for the last three years been seeing mental health nurse at my docters,for first eight months the fist nurse as very helpfull tryed few different medicines had very little or no effect went to councerling and diagnosed as having post traumatic stress disorder due to certain things which have happened over years.just as i thought was getting some where they change the mental health nurses round and for last two years felt i havent been getting any where ,only recently been given citalopram 10mg a day this has helped lift my mood slightly (suffer low mood swings and anxiety) could do with increasing dose to twenty mg but keep getting told to wait a while feels like im fighting a losing battle all the time with this nurse now im having to self refer to get extra help i need
depression: for the last three years... - Mental Health Sup...
depression
Hello. You are on a very low dose of medication and yet you say you are improving. Please stay on that dose till you are advised to increase it. After all, you may not need to do so. Wait for a few weeks yet and see how you are feeling then. OK?
Hi I am sorry to hear you are going through all this. It is hell isn't it? it will get better though just hold on to that. x
yes its hell it seems to get worse having to try self referal as not getting any where with mental health nurse at gps
Hello Cracker
Welcome back to the site I understand you had been on Citalopram before and the medication had been changed. You also seemed to have been seen by a CPN for quite a long period now. We all seem to suffer some form of trouble that causes us to swing from being a well rounded person to being thrust into a depressive illness and when that happens it can take a long time to get our lives back on track. We all need to reach a point where we can move on again into happier times. Has either of the CPN actually not addressed your anxiety and depression as it would seem you have been unable too move on to happier times.
How can we help you
BOB
not getting any where with mental health nurses see her for fifteen minutes then fobed of and told to go back in months time
Hello Cracker
When we are seem by a CPN this type of treatment can become ineffective and the GP will start to consider different ways of approaching your condition. Two years remembers me of the mid eighties, nineties where patients were past pole to pole with different types of mental health professional. The medication you are taking becomes nominal at 10mg a holding drug is around 20mg. Your GP however knows the cause of depression and will be guided by mental health staff.
Sometimes when we change CPNs we find that the new one is not hitting the mark, this is normal. Generally they will not bring back the original nurse and will either refer you down that line to a new CPN in the same or different department or look at other treatments. I would imagine given the time you have had CBT it may be time because of costs to try something else, of course that will be up to your CPN or GP. I am a little taken aback how long this treatment plan has gone on for.
Treatment of this type in some areas can be rationed, that is why I understand it may be new treatment may be considered. I am no health professional so I can only when shove comes to pull my recommendations are that of a Lay Person. If I was in your position you need to talk to your GP and CPN and see if they are happy to go on with your treatment now or would some other treatments may help your condition.
You are basically in partnership with your GP and Health Professionals to make you well. So you can be confident that they are watching your condition, and should advise
when things are not right
BOB
you need to balance your dose of cit i was on 20mg felt like i was not coping so told doc my head all over the place she upped to 30mg within a week i was worse really dark thoughts so went back to 20mg lots better and now tapering off after 7 months.still have bad days but due to therapy and learning about my condition i deal with it lots better im not cured but coping hope you get to where you need to be.