What do I have to do to make these people believe me?...

[Dr-Rush]

I suffer from depression. Sometimes it's REALLY bad. The only thing that's stopped me doing the 'deed' if I wouldn't want my family and friends to be disappointed in me.

I'm on the highest dose for my brand of anti-depressants and just finished my second stint at MIND (who are amazing BTW).

I work about 6 hours a week as a private music teacher. Music is my therapy, but sometimes I find the kids really wind me up.

A few months ago I had to go for my ESA assessment. As soon as she asked me how I was I just started crying because I felt so down. She seemed to really care (she didn't!)

A few weeks later I got the call saying that because I could dress myself and climb the stairs etc I got a score of zero. I believe they do this to almost everyone with depression. I appealed against their decision.

Yesterday I got a letter saying my appeal had been rejected. How can they do this?

If anything I'm worse now than I was when I first appealed. As well as the depression I've started to get really bad anxiety and I'm shaking almost all the time.

Can anyone tell me what I need to do to appeal again please?

[Suzie40]

I don't know much about this, but I'm sure someone here will be able to help you x

[Hidden]

Hi,

I can understand how you are feeling but the reason for failing the ESA assessment is that depression is generally considered treatable. You said you are on the highest dose of antidepressants and they are not helping you to deal with depression and you are still vulnerable to breaking down into tears which suggests you might be helped more by a different form of treatment.

With the cuts in NHS services it is incredibly difficult to get ongoing help and support - I know that from personal experience - but you are entitled to the type of treatment you think might help you. Although they are the simplest to prescribe and the cheapest, ntidepressants are not always the best form of treatment for depression in that they can sometimes ease the symptoms but fail to treat the cause in any way and different medications work differently for different people.

I don't know whether you were prescribed antidepressants by your GP or a psychiatrist, but what kind of treatment do you think might help you? If you do not know then do you have any thoughts about the kinds of problems that have led to your becoming depressed? If you are able to talk about those on the website you may find people here are able to help you to think more clearly about the kind of treatment you may find helpful.

My immediate thoughts are to ask you how long have you been depressed for? Is there a time when you remember not being depressed, for example were you unhappy as a child most of the time or were you happy until something happened e.g. someone died, or you were bullied or abused or some other event. Do you have realistic reasons in your life now for being depressed, for example an unhappy relationship or inability to get work when you would like to?

Once you begin thinking about the reasons for your depression and can describe them some of us may be able to offer advice about alternatives.

Suexx

[Gambit62]

Was your GP asked to provide any input to the assessment?

I think there are a few people on the site who have been through the ESA assessment process but even if someone doesn't come foreward you could try contacting the CAB (Citizen's Advise Bureau).

You could also try doing a search for ESA using the Search box - it brings up quite a lot of results though went back a few pages and couldn't see anything relating to this group - though plenty in others which might give you some tips.

[Dr-Rush]

Hey,

Thanks for the replies. I've replied to this once, but must of not pressed the button.

Depression has always been there for me even and a kid. I always thought it was normal. It kinds came to a head about five years ago when I just couldn't take anymore and my then girlfriend made me go to the doctors. Since then my antidepressants doss and got higher and higher. I don't think there's a cause. Even at MIND there's wasn't anything we could find that triggered this, so we worked on coping.

I love what bit of work I do as a music teacher, but at the moment it is hard to cope day to day. I will sometimes be driving and it's like all the life has been sucked out of me and I just start crying.

I'm trying to fight this and lead a normal life, but the so called experts throw at back in my face. At the time of my assessment I was having a weekly guitar lesson. They said anyone having a guitar lesson must be able to concentrate. I've been a professional musician all my life. I was using this as a bit of therapy.

The doctor I see now is great. I get the impression he's experienced depression first hand. What my first assessment came back as zero he said it happens all the time. They hope we'll just give up.

I can't believe at a time when I need a little help I'm not only being abandoned, but accused of lying too.

I've worked all my life, as all my family have. Why can't these people see some of us are genuine?