Hospitalization due to major depressive episode

[expatkat]

I've just been discharged from hospital in NYC due to an episode of major depression.

Questions:

1. If I have a relapse in London, where I live, how does hospitalization work there? Are you usually kept in for ages, or are shorter stays encouraged, as they seem to be in the US? Or is it, on the contrary, impossible to get admitted to begin with?

2. Will this look incredibly bad for me if/when I decide to file for divorce from dh? From a custody standpoint, I mean. Ironically my depression comes out of my unhappiness with dh, so I think I'd be less likely to get this badly depressed if I were simply on my own with the kids.

3. Is the drug Escitalopram Oxalate (known in the US as Lexapro) readily available in the UK? Because that's the drug I've been put on, and the doctors here would like to know if I can get it in the UK.

Many thanks for anyone who can help. And apologies for the heaviness of this post.

Honey. How are you now?

I am actually doing some work for a mental health organisation so I will try and find out for you.

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Hi expatkat - I had very much been wondering where you were. Sorry you have been dealing with a bad patch, and hope things can be made to work for you.

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Cipralex seems to be the name of your drug that is available here. I think that is the only thing I can really help you with I'm afraid.

I don't know what the position would be from a legal point of view with divorce. But as long as your condition was controlled and your children weren't at risk (which I'm sure they aren't) I don't think it would have much effect. Would Dh battle you for custody anyway?

Hospitalisation would depend on you and the GP you have among other things. I'm not a mental health nurse, but as I understand it if you believe you are at risk from yourself you can expect to be hospitilised. And you will be so until they believe you will be safe. Fair enough IMO.

I hope you're feeling better and life is looking up for you now you have been released. Good luck .

I have emailed on your behalf.

I hate to say this but I too think the depression would probably be mentioned in some context. I suspect you would need to think through, in some detail, the fallback arrangements and/or the flexibility with your current husband about arrangements if you become depressed in the future, whether or not this is to the point of hospitalisation. I take your point about the likelihood but I think it would be important to have done this thinking, not least because you need to know that those contingency arrangements are in place.

Thank you everyone, for your great help. MI--you're a godsend for doing this extra research. I appreciate the honesty re. the custody/divorce stuff, giraffeski, and also for the medication answer (thanks Flossam, too). . .yes, it does seem inevitable the hospitalization would be mentioned in a divorce situation. And thanks Blu for having thought of me. . .that means a lot.

expat xo

expatkat, I've only just seen this, I just wanted to say I'm sorry things have been so awful and I'm thinking of you.

oh expatkat, i'm so sorry to read this. really hope things are looking up for you now. hope to see you when you're back in london. xx

expatkat - I'm afraid I don't really have any useful advice as such but just wanted to say, really sorry to hear this and I hope you're on the road to recovery.

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Expatkat
Nothing to add, just wishing you the best!

expatkat my pschiatrist reccommended cipralex for me as i have AS and anxiety and suffer from depression, i am not taking it yet as i am still breastfeeding but as soon as i stop i will be starting it,how does the medication make you feel? i was told to take it at night before i go to sleep as any side effects will happen when i am asleep, i really feel for you and hope that you are feeling better soon
hugs

I don't think hospitalisation would necessarily have any bearing on custody per se...as to being hospitalised again, depending on area only about 1 in 100 mental health patients are hospitalised so it is quite hard to get in...

I hope you are feeling better, take care...

Thanks for the further wishes & info. After about 6 days on cipralex some of the unpleasant side effects ("drugged"/zombified feeling, weird vision, palpitations, fatigue) are beginning to disappear. Bear in mind I resisted meds for AGES because I tend to be awfully sensitive to drugs. . .I loathe taking them, and only agreed because (1) I'm on a tiny dose and (2) cipralex is supposed to be relatively low on side effects. I'm heading back to London tomorrow and rather wonder how I'm going to cope w/out family, close friends. . .but I'm just going to slog through each day like the rest of us mums--what else is there to do, really. The kids need me, etc.

Your messages have helped a lot. Thanks, all.