postive thoughts and feelings.
Gradtitude, appriciations, paint a pretty image in your mind, recall positve experince in your life.
Do positive self talk.
Do whatever it takes to generate good positive within yourself and maintain it. FOCUS!!!!!

Whatever ill, anger, grieve, hate, depression,..ect..ect. ( negative thoughts and feelings)
You need to get rid of them....via venting, forgivness, let go, meditate, praying, belive that god
will heal you and bless you....ect. ect..ect
Do whatever you have to do to get rid of them. Do What you have to do. Do what works for you.
THIS WILL MINIMIZE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

The power of the now...a very spiritaul book.
Mediation.....
Focus on an object.
Observe your thoughts and feelings go by as a passing parade.
Dont figure it out. Dont give meanings to them. Dont try to control or stop your mind.
Eventually your mind will come to a rest on it's own.
This will get you into the PRESENCE. THE NOW.
Our troubles and suffering..ect (thoughts and feelings) comes from inside our heads.
Problems from the past in our memories that our brain plays over and over again.

Our brain is also design to solve problems. Sometimes it creates problems so it
can solve.lmao Great for solving mathematical equations. It totally sucks when
it comes to relationships.

If you're drinking and using...stop.
Alcohol is a depressent. it'll just make you more depressed after
you get drunk.
Drugs is the samething. What gose up must come down.
You'll get addicted and be in constant withdraws which will make
you feel like crap and depressed.

You might also try taking vitamin B6 and B12.
If you're not eating proper diets...you're not getting enough
of these vitamins that our brain needs to function properly.
B6, B12 and saint john wart promotes GOOD MOODS.

Some of the things you're going to be asked or suggest to do in recovery is LOVE YOURSELF.
It's corny as fresia....but being kind, gental, friendly, compasionate, understanding towards yourself helps a lot.
Positive dialog or relationship with yourself....
LOVE YOURSELF AS YOU WOULD LOVE OTHERS.
FIRST THINGS FIRST.

Maybe go for counselling-your phone book wil have a list of local organistions. Or see if the charity MIND has an office or centre near your home which you could call into and register as a service user at. I remember when I registered there as a service user that I put something like 'self referred' on the form, as did one of my friends, and we were accepted.

I'd get another doctor if i were you.

I tried to deal with it myself for some time but ended up having a sort off breakdown....after which I decided to get help....got the name of a good Psychiatrist and went...it was helpful I think......if you can't do that then try support groups in your area or online.....self help books can be useful too.

Thanks for all the feedback, I’ve held off replying until now after my second appointment with a much more sympathetic doctor who has given me Citalopram which seems to help with both anxiety and depression. It’s early days yet, I’m not even on the full dosage but I’ve also been booked into some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy so hopefully things will get better in time.

Lost Drifter said:

Thanks for all the feedback, I’ve held off replying until now after my second appointment with a much more sympathetic doctor who has given me Citalopram which seems to help with both anxiety and depression. It’s early days yet, I’m not even on the full dosage but I’ve also been booked into some Cognitive Behavioural Therapy so hopefully things will get better in time.

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I can't stress enough how beneficial CBT has been for me.

Pharmacotherapy was not a good fit for me - the drugs and their associated side effects were extremely unpleasant, but it was an extreme reaction, and most people would probably be ok. CBT though, wow, it really feels empowering because you have an active hand in helping yourself.

Best of luck to you. I hope that things turn around soon. There is nothing like coming out of the emotional fog of a bad depression.

I hope it helps you Drifter. *hug*

Hi Drifter, good to hear you've moved to a more sympathetic doctor. Medication can help but changing the way you think and act is better in the long run. I hope you have a lot of success with it.

As for advice... well, personally I've found it so helpful being able to post in this forum. Just getting it out there to a sympathetic community has made me feel so much better, along with just hanging around in chat while I'm working.

It's hard to ask for help sometimes, but counselling helped me, your doctor should be able to refer you. I've also seen a clinical psychologist in the past and had assertiveness training (all on the nhs).