The Student Room Group

Medication

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice

I went to see my doctor almost a year now to talk about my mental health (i suspected I was suffering from anxiety), and at the time he said he didn't want to diagnose me with anything or give me medication (I'm under 18 and he said he had to be careful giving meds to anyone under 18) but he referred me to CAMHS

It's now almost a year later, my mental health has been getting worse, I now suspect I'm suffering with depression as well, and I'm on a 6 week talking therapy programme (with an independent counselling company). The counsellor has also expressed she thinks I might have depression and an anxiety disorder, however is not able to give me a diagnosis.

I'm on week 4 of the talking therapy and I don't feel much different. I know recovery is a long process but I'm still in a terrible place (I feel empty a lot of the time, everything scares me, I get panic attacks, going to school is hard because I get anxiety attacks lots. This is all not really in my character- 4 years ago I was happy and bubbly and confident and got good grades and loved performing on stage. Now, I still do performances (I'm playing the lead role in the school show) but it gives me awful anxiety and I dissociate a lot and basically I feel terrible.

I have an appointment with CAMHS in 3 weeks FINALLY to discuss what's going to happen. I reckon they'll put me on CBT.

The issue is, I can't see it helping. I talk a lot about my feeling with people and it never helps and I've tried mindfulness and all sorts and I just feel the same.
So, I want to consider medication. However, I don't know how to go about this. I feel terrible going to my doctor again because I've seen him so often this year about my mental health.

I know medication really is a last resort, but I feel like I'm at a dead end now. I'm 17 in a few weeks and I've wasted most of my teenage years feeling like this and I want something that helps, and I obviously understand that there can be serious side effects and stuff, which is why I'm not saying "I want medication", rather I want to discuss what may be the positives and negatives about it in my case with a professional.

My issue is, how do I do this? Who do I talk to and what do I say? I basically need a little advice on where to go from here!

Thank you all in advance x
(edited 7 years ago)
hiya, this sort of sounds exactly like me except I went through all a year and a half ago (I'm nearly 18 now). I didn't think that CBT or anything would help me at all but I went through with it on health insurance for 8 weeks because my school basically made me due to self harming. I think that was jan 2015. Anyway, my councilor gave me a unofficial diagnosis of anxiety, social anxiety and depression as well as eating issues associated with my anxiety. After the 8 weeks she wrote a big report up and sent that to my doctor. I had told her that I wanted to consider medication so she also wrote that she thought it might be a good idea.

When I got a space in CAMHS they read the report before I went and I had an initial assessment with a mental health nurse and a psychiatrist. Because there was no improvement at all with CBT since my depression was too bad for me to be arsed with it all, I was basically put on antidepressants straight away and was officially diagnosed. I also started more CBT with psychodynamic stuf with the mental health nurse but I actually hated her so much because she was so patronizing that I only saw her twice.

I was only supposed to be on medication for a 6 months (or that's what I thought) but I'm still on it now 18 months later and they're thinking of increasing the dose soon because of the stress of going to uni and A2s. I do want to come off it because I hate being dependent on drugs but I don't think I'm able to mentally do it yet because even if it is a placebo effect its still working.

sorry I'm rushing this reply I should really be working. I'm on 30mg of fluoxetine atm and was only on benzodiazepines for a month. if you want to talk, just reply and ill give u my email or log onto my other account.

hope everything gets better for you soon xxxxx
The only medication for anxiety atm unfortunately is sedatives- if you suffer from depression as well this will not help you. I would persevere with your therapy and go back to your gp to see what else is available then maybe consider anti-depressants, ideally not benzodiazepines because I can tell you from experience that they are very addictive very quickly.
P.s if you turn 18 and are on meds and don't qualify for free ones get a pre paid prescription card- will save you £
Hope that helps- I know it's hard but there are ppl there to help x


Posted from TSR Mobile
You might deficiences which may cause you to have a low mood and you might have an underlying health problem which may cause you your anxiety. Get blood tests done x
Reply 4
Original post by frostyjacks4life
The only medication for anxiety atm unfortunately is sedatives- if you suffer from depression as well this will not help you. I would persevere with your therapy and go back to your gp to see what else is available then maybe consider anti-depressants, ideally not benzodiazepines because I can tell you from experience that they are very addictive very quickly.
P.s if you turn 18 and are on meds and don't qualify for free ones get a pre paid prescription card- will save you £
Hope that helps- I know it's hard but there are ppl there to help x


Posted from TSR Mobile


That's not necessarily true about sedatives and anxiety; Citalopram isn't sedative but is a front line drug used by GP's to help with both depression and anxiety :smile:
Reply 5
Original post by Anonymous
hiya, this sort of sounds exactly like me except I went through all a year and a half ago (I'm nearly 18 now). I didn't think that CBT or anything would help me at all but I went through with it on health insurance for 8 weeks because my school basically made me due to self harming. I think that was jan 2015. Anyway, my councilor gave me a unofficial diagnosis of anxiety, social anxiety and depression as well as eating issues associated with my anxiety. After the 8 weeks she wrote a big report up and sent that to my doctor. I had told her that I wanted to consider medication so she also wrote that she thought it might be a good idea.

When I got a space in CAMHS they read the report before I went and I had an initial assessment with a mental health nurse and a psychiatrist. Because there was no improvement at all with CBT since my depression was too bad for me to be arsed with it all, I was basically put on antidepressants straight away and was officially diagnosed. I also started more CBT with psychodynamic stuf with the mental health nurse but I actually hated her so much because she was so patronizing that I only saw her twice.

I was only supposed to be on medication for a 6 months (or that's what I thought) but I'm still on it now 18 months later and they're thinking of increasing the dose soon because of the stress of going to uni and A2s. I do want to come off it because I hate being dependent on drugs but I don't think I'm able to mentally do it yet because even if it is a placebo effect its still working.

sorry I'm rushing this reply I should really be working. I'm on 30mg of fluoxetine atm and was only on benzodiazepines for a month. if you want to talk, just reply and ill give u my email or log onto my other account.

hope everything gets better for you soon xxxxx


Thank you so much for this, it has been super helpful! I think as soon as I have my appointment with CAMHS I'll let them know everything and ask them about medication and tell then I don't think CBT is working, and hopefully then they can discuss my options with me! I appreciate your message, and I hope things get better for you too! :smile:
Reply 6
Original post by samina_ay
You might deficiences which may cause you to have a low mood and you might have an underlying health problem which may cause you your anxiety. Get blood tests done x


Hi!
My doctor had my bloods done a month or two ago, I was experiencing dizziness and panic attacks on a daily basis, so I was tested for thyroid function, kidney function, liver function, anaemia and a full blood count was done too just in case, but luckily they came back normal! Which I suppose was a good thing, but at the same time now I know there is nothing physically wrong and that it is all in my head so it's going to be harder to get better!
Original post by Anonymous
Hi!
My doctor had my bloods done a month or two ago, I was experiencing dizziness and panic attacks on a daily basis, so I was tested for thyroid function, kidney function, liver function, anaemia and a full blood count was done too just in case, but luckily they came back normal! Which I suppose was a good thing, but at the same time now I know there is nothing physically wrong and that it is all in my head so it's going to be harder to get better!


May be therapy will help you? I went to the doctors a month back and i got blood tests done, turns out I'm anaemic, low in vitamin D and i might have hyperthyroidism - did another blood test, just to see if i do have it and seeing the doc this tuesday...
I guess its harder when you don't why you're feeling crap... do things you like? And don't put yourself in situations which will trigger your anxiety

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