August 12, 2010
Will I Ever Feel Better..?
Saw the doctor this morning. Told her how I had been feeling over the last wk or so – staying in bed a couple of days, feeling useless, feeling like I wanted to end things etc… and she said she doesn’t really think I’m responding to the Citalopram. I’ve been taking 30mg for the last few weeks. She said I could either increase it to 40mg daily or change to a different anti depressant, Mirtazapine.
Now, that scares me. How can I not be getting any real effect from the Citalopram by now? Maybe it supports my original thoughts that I need to sort out my head and my negative thinking rather than take any drug. It also scares me that she is thinking of changing me to Mirtazapine. When I used to work as a pharmacist, Mirtazapine (Zispin) was always considered as a real “hard-core” drug for the complete looney bins. Honestly, I may be being really sterotypical here but 99.9% of the people who came in with scipts for it looked like real down and outs, absolutely horrendous!
It scares me that I might be like that myself now. I told the doctor this and she kind of laughed a bit. She said a few years ago when the Mirtazapine was quite new it would only have been prescribed by psychiatrists for the really bad patients to try it out. However now, it is quite widely used. She also says it can make you very tired and feel very hungry. The last things I need!
She also did another depression test thing, and I had only reduced 2 points on the scale from the first time I went to see her. She said I’m still very teary and quite unstable. Yep – agreed!
So, I’ve to try the 40mg for the next 3 weeks until she gets back from hol – and then review things.
I also asked her about the letter I had received for the assessment at the mental health clinic. She said I will be seeing a psychologist first who will assess me fully for about an hour, and then they will recommend what sort of therapy I need. It isn’t instant though. Once I see the psychologist I have to then go on another waiting list for whatever therapy is recommended… Phew… It’s hard work trying to get better via the NHS. Wish I could afford to go to a really good CBT counsellor myself – I might be a lot further down the road than I am now. Ah well… gotta keep fighting on.
August 11, 2010
Quick Update..
… I’ve been feeling really really low again since last week. In fact I think last week was the worst I have been feeling in a while. I had to spend most of last Wed & Thurs in bed as I literally couldn’t face the world. I am a teensy bit better this week, although my Dad arrived yesterday and upset the apple cart somewhat. It’s crazy that I can’t tell him how I feel and how much he has upset me (I’m not that close to my Dad), but I need to. Everytime I think about having to speak to him about it I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack.
Doctor’s appointment tomorrow, I think she’ll want to increase my Citalopram dose again. I think I need it, as recently I aint been coping at all.
Plus I got a letter this morning (finally) from the mental health team. I phoned to make an appointment, they said they will send me one out, it should be mid-Sept. So not TOO long to wait then. It said on the letter that the appointment is for an assessment to ensure I get the correct service. I’m not sure what this means. I thought I was being referred straight for CBT counselling. Does this mean I have to see a psychiatrist? If anyone has had a letter like this and knows what it involves please let me know! I’m worried that they’ll assess me & I’ll end up not getting the counselling or something….
July 30, 2010
Frickin NHS….
.. So I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday. It ws a month since I was last there so naturally (for me) I was feeling nervous & anxious. I usually have to wait for my appointment but this time I waited just over an hour – madness!
The appointment itself was fine, I didn’t bring up any of the stuff about me thinking I may have BPD rather than simple depression – but I knew I wouldn’t, I’m such a chicken. I am to stay on my current dose of Citalopram (30mg) for another 2 weeks, then she is thinking of increasing it again to 40mg. Yikes. Don’t know how I feel about taking so much, but I’m still having really low days where I feel I can’t cope at all.
The doctor was meant to refer me to start a computer based CBT programme while I am waiting for my counselling sessions to come through. I hadn’t heard anything about the computer course yet so I asked her – it turns out that the PCT have withdrawn it from their services! Great!
She then asked had I heard anything about the counselling. I said No. Apparently I should have received a letter after a bout a month asking if I definitely wanted to opt into the counselling. No such letter was received. So it looks like there has been a cock-up there as well. My referral obviously hasn’t gone through properly so after waiting 2 months, I’ll have to go back to the original 3-4 month wait. I need this counselling!!
Things are still not great between G & I. It seems like all we do is wipe up after the puppy, we don’t have any time for each other. The other day he got annoyed at me saying how I had been on anti-depressants for 2 months and I don’t seem to be getting any better. He said I’m getting worse. I don’t think I’m getting worse. Compared to where I was I feel a lot better. It’s just all the stress with the puppy etc, I really find it hard to cope.
Ah well, onwards and upwards. My new blog Nic’s Notebook is keeping me occupied so that’s a good thing I guess.
June 30, 2010
Peace At Last…
…G is away all day mountain biking in Wales with his mates who flew over from Belfast this morning especially for the occasion. So after a 7am wake up call (about 2 hours earlier than normal for me), trying to get the roof bars fitted to the new car & get his bike attached on the new cycle carrier that we hadn’t quite figured out how to use, making enough sandwiches for 4 hungry guys etc etc.. he is finally away! Phew.
It is sooo lovely to have the house to myself. We are never (and I mean never) really apart and I’m someone who really needs my own space at times. Now there is an excuse for me as I’m a nervous wreck and can barely go out the front door by myself. But G! Well he won’t go anywhere by himself either, he always drags me along. And we both work from home so we are together basically 24/7. No wonder we fight a lot.
I haven’t posted in a few days cos we have been so busy with one thing or another. Plus as our computers are side by side in our home office I can’t blog without him seeing (he still doesn’t know I write this blog!). He sees me reading and commenting on other blogs sometimes and always scoffs at me “Oh, is this your new favourite hobby”. Well yes, it is so there! And I can do it all day today if I want cos I’m home alone (apart from my 3 crazy cats)!
I also have to clean and tidy the house for the guys coming back this evening. They’re flying back tonight which is good but they’ll still be here for a bit. And I want to make some of Nigella’s chocolate brownies yum… never made them before but got her recipe book out of the library and can’t wait to try them! There might be none left by later lol… And maybe fit in some sunbathing outside. Oh, and maybe a wee nap in case I start to feel a bit sleepy….!
It’s FABULOUS I can do what ever I want today! Freedom :)
On another note I have to go to the doctors again tomorrow to get another month’s supply of my Citalopram and to update her on how I have been feeling. I THINK I’m starting to feel a little better. As I mentioned in a previous post I quite often feel “on the edge” like I’m ready just to tip into a depressive episode. But I figure, maybe that is a good thing as before I just would have been head first into it – but now I feel I can control it a bit more… If that makes sense? So I think I’m getting there. I just can’t wait for my CBT counselling to come through, should be another couple of months though.
I’m still undecided whether I should tell the doctor about my self-harming and the extent of my “impulsive behaviours” and the possible BPD diagnosis I have given myself lol. I don’t want to seem like a real know it all. Will it really change anything if I tell her, what else is she going to do? I’m already on anti depressants and have been referred for counselling. But then again, I think I need to be honest with her about everything. I think I’m ashamed of it all you see, I don’t want anyone else to know. It’s scary. So it will be another anxious wait in the doctors tomorrow morning!
This has been a long post (if you’re still reading well done) but as I said I have the luxury of relaxing and typing away today – usually I rush to get something typed out while G is in the shower or still in bed! I’ve nearly been caught a couple of times, but always managed to flick onto a different screen. God help me if he ever finds out I’ve been writing about him (sometimes in not a very complimentary light!). Well I’m off to do some more blog reading. It’s my new favourite hobby you know! Oh, and then make my chocolate brownies.. Mmmm… Bye for now!
Self Help For Depression 