Introduction, apparently I have severe depression

[TheInjuredBiker]

Hello all, I will try to keep this short and to the point as its a long story!

4 months ago I was involved in a severe motorcycle crash, a car hit me at a combined speed of 120mph.

Me being me I never went hospital and I refused treatment from the police. Cut to a month later I keep getting sent home from work due to breathing problems and vomiting problems. I put this down to quitting smoking as when I looked online the side effects that kept coming up were wheezing and nausea. I was told by work I had to go doctors to get it checked out so I did.

Now to make this part short or it'll go on for days. They first thought I had a stomach injury (still do, seeing a GI doctor on the 23rd), then they though diabetes (negative) then a plethora of other things until the head doctor saw my report and asked me to come in the same day, by now I had been signed off work with long term sickness.

He called me into the office and he said from what he is reading it sounds like I have a panic disorder. They send me for a psychiatric test and I got diagnosed with PTSD, PTSD related anxiety and to my surprise, severe depression. Apparently the only questions I "passed" were the ones about self harming, suicide and harming others. The rest I failed.

These are my 'depression symptoms' and these all started after the crash. Lack of motivation, lack of energy, lack of appetite (slowly changing), feeling tired constantly, general lack to move or do anything unless its a must.

I am currently on Amitriptyline Hydrochloride and Omeprazole (temporary until they now if my stomach is injured).

I have gone through a lot of depressive moments in my life including 5 suicides at work. Without sounding harsh it did not effect me, it can't, it'll effect my work if it did.. Its I guess you can say part of the job without going into too much detail regarding my job.

I guess my question is, do you guys think I am depressed as much as the doctors say I am? I mean after 2 months of doing nothing you would be down but I wouldn't say I am depressed.

Thanks for reading my rambles

[Olderal]

Hello Injured biker, my intial reaction is what a strange post. I would think you're lucky to be alive altho from my experience of high speed accidents I don't think anyone involved is watching their speedometers. "Me being me " is rather like other phrases such as "it seemed a good idea at the time", that is an excuse for not very sensible behaviour. By that I mean you should have gone to the hospital. I was a chancer in my youth but not that much of a one.

A high speed crash whatever the speed will have a severe psychological effect on anyone, usually slightly less if you are young, and could explain some of your symptoms I would have thought. I'm no medic but PTSD sounds quite likely.

I have yet to see any depressive diagnosis procedure where harming others or the thought of doing so , are a factor. You seem to have many of the symptoms of depression but I would think that they could all be put down to PTSD and in my opinion with this as a factor any doctor who could judge the severity of any possible depression would be a genius. As I say I'm no doctor but If you don't feel you are depressed to me that would be a good indication you are not severely depressed.

I don't know that much about PTSD except that it is serious but likely to be a one off thing although it can last for a long period, and if you take the medical advice and treatment offered with no "me being me" and ignoring medical advice then I would think your chances of a full recovery are pretty good. One other thing about depression is that whether the sad events at work are part of the job or not, depression is not an option that you can decide to take up or not, it does n't work that way. If indeed you do have PTSD I would say a change of job ,if practicable, would be a good idea., at least until the PTSD is sorted.

Olderal

[TheInjuredBiker in reply to Olderal]

Hi Olderal , firstly thank you for the response but I feel I need to clear things up as you may have misunderstood them. 120mph is the combined speed aka due to him hitting me head on doing 60mph and I was doing 60mph (the speed limit) we hit at a combined speed of 120mph. I wont lie I am a bit of a speeder but fortunately at the time of this accident I was not as it would have been far worse.

Regarding your second paragraph, thats exactly what I thought. I did one written test and which consisted of basic yes or no answers and just from those 27 questions to be exact they have determined I have severe depression? I am following that up I should add, I know for sure I have anxiety as I have daily panic attacks. PTSD is a certain as well according to doctors and the test.

As I am low risk (I assume thats because I said I dont feel the need to self harm myself) I am on a lengthy 2 month waiting list for treatment but I am on meds as listed above and I have managed through a lot of research online found and tailored for myself a way to control the anxiety aspect of it. Its not perfect but 7/10 times I can stop an attack in its path.

Once again thank you for the response.

[Olderal]

Forgot to say well done with the smoking.

[TheInjuredBiker in reply to Olderal]

Thank you very much! I feel so great since quitting as well!

[Olderal in reply to TheInjuredBiker]

As a very addicted smoker myself for nearly 60 years I would say that giving up smoking in your present circumstances was a considerable , and I mean considerable achievement. You should feel great just for the achievement with the health benefits as a bonus.

Many of the posts on here are from people not just suffering from depression but also they have anxiety. Its not something I've suffered greatly from although obviously when depressed it does generate some anxiety. I have always thought that anxiety responds well to self help techniques which largely can be learned by reading. Your post goes some way to confirming that and it would probably help some people a lot if you could give some details of your method of dealing with it. Failing that maybe you could give a reference to which techniques or reading you found most useful. Maybe a new post called "coping with anxiety" . Your method may not work for everyone but if it stops 7/10 panic attacks it must be useful to many.

Olderal

[sweetiepye]

Hello Biker, I did a Google search only as a source of things for you to ask your Doctor. I found an interesting site alternativementalhealth.com the physical causes and solution of depression Some of the causes are illnesses, dental problems, medications,lack of hormones too many to list here. I have no idea if it will help ,but it is very interesting. Pam.