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Are all GP doctors like this ?

I'm 19 and been suffering from very bad depression since i was almost 11. it seems to get worse and worse, i can't even walk with a straight head and shoulders on the street i live on. i cant concentrate, i failed AS level 2 times (wasted 2 years, knew all along i was going to fail but parents wanted me to). teachers thought i'm not clever enough to do a levels, so i started a short course in fashion designing which i was looking forward to, but left that too because i could barely say a word and i felt so intimidated.

since i was 11 until now most days go where i haven't spoken a word to anyone (except for when parents ask something or call downstairs). only thing i looked forward to was eating as my mum always makes fresh food, but i feel even that is being taken away , like... i start eating, then as if mood swing or what , i feel like throwing the plate and pushing the table and then i can't eat and it upsets my mum a lot and i too regret later when i calm down, i don't have any friends , nor i wish, nor i know any relatives much. i m not allowed to go anywhere , even to the local library.. my parents are like that... recently they gave me an old phone so i can receive their calls, i m fine with all that , i don't mind , its just that sometimes i feel like getting fresh air as my room feels full of negativity but then i get told off and long lecture from my parents because i have asked to go outside for a 5 min walk.

I wanted to speak to GP about my depression as it's making me a failure in life and i had read online that they are supposed to help you with it. So I somehow managed to make an appointment and told my mum about it. I went there and basically said everything without thinking, because i thought i was going to get help and worst comes worst , i can run out from the clinic and never come back again.

But that doctor , first thing he said was ''well what do you want me to do'' ? and then he started looking at his computer screen and then a nurse comes in without knocking and the doctor starts talking with her as if i'm not there. i got very upset and tried to be patience for few minutes , but then i walked out from there.


i said to my mum that doctor was pathetic , i didn't go in details . she said call the surgery again and ask to get appointment with another doctor .
so i did after few days.

this time it was a lady doctor. so i told her about my depression, she wrote me a blood test but everything turned out fine (i was told on the phone) including vitamin D (as i've read it's deficiency also causes depression).

I requested the receptionist to give me an appointment, she said she can't as my blood test is fine.

so i waited a month and a half and finally got an appointment. i told this doc everything too , and all he did was... gave me questionnaire with questions like do you feel suicidal? on a scale of...how would you rate your mood? etc... I said, don't you think all i've said answers this already very well? he said , well you have to do the quiz... so I said can I do it now, he said, no, take it home, fill it there, make another appointment and bring it to that appointment (although it was only circling , wudve taken a minute!! ).

and where I live it's next to impossible to get an appointment and you have to argue with receptionist so much.

i was fed up and gave up with the doctors.

I decided never to visit doctors around 6 months ago, but my situation isn't getting better.
Some doctors can be useless with mental health issues but generally if you persist you should hopefully come across one who isn't a useless moron. That quiz you were given is a common diagnostic tool doctors use to decide the severity of your depression. I understand you feel cheated and not taken seriously but I'd advise filling it in and taking it back, hopefully then the doctor will recognize the seriousness of the problem and you can start getting real help.
GPs have studied medicine,they usually don't know much about psychological disorders and depression is one. All they can do is to write you a blood test, cause that's the body they are taught to cure, not the soul. Indeed sometimes mood swingings may be caused by an illness, but if the GP found nothing, it means it's not the case here. If I were you, I'd try to make an appointment with a psychologist, there's no other option, I think.
I don't know how it is where you live, but in my country there must be a psychologist in every school - these people may help you out too.
What you're writing about sounds rather serious to me - don't your parents notice the problems? You really can't talk to them about your feelings? Not a trusted person to talk to - a friend, a family member, anyone?
The most important thing, however, it that you know something's wrong and want to change it. This is always the first and probably the most important step. Overcoming any sort of problems is always hard, but don't ever give up. Try hard and I know you will be fine.

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Reply 3
I agree with the person above, it may be bette if you see a psychiatrist. I found some when the doctor recommended them to me so you could try again with a different GP but if this is not the case try having a look online? I know some have websites with phone numbers on or you can get leaflets with info on. There are people trained to help i suppose some GPs just don't know how with this kind of stuff.
I hope this helps & that you get the help you need.

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(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 4
The term useless doesn't even go far enough to describe the common GP, in respect to any situation.

Their role in society is to offer a quickly accessible and local place for medical attention, and to prevent real doctors from having their time wasted by trivial matters. Despite this they seem to have the cheek to get disgruntled and annoyed that you'd ever go and seek help and waste their time with anything they can't just prescribe 'generic, over the counter' antibiotics for...

I've witnessed examples of serious medical conditions being overlooked due to the lackadaisical approach taken by them..



Go and see a Psychiatrist directly. If you keep going to new GPs you'll just get referred in that direction anyway.
Original post by Mockery
The term useless doesn't even go far enough to describe the common GP, in respect to any situation.

