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those with clinical depression

how did you go about getting diagnosed - did you just go to your gp, say 'I'm depressed' and then they gave you anti-depressents there and then? or do they refer you to a counseller and it takes several weeks before you get anti-depressents? what exactly happened?

am just wondering really.....if I go to the doctors and say 'I have depression' I'm gonna have to sit there and talk to them about why, and I don't really want to...

basically, if you could just share your experiences that would be great :smile:

Reply 1

immortal

10

They will only give you anti-depresants as a last resort. I'm not-quite bad enough for them, and they believe that they'd do more damage than good to me, but they might advise counselling - I have done it. Basically the doctor won't be able to analyse everything in one go so you might need a few appointments. But they will try and avoid giving you anti-depressants. They'll ask you questions about how you feel when you are low, how often you are, your diet, exercise regime etc etc.

You will have to say some stuff to them, because they're not going randomly hand out prescriptions.

Reply 2

username47781

20

I think your GP will ask you a series of questions to determine how depressed you are and what the course of action will be.

Reply 3

Ink

12

A lot of doctors like to give you quizzes like this:
http://psychcentral.com/depquiz.htm

Reply 4

Anonymous #2

immortal

They will only give you anti-depresants as a last resort. I'm not-quite bad enough for them, and they believe that they'd do more damage than good to me, but they might advise counselling - I have done it. Basically the doctor won't be able to analyse everything in one go so you might need a few appointments. But they will try and avoid giving you anti-depressants. They'll ask you questions about how you feel when you are low, how often you are, your diet, exercise regime etc etc.

You will have to say some stuff to them, because they're not going randomly hand out prescriptions.

Depends on the GP, mine was quite willing to give me anti-depressants and I was only mildy depressed at the time! In the end, I declined both the anti-depressants and the counselling. Although that said my GP is useless, though he's not the only one who I've heard of thats more than willling to give out anti-depressants without proper thought.

Reply 5

Sazarina88

11

If I remember correctly from A Level Psych, there has to be so many symptoms present for it to be classified as depression and they need to have been present for a certain amount of time. (5-9 symptoms everyday for 9 weeks I think)

As immortal said, they're not going to hand out a prescription just because you say you're depressed. What you think is depressed might not be seen as depression by a doctor.

I've not had any experiences of getting diagnosed but I'd say go to your doctors anyway or perhaps if you have someone at school you could go and see.

Reply 6

Beccydoodaa

8

There is no grantee you will get medication at all, it really depends on how bad the doctor thinks your depression is (if they decide that is what it is). Everything really depends on what you say/describe to the doctor and they will take it from there.

Reply 7

Anonymous #2

Although I agree you will have to tell them some things as they're not just going to give out anti-depressants for someone saying 'I'm depressed'. Just tell your GP how you've been feeling and for how long and as soon as you start talking they'll ask more questions.

Reply 8

Juno

20

I can't remember much about when I first went to the doctor, but I spent ages in there and cried. She asked loads of questions, and then prescribed me fluoxetine

Reply 9

shewantstobeme

10

the trouble with some anti-depressants is that they can actually increase the suicide risk of patients within the first three weeks of being on the drug, so they're not often prescribed to patients unless its necessary.

go to the doctors and tell them how you feel. drugs aren't the only treatment to help you :smile:

good luck

Reply 10

danesh

shewantstobeme

the trouble with some anti-depressants is that they can actually increase the suicide risk of patients within the first three weeks of being on the drug, so they're not often prescribed to patients unless its necessary.

go to the doctors and tell them how you feel. drugs aren't the only treatment to help you :smile:

good luck

True, in the last year more research revealed that the use of SSRI's in children and adolescents increased the risk of suicide dramatically - only the SSRI fluoxetine was proved to be safer.

The use of drugs in any type of depression will be a second line option - only if the depression does not clear up after counseling should drugs be used. Though it seems many of the GP's I have met prefer to give antidepressants if they deem the depression severe enough (anything but mild or seasonal depression). Often this saves time and distress of the patient.

Reply 11

Anonymous #3

I went to the doctors and wept continuously. And he essentially ignored me. He sent me for a blood test (which was useful as depression can actually be a symptom of certain illnesses), but that was all. It was awful.

But when I went home for the summer I went to my GP there and he was a lot better. I basically explained how I'd been feeling and he asked me if I wanted to go on anti-depressants, and I said yes because I'd already tried counselling, which hadn't worked and I was gradually feeling more and more suicidal (although I actually didn't tell him that, I just couldn't bring myself to say it out loud). He put me on a low dose of sertraline and I'm feeling a lot better.

Basically I started to talk and then that led him to ask questions. I'm sure you don't have to share anything that you don't want to - although if your depression actually has a cause (mine just seemed to spring up overnight) counselling might work for you. Definitely try it before anti-depressants. They're not the best thing. Mine make me feel really sick. Anyway, try analysing exactly how you're feeling before you go - maybe write it down, as it's quite hard to explain on the spur of the moment, and the more detail you can give, the more your doctor can help you.

Hope that helps, good luck :smile:

Reply 12

Doodahdoo

13

If you walk in and say "I'm depressed", many doctors will just think that you are either obnoxious or that you have some other motivation.
Just go and talk about you, about your symptoms, about how you're feeling. They will base their next course of action on you - on your history, how you present your symptoms, the available facilities.
I went and told my doctor that I felt like ****, expecting to get meds - and ended up being referred to psychotherapy three times a week. o_0

Good luck, and take care. x

those with clinical depression

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