[Anonymous]

Hi, I've been feeling pretty crap for a little while now and was wondering if anyone could give me advice?

So could anyone give any advice? Is it worth going to see a doctor? How do I phrase it? Would they question me about it a lot (this isn't exactly stuff I feel comfortable talking about...) and I don't want to come across as too pathetic or too self important.

And if I did do it, what is likely to happen? I think counselling would really help me but if there are long waiting lists then it'd be useless because I go back to uni in September... I don't really want to go through all of the above if it doesn't result in anything.

I suppose I mostly just need encouragement to actually do it, but I'm just terrified.

[Sabertooth]

Generally if you go in and say "I feel like crap" the GP will know what questions to ask you. When I did it he gave me a questionnaire on the computer to rate different things 1 through 5 and from that he will dietermine how depressed you are. He'll ask you questions about your mood, your sleeping patterns, eating patterns, if you feel like hurting yourself, basically just stuff like that. Don't worry about seeming pathetic or anything, a lot of people get depression and the GP will have seen it before.

As for what's likely to happen. You're probably right in that counselling waiting lists tend to be months long. You could try going for counselling at your university which will likely have much shorter waiting lists. Or, if the GP judges your depression severe enough, he might offer you antidepressants.

It's natural to feel scared about seeing someone about depression, but it's a common condition and if you don't take the first step it's unlikely to get better, especially if you've been feeling this way for quite a long time.

[No Future]

GPs will have many patients with depression, it's very common and you shouldn't feel unworthy etc. The sooner you seek help, the better.

It is true that NHS referrals are complicated by going to/from university, even so it's best to get the process started.

[yesboss]

if you feel like you need some help then go and see your doctor, you have nothing to lose. there's nothing to be worried/scared about. i think when i went i put it as me "feeling down" a lot of the time and just not feeling my general self. i hear that a lot of doctors are very willing to put their patients straight on to anti-depressants, but my doctor recommended seeing a therapist first which i think is a sensible first step