Their role in society is to offer a quickly accessible and local place for medical attention, and to prevent real doctors from having their time wasted by trivial matters. Despite this they seem to have the cheek to get disgruntled and annoyed that you'd ever go and seek help and waste their time with anything they can't just prescribe 'generic, over the counter' antibiotics for...

I've witnessed examples of serious medical conditions being overlooked due to the lackadaisical approach taken by them..



Go and see a Psychiatrist directly. If you keep going to new GPs you'll just get referred in that direction anyway.

1) They are real doctors
2) if the antibiotics were over the counter then they wouldn't need to prescribe them. Hence why GPs will usually refuse to prescribe paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Original post by Anonymous
I'm 19 and been suffering from very bad depression since i was almost 11. it seems to get worse and worse, i can't even walk with a straight head and shoulders on the street i live on. i cant concentrate, i failed AS level 2 times (wasted 2 years, knew all along i was going to fail but parents wanted me to). teachers thought i'm not clever enough to do a levels, so i started a short course in fashion designing which i was looking forward to, but left that too because i could barely say a word and i felt so intimidated.

since i was 11 until now most days go where i haven't spoken a word to anyone (except for when parents ask something or call downstairs). only thing i looked forward to was eating as my mum always makes fresh food, but i feel even that is being taken away , like... i start eating, then as if mood swing or what , i feel like throwing the plate and pushing the table and then i can't eat and it upsets my mum a lot and i too regret later when i calm down, i don't have any friends , nor i wish, nor i know any relatives much. i m not allowed to go anywhere , even to the local library.. my parents are like that... recently they gave me an old phone so i can receive their calls, i m fine with all that , i don't mind , its just that sometimes i feel like getting fresh air as my room feels full of negativity but then i get told off and long lecture from my parents because i have asked to go outside for a 5 min walk.


So this isn't anything new, this is like 6+ years. [just trying to understand, not criticise]
Original post by Anonymous

I wanted to speak to GP about my depression as it's making me a failure in life and i had read online that they are supposed to help you with it. So I somehow managed to make an appointment and told my mum about it. I went there and basically said everything without thinking, because i thought i was going to get help and worst comes worst , i can run out from the clinic and never come back again.

So you verbal diarrhoead every problem you've had over the last 6 years of your childhood to the GP. Got it.

Original post by Anonymous

But that doctor , first thing he said was ''well what do you want me to do'' ? and then he started looking at his computer screen and then a nurse comes in without knocking and the doctor starts talking with her as if i'm not there. i got very upset and tried to be patience for few minutes , but then i walked out from there.

From the 'well what do you want me to do' point of view I will often say the same. What DO you want? Do you want a pill? do you want a referral, do you want a diagnosis. Most times people already know what they want - especially if they have such an extremely long history of the same problems as you do.

There is no excuse for unprofessional behaviour such as interupting consultations in that manner however unless there is a dire medical emergency (which it doesn't sound like there was).

Original post by Anonymous

this time it was a lady doctor. so i told her about my depression, she wrote me a blood test but everything turned out fine (i was told on the phone) including vitamin D (as i've read it's deficiency also causes depression).

Quite standard at your age to check for 'medical causes' of low mood first.

Original post by Anonymous

I requested the receptionist to give me an appointment, she said she can't as my blood test is fine.

Well thats patently untrue. Receptionist if they said that is talking arse and you should put this in writing to the GP surgery - they would want to know this. it i is not for receptionists to say yes or no to appointments in this manner.

Original post by Anonymous

so i waited a month and a half and finally got an appointment. i told this doc everything too , and all he did was... gave me questionnaire with questions like do you feel suicidal? on a scale of...how would you rate your mood? etc... I said, don't you think all i've said answers this already very well? he said , well you have to do the quiz... so I said can I do it now, he said, no, take it home, fill it there, make another appointment and bring it to that appointment (although it was only circling , wudve taken a minute!! ).

That questionairre is completely standard throughout the NHS. Infact GPs are not deemed to have done their job properly unless they have asked for it.
It sounds like you had a consult with them where you gave answers and they then decided you needed to go down the formal depression pathway - questionairre included.
However, they only have limited time per appointment - this is from the governments decisions, not the individual GP practice. You've waited years to start this process, i think from what you say waiting another week or so and doing the questionairre properly isn't exactly a stretch.

Original post by Anonymous

and where I live it's next to impossible to get an appointment and you have to argue with receptionist so much.

i was fed up and gave up with the doctors.

I decided never to visit doctors around 6 months ago, but my situation isn't getting better.

Well the receptionists bit as i pointed out is not right. You would be arguing with them if you tried to make each appointment as an 'amergency' one, but should not be for an advanced one (which may be 2+ weeks in future).

You of course have the ability to change GP practice as well.
But you have chosen to disengage with medical services.

So what is the point of your post?
Do you want guidance as to whom to go to?
Do you want advice on self help?
Is it a vent of your bad experience.

Its not a question you like, and manner feel shocked when asked directly but....
"well what do you want me to do?''
Reply 7
Your stifling home environment is likely to be related to your mental health problems.

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