Has anyone found a fabulous GP. I have suffered with anxiety and depression for 20 years after many operations and not being able to work.

[Sundayschild10]

I have now found the best GP at our Surgery who does not judge me and says I should be able to take 5mg Diazapam 3 times per day and has amended my medication to 84 Diazapam per 28 days. He is fairly young but totally understands me instead of trying to wean me off them. He says I have enough on my plate without the worry of other GPs talking down to me. He has made an appointment for me to see a Consultant for my anxiety. I have found that it is the new young GPs at our Surgery do not understand depression and anxiety. Does anyone have any comments on their GPs (without naming and shaming)

[Hidden]

There was one GP at my surgery who was awful but the other one was fantastic. She arranged CBT and showed empathy. The person doing CBT is putting an article in the lancet hoping to make GPs more aware of our plight.glad you've got a good one

[Hidden]

I had a fabulous GP when my troubles first started. A few years later he retired and I was devastated, I had only ever spoken to him and he new me inside out. I've seen countless doctors and still not found one I feel comfortable with like I did with the 1st. I am seeing a new GP at the moment and have met him twice, he seems ok and he has done what is needed, but I like to have a connection with them from the start, he kinds of makes me a little uneasy. Let's hope this changes. I probably need to give it time.

[dgrog]

Your Gp in my opinion is excellent.I can see nothing wrong in being able to take 5mg diazapam 3 times a day.My great GP has prescribed me one half of a 2mg diazapam once a day.I will not name and shame or though I have done so on the NHS Website.He is absolutely useless.I cannot change him because he is by far my nearest Doctor and the next one would cost me £14 in return taxi fares because I am totally non mobile and they will not do house visits these days.

[Hidden in reply to dgrog]

xxx

[dgrog in reply to Hidden]

Nice to see you are well

Grog

xxx

[Sundayschild10 in reply to dgrog]

That is dreadful for you. Why will your GP not prescribe anymore for you. It seems that the younger GPs at my Surgery are hell bent on trying to stop me from taking them as they say that they are addictive. I have been taking them for a few years now and they do the trick. They have not offered me any help for my depression and anxiety except for my Fabulous GP who has arranged a referral to a Consultant and I also take Seroxat and 15mg Mirtazapine. A couple of years ago I was referred to a Day Centre and it was the worst place I have ever been to. Nobody was on the same wavelength as myself (I am not being snobby) but the man in charge of Subscriptions daily kept pestering me and I felt totally out of place. I think that because I do not live in the City I found that the other people asked did I own my own house and did I have a car was their main objection to me and also because I lived with my Husband. I suffered with the same problems as myself but could not mix with the Clients at this Centre.

[chartforum]

It's only natural the young GPs find it hard. They just don't have enough experience to understand about anxiety and depression and probably didn't specialise it while training. I find the older GPs know more about the medications and CBT although it's rare they really understand how disabling the symptoms are.

[Hidden]

All GPs do a stint of mental health training, so they should have some insight. A lot don't seem to have much patience with health anxiety sufferers

[Sundayschild10]

I did find that the older Doctors who have now sadly retired understood much more about depression and anxiety. One of my GPs I used to see killed himself and his Daughter through depression he had suffered with for 20 years and could not get the right medication.

[Sundayschild10 in reply to Sundayschild10]

I was a trained Mental Nurse and most of the old drugs that were used have been stopped. I was with many Patients who had ECG and they were seriously depressed but then women suffering with post natal depression came in as an In Patient and some brought their babies. My Mother was of the old school, her favourite expression was "I had too much to do after having babies that I never had the time to be depressed" and she had no idea of the suffering that was going on.

[1979ukmale]

I came off meds in 2001 , started a new job , moved house, had a breakdown , well almost. I visited a GP , an old lady, she told me to pull my socks up and that if she prescribe me anything for sleeping it would show on my record permanently, and affect my job chances in the future?!

What actually then transpired was me climbing up a tower block near by and contemplating jumping.

Luckily I saw sense , visited another GP, and got back on the Fluoxetine.

Some of the GP's I have seen in the past have been terrible, unqualified to manage or recognise severe anxiety/depression.

[Sundayschild10 in reply to 1979ukmale]

I really do feel for you as I myself have seen some complete idiots who call themselves "Doctor". Before I met my fabulous Doctor and I mean totally together and knows what he is talking about, some GPs will say exactly the same thing "oh you have a really long file (I have 4) and you have certainly been through the mill with your health and how can I help you today"? I lost my Son not long after giving birth and then had 13 miscarriages between 2 Husbands. I had our Daughter after 13 months of marriage to my 3rd Husband and had to have a hysterectomy. My life consists of operation after operation and being on my own all day being unable to work. The depression and anxiety started when we moved house a few years ago and I nearly had a breakdown. I was told that everything bad that had happened to me during my life I had pushed it all to the back of my mind and it all came flooding out one day and I felt I could not go on anymore. It is rather like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and I don't like myself very much at the moment I buy most items online as I do not like big shops and I have Mobile Hairdresser who comes to our house as I do not know how I will react at a Salon. Just waiting for my appointment to see a Consultant about my anxiety and depression.

