Referring yourself to NHS mental health services (non-urgent)

[Blue Jam]

I soon got it paired with mirtazipine at night and THAT fucked me hard for a day or two. Could barely keep my eyes open at work, hungry all the time, barely conscious.

I was on Mirtazapine about ten years ago and while the drowsiness it induced was great for my insomnia (I took the fast-release, soluble tablets before bed- meanwhile I no longer have insomnia, thank fuck) the constant feeling that I could eat a fucking wedding cake and still be hungry was a pain in the arse. Thankfully it died down after a month, but the drug only worked for a year before I got the dreaded poop-out with that one too.

I'm really worried about Venlafaxine having effects too. Prozac didn't used to have side effects for me but this time I have been feeling hungry all the time and my weight has crept up. That's got me down more than the actual depression to be honest.

[flotemysost]

Well, as expected (based on replies here) the questionnaire was a combo of PHQ-9, GAD-7, phobia and work/social life questions. Phone interview lasted closer to an hour - understandably it is something of a box-ticking exercise but the person I spoke to was very sympathetic and unhurried. Less expected was being offered one-on-one CBT sessions, starting next week - I guess it is largely luck of the draw depending on where you are and when there's a slot available. I guess I should just make the most of all this for the next month or so anyway...

[Glebe]

Hope things work out okay for you flotemysost (and everyone else going through a rough time), I've been on antidepressants most of my life and receiving counselling for a long time.

[Blue Jam]

Ha, I know, I'm sorry to add to the litany of woes... Sorry to hear about your experiences anyway Blue Jam, I hope things work out for you.

Cheers, and no worries- I think it's great that people here can discuss mental health issues openly and find a bit of support and solidarity. I know it's a bit of a running joke on here that we're all mentally ill (and bald and phimotic) but I also have to wonder if the same proportion of the population at large is mentally ill and bald and phimotic but doesn't talk about it on forums so much.

Anyway, after a few technical difficulties I started the NHS course Beating The Blues today and while it was surprisingly hard going I have also been pleasantly surprised to go away from Module 1 thinking it may actually be a good and useful thing for me. Also judging by my scores on the GAD7 and PHQ9 tests, and from really thinking about my answers to the questions elsewhere in the module, it looks like my problem is more generalised anxiety than depression and I really need to learn to stop worrying so much. I already knew I needed to stop dwelling on past events and family stuff to the extent that I do, so a course which doesn't require me to do that at all suits me fine.

Go and see your GP if you like the sound of this, it's free and convenient and you can start mere days after being referred.

[McFlymo]

I too am so chuffed that people share this stuff here, I work evenings mostly, so days spent alone at home, bored / tired / mentally wanting to just disengage for a while can be isolating, so it's great to have this place to feel some sort of connection with people.

Anyway, I see a (gestalt psycho)therapist once a week and have done for about two years now. I was always afraid to go down the road of medication for my mental health issues, as drugs were a big part of my issues in my late teens.

A few years before that, I got in touch with Lifeline (N.Ireland based) and explained that I was depressed / suicidal etc... They talked to me on the phone for about an hour and gave me 6 free sessions with counsellor. At the time, it was great just to talk to someone and it got me out of the house and gave me a routine, but I was told that after the 6 sessions that I'd have to pay / look at other services / be referred and put on a waiting list.

I just didn't bother, because I wasn't into the idea of being passed through the system and all that.

Also: a person close to me, recently told me about their experience being through the various NHS levels of psychiatry and care etc. and it was a total horror story (lost notes, months of waiting, counsellors just disappearing from the job and not telling my friend, being passed around to several different people over a series of months and those people constantly getting the notes wrong, being patronised and belittled in a group therapy session....etc etc etc....) ... Sorry to be so negative, I don't want to put anyone off and maybe this is just one person's bad experience, but I definitely think paying for a private therapist has been the right decision for me and I can't imagine how damaging that would have been for my mental health if I'd experienced that. It also deeply concerns me that other people are being treated like that, when they are most vulnerable and in need of care and empathy.

For me, therapy has been absolutely brilliant. Yes, it's a slow process and there's a lot of digging up old memories and trauma and I definitely don't think this is the right type of support for everyone, but the positive changes for me have been significant, so far.

I also think it's important that we talk more about these issues, not just because stigma and silence are so damaging, but because I also believe a lot of our issues stem from the harsh conditions of unfeeling, robot capitalism that's burning us all out. If we can acknowledge our personal struggles in this and help each other, then maybe we can also address wider issues of social isolation, community etc etc... Don't wanna come across like Russell Brand or whatever, but aye... I think there are obvious links to the absolutely SHITE car crash state of the UK (and Ireland) with austerity, Tories, mad racist cunts etc etc and the general mental wellbeing of the people within it.

So aye, mental health is a political issue too, like.... It doesn't interest those in power to have us be our best, because then we'll all realise that we're not alone and we've every fucking reason to be angry and exhausted and WE WILL FUCKING RISE!!!!........

Yep.... Therapy's going well, as you can tell....

[Blue Jam]

Started venlafaxine today. Got heartburn and feeling a bit queasy, is that normal and will it pass?

In any case it beats feeling fucking starving all the time.

[Blue Jam]

Day 3 on venlafaxine. Getting a bit drowsy about an hour after I take each dose, which is great for the one I take before bedtime but not so good for the one I take before going to werk in the morning. I've found the heartburn can be largely avoided if I always take my tablets with food, but I really don't like eating right before I go to bed so that's annoying. Does all of this pass? I'm only on 37.5mg and I'm worried about MY GP upping the dose.

Also can you drink booze on venlafaxine? Dr Google tells me some people pass out, some just get pissed more quickly than usual, some get hangovers so bad they getting drunk just isn't worth it, and others are absolutely fine. The piece of advice I'm seeing most often is that it's best to totally avoid alcohol when on antidepressants but fuck that, the very idea is more depressing than actual depression. Also I never had any problems drinking on Prozac...

Still given up the booze for a bit anyway but planning to test the water with a couple of tiny wines before too long. I just hope I can still tolerate some booze...

[Cuellar]

I've not had any trouble getting pissed.

On big sessions I have blacked out more after a certain point, memory just completely goes, no recollection whatever. On one occasion, while staying with my brother and his girlfriend, I apparently sleepwalked into their room and got into bed with them. My girlfriend who was also staying over was beside herself with fear because I'd seemingly just vanished, she even went out into the square at 3am shouting my name. Of course she didn't think to check in my brother's room, why would I be in there?

Haha!

[Blue Jam]

Tried drinking booze on venlafaxine for the first time. I'm fine. Hurrah!

...but: I forgot a dose for the first time last night and woke up feeling like death. I was just very, very nauseous until the next dose took effect. I don't want to be trying that again... It apparently has a half life of 3-7 hours which will take some getting used to after Prozac.

On the bright side, the drowsiness has passed and I've also gone from feeling constantly hungry and having a constant urge to eat crap to getting to 2pm at work and realising I've forgotten to have my lunch. I've lost two kilos without trying. I suspect this is due to the absence of Prozac rather than any effect of the venlafaxine. Anyway, it's great- I can lose a bit of weight before Christmas and then binge-drink on the day, get in.