I ventured onto Bandcamp and browsed soundtracks. I also remembered there's more games I want that I'll probably never play. FML.
I have video game overload I spent about £5 on sweets (SORRY CANDY) last night because I'm an idiot I spent my wage too quick I'm bored I'm fed up I got the fourth book in a series yesterday, but the third didn't come. I finished the second on the way home yesterday. I got reminded the other day at work that I don't have friends IRL. I can't dress comfortably for work - went without my scarf on Sunday, froze. Went with it on Monday, boiled. I got a letter last week from the psychiatrist people thingy and they said they tried contacting me but they didn't, plus they want to know if I can still attend and I can't and they can't help me anyway. You know, in general? Just FML.
If you are feeling that depressed, that's what you need to lead with when you talk to the pychiatrist, or your M.D. M.D.s generally don't always know much about depression, but they may be able to give you a referral (and your psychiatrist may just not be the right one for you). Also, don't be afraid to show up at a hospital emergency room if things get exceptionally bad. Depression is one of the things they are trained to deal with. And again, they may be able to refer you to someone better. The spending may be a symptom of your depression (I spend too much at times as well, and usually it's stress or depression that drives it). I'm in weekly group therapy, and it's been very helpful to me. If I feel exceptionally bad, I could also meet with my therapist privately, but it's amazing how helpful group therapy can be. It didn't start out that way. But the group I'm in now is terrific. Don't give up if you don't find the right people the very first time. The first therapist I went to (who I literally got the name out of the phone book) was a complete flake. The second one was better and he put me in a group, but I used to feel awful afterwards, and hated going. But the group I'm in now is much better. We're actually friends outside of the office, we've gone to lunch together, etc. If I miss my group (like I did last week) I feel bad about it. because it's become a highlight of my week. We even talk before the session, and after, BSing about movies, music, the weather, kids, family, birthdays, holidays, anything and everything. It's kind of like these forums, except face to face.
The psych people could only offer me appointments on Friday mornings at like 9am. It's an hour away by bus, which means I would have to explain to my dear sweet mother (hahaha) why I'd be going out that early (and I HATE lying), I really didn't feel like my psych was human let alone anything else, and it was stressing me out. And, on top of that, I'm almost always put in to work Friday mornings, and I think earning money is slightly more important right now (especially as I'm part-time). Also, there's this factor.
Psychiatrists, are all about prescribing medication -- that's their primary skillset. You may want to see a therapist besides (and you may have to find one that fits your schedule). I went to a local mental health center when I got to New York, but my brother had connections and knew who to talk to. Not fitting your schedule is very much part of not being the right fit for you. I only see my psychiatrist once every other month, now that I'm on a medication that actually works. When we were going through different meds, trying to find the right medication dosage, I'd have to see him more often. And yes, they are not all people persons (as weird as that may sound). The types of questions that they ask generally just have to do with the medication -- is it working? Does it have side effects? How are you sleeping? How are you eating? ec. They aren't there to so much discuss your job or your family the fight you had with your brother or your boss, etc. That's what I do with my therapist, not my psychiatrist.
Not entirely sure how much different it is here, but I think they might be both in the same role, maybe? I'm not sure. I tried counselling, which sounds like your therapy, but that was a no-go. Expensive, too.
Shrinks are a bad option. Especially if their idea of fixing things is to dope you up so you are unaware how much your life sucks. No, I am not talking about anyone here. I am speaking from my own experience.
I don't know your specifics, and I'm the wrong person to talk to in any case. I guess psychiatrists CAN have the same role, but generally they don't, at least not nowadays, especially since psychiatrists have doctors degrees, and consequently can be very expensive. The place I go to, they have a sliding scale based on your income in case you don't have insurance (or it doesn't cover it). Lots of places around here will accommodate you if you can't afford to pay (because, yes, it CAN be very expensive. But it may be different in your state (I don't know). New York is pretty good though, as far as social services are concerned. And some places will actually help you get insurance, if you don't have it, and charge you very little in the mean time. Private therapists and psychiatrists are a little harder to deal with. If you don't know of a public health complex in your area, maybe you can google your local social services department for your state or county and see what's available to you. As I said, I don't know your state, but there may be an affordable alternative.
Ah ok. You can pretend I don't know what I'm talking about then lol (well pretending will not be necessary lol).
Living in australia (where we have vaguely similar deals) I've used similar services to the following before: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/Pages/mental-health-helplines.aspx They're not perfect, but sometimes you just need to vent, or just need someone to listen to you, or just need somebody to tell you that it'll all be ok. It helped me out - but I make no claim that my issues are, or were, as deap-seated or ingrained as yours.
I'll keep that in mind, but I must confess I've only rarely been that serious, and not for many years.