[lilac2 in reply to 1979ukmale]

How much fluoxetine do u take?

[1979ukmale]

In contrast to your situation and history, I had a great upbringing, wanted for little, and had all the chances, but also worked hard. I was always shy though, and it never left me. Suddenly one morning I woke up aged 19 and felt a pressure on my chest, which has never left me. Too much work stress with a tough degree etc started it I believe. Since then i've been masking my symptoms, and have got married , had a child, held down a wel paid job , bought a house with low mortgage from my rigorous savings. So people are often very taken aback when i explain i take medication and suffer insomnia etc. If I could find a solution to the insomnia, I would feel free to live my life how I wanted to.

[Hidden]

I was in my job for almost 16 years before I admitted to my manager I had health anxiety. She was really surprised, because she said I didn't seem that type. Luckily she was very supportive. Just shows how you can put on a front and never let your mask slip.

[Sundayschild10 in reply to Hidden]

That is so true. I have always been a little over the top with my clothes and makeup and would be the star of the party. Little did anyone know how I was really feeling but I carried on drinking and had the knack of not telling anyone. If I had they would not have believed me. I never mixed drinks with my medication but I feel so much better after finding a Doctor after all these years who treats me like a human being.

[miarose]

i agree,that the older drs understood anxiety better,i have it for 35 years,along with mild depression,had to call my dr one night,not knowing what was wrong,he actually asked me if Iwanted a wee settler,as he called it.he give me 2mg of diazapam,and told me to take them 3 times daily,first relief I got..sadly this dr died 2 years ago.I will never forget him..younger drs fob you off with meds like ssri a/ds,and take the hand of you for money,not really caring how your feeling.......

[Hidden]

Sundayschild. I think you can only keep the facade up for so long. I found it easier once people knew

[Sundayschild10 in reply to Hidden]

I was brought up travelling the world as my Father was an Officer in the RAF and we never had cuddle times he was just interested on how I was doing at school. I think all my depression and anxiety was through moving to a new County away from my comfort zone with my Daughter at school all day and also my Husband was working very long hours. I do find peace when I sit by my Son's grave and have a little talk to him. It is very difficult to talk to my Husband about it as it is not his Son

[Hidden]

It must be so difficult for you, have you any relatives who you can confide in. I can't even begin to think what it must be like losing a child, it's something you never want to think about. If you are lonely are there any clubs you can join. My husband was in the RAF and I used to get lonely and also came depressed. My mum wasn't very affectionate and it does affect you. Look after yourself, your among friends

[Hidden]

Hi SundaysChild.

I am glad you have found a good GP, it can really make a difference.

We all know there are good and bad medical professionals out there and over the 35 years I have been treated for depression I have seen some of the worst, but although I am going through my worst episode ever, I have nothing but praise and admiration for my GP. She is kind, considerate and empathetic far beyond beyond her remit . She thinks outside the box and keeps in touch with my aftercare team so she is always up to date on what is happening. I feel I must also mention that my aftercare team, my psychiatrist , the crisis team and my reablement chap are all first rate,caring professionals and I know with the support I have, things will get better.

I think the problem of whether you get good or bad service depends on where you live, the old post code lottery .

Finally, with regards to medication, I have been on different meds for over 30 years and my attitude is if you have a good quality of life because of medication, so be it. I will probably be on medication for the rest of my life, 3 or 4 tablets a day for a decent quality of life?..not a problem!

[Sundayschild10 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Simon, I am really sorry that you are having a bad time at the moment but do have the fabulous support of your Medical Team who care for you. I totally agree that if one medication works then why tthen try and get someone off it. I know I will be taking antidepressants for the rest of my life but if it works then I will take them. My depression and anxiety started when I was forced to stop working after a catalogue of operations which made me very ill. It was at the beginning of not working that everything bad (and there were some really bad times) all came back to me, from losing my first born and being beaten to an inch of my life by my first Husband and so many other episodes of really bad times with my 2nd Husband that I didn't think life was worth living as everything seemed to be happening to me and I am not a bad person at all. By this time I was into my 3rd Husband and have been married for 34 years now after a courtship of ten days. My GP at the time sent to me to a Consultant who was so caring and said that with stopping working everything had come back to haunt me and I saw her for a few years. I am now waiting to see another Consultant on 24th September as a few months ago I rang 999 as I thought that I was dying. I had just finished radiotherapy for breast cancer and this was my body telling me to accept it. I am nursing a broken foot at the moment but I guess life goes on and there are other people who suffer as I do. I am sorry if I have bored you and everything I have written makes sense. Please take care and write back if you want to..