To wonder if this counts as urgent or not?

[Moomoomango]

I want to book a dr appointment tomorrow and know I will be met with the "is it urgent?" Question.

I have known I have been depressed for a few months now but haven't had the courage to visit my gp.
I keep telling myself things will get better but in truth I think I've been depressed ever since my eldest was born 6 years ago. I've grown up in a house of "don't be silly your fine" and I think I keep telling myself that.

Anyway fast forward to today and I've just broken - I've got two kids (one at school one at home) a partner who has ongoing health issues who has been sleeping until midday pretty much everyday this week, children who wake up at 5am and on top of it we are moving house so I'm packing boxes whilst trying to look after children , school runs, all chores, cooking, shopping etc.

I'm exhausted and today I've really snapped at my children. Like actually lost it. I feel awful and it's made me realise that I need help.

To top it of partner has been rushed to hospital this evening.

Question is, is my appointment urgent? I mean I have been living with depression for six years so another 3 weeks won't kill me (I'm not suicidal) but I do feel really rubbish and a bit desperate if I'm honest?

Urgent.

I think you definitely warrant an appointment

I mean, 'urgent' is not the same as 'emergency' which is what you would be if suicidal. But if you are not coping, you need to be seen now, not in three weeks time. And if you are given, e.g. anti-depressants, they will take time to work anyway. Ask for the soonest appointment you can get.

Definitely urgent - start the ball rolling and get the support you need

Urgent. Definitely. Don't be fobbed off.

Definately urgent

I think if you don't go now, when you feel you really need to go, in three weeks you'll find some excuse not to go. If you're anything like me, anyway. I think you should go.

Sorry but I don’t think that is urgent. But I suppose it depends on how long you will have to wait for a non urgent appointment.

Urgent appointment people get them for far less

Been asked the same thing in similar circumstances. I said yes. It was absolutely the right decision to make.

Good luck.

Urgent - you need to go whilst you feel motivated to do it. If you put it off you could end up struggling on for far too long because you keep convincing yourself you will feel better soon.

Thank you for your kind words - I shall try for an appointment tomorrow xx

Urgent.
In my experience, if you don’t go when you’re at the point where you know you need to be seen (and that takes a lot of battling with yourself) you will keep putting it off and feeling worse when you could have started taking antidepressants for example and on the right path to recovery.

I went in October I think because my mood was starting to get low. I actually asked for antidepressants. I have a bipolar diagnosis, so my gp didn’t even question me, she knows if I’m at the point where I know myself that I need them, that a few weeks could be the difference between life and death.
That’s why it’s urgent. Because mh needs taking as seriously as physical health

What impact is it having on you living your life right now? If you can work (if you work outside the home), if you can care for your children, get essential chores done, then IMO it’s not urgent. But absolutely you should make an appointment.

If you can’t work (if applicable), feel unable to care for DC, aren’t able to do essential chores, or are in any way suicidal or wanting to hurt yourself then yes it’s urgent.

Really only you can make the call. If you feel it’s urgent then absolutely make an urgent appointment and don’t let anyone on here or in rl make you feel guilty about it.

If you do make a non urgent appointment but your mental health deteriorates between now and the appointment, then don’t wait. Call again and make an urgent appointment. Then once you’ve been seen, unless your doctor wants you to keep the non urgent one to review, call and cancel the non urgent one.

In the mean time, be kind to yourself. Do what absolutely has to be done like feeding yourself and DC, but don’t stress if the hoovering gets skipped for a few days.

Urgent and when/if they ask what's it regarding,say it's very personal. Good luck :)

Yes, it's urgent.

If you finally feel ready to make an appointment after months of not feeling able to do it, that's urgent. You need to make the appointment while you're feeling ready and able to do it, and another three weeks for a non-urgent appointment might mean you're not feeling able to go.

I think you have every right to say it's urgent because you need help and support right now, and you don't have to explain why if you don't want. Or you could say "it's linked to my depression" and leave it at that.

I hope you're okay OP

glum
I’ve been able to function, do all the things day to day that I had to. Care for kids, work, cook, clean.
I shouted more and lost my temper easily, but that was the only outward sign.
When the kids slept I was numb. I was so unwell I started planning my way out. It lasted weeks. Eventually I took the overdose when the kids were safely elsewhere.

It’s so easy to say it’s not urgent, but mental health is something we need to be so careful with

It depends what your GP surgery defines as urgent. Every time I have rang for an appointment they ask is it urgent, I describe mine or DS’s symptoms (IMO not as important/serious as yours OP) and the receptionist says, yep, urgent and gives me a same day appointment (even when I’ve called at 4pm). On the other hand if I say not urgent It takes weeks or months to get one (e.g. 8 week wait for a smear test with either doctor or nurse).

It's your mental health which is just as important as your physical health, it also sounds as if you have a lot on your plate, if you feel on the edge now is the time for action before you break.
Make an appointment.
I do not understand the hand wringing angst on mumsnet about making doctors appointments, it's ridiculous.
Good luck!

Not only is it your mental health but perhaps that of your children if you are not seen soon, so sounds urgent to me.

It's urgent and no GP worth her/his salt would be annoyed at you asking for an urgent appointment for this. It sounds as if you've reached breaking point, OP. You really can't wait for weeks to get seen.

Do NOT feel guilty for requesting an urgent appointment.

Ask to speak to the on call GP. Let them assess you and they'll likely request you to come in.

Any luck op? Hope your ok