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Mental health

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Original poster

CBT vs ADs - not sure what to do

14 replies

purplemonkeydishwasher · 24/04/2006 18:58

I have an appointment with my GP on Wednesday. I'm supposed to decide what I want to do about my PND. But I'm just not sure what to do.
Actually I'll not really sure what CBT entails either.
I just really need some advice really, and some experiences maybe? What has worked or not worked for you? Does this make any sense? I just want to feel better...

OP posts:

crazydazy · 24/04/2006 19:04

I am on fluoxetine for PMT and must admit its really good, took a month to work though.

WigWamBam · 24/04/2006 19:08

It seems unfair of them to expect you to decide on the best treatment, to be honest - I would have expected the GP to be doing that.

Is there any way you can ask your GP to refer you to your local Mental Health unit? Maybe a chat with a psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse would give you a better idea of what each treatment entails, and what you would be happiest with. Otherwise, can you ask for both ads and CBT - attack it with a double-whammy? I don't really see why it would have to be either one or the other - as far as I know, CBT often works best in conjunction with ads. You may find there's a long waiting list for CBT, so it might be worth asking to go on the waiting list but trying ads while you wait.

Ads didn't do much for me, and I can't get CBT in this area, so in your shoes I would be grabbing every treatment offered - if you don't try it, you don't know whether it's for you or not.

I hope you manage to sort something out that feels right for you.

ItalianJob · 24/04/2006 19:09

agree with WWB post. can't see why it's an either/or situation, rather than trying both. has GP indicated how long likely waiting time for CBT would be?

Original poster

purplemonkeydishwasher · 24/04/2006 19:10

yeah. i've heard that ADs take a while to work.
I should mention that I'm BF as well.

OP posts:

Original poster

purplemonkeydishwasher · 24/04/2006 19:12

I think about a month for the CBT. but not intensive. that's a year waiting list. i don't think i HAVE to choose between the 2 I'm just not sure about anything.

OP posts:

starlover · 24/04/2006 19:12

i don't see why you can't ask for both,... but i do understand that they want you to tell them how you want to proceed. they don't want you to feel pushed into anything and you do need to think it through,

cbt is a behavioural therapy which basically involves looking at WHY you act how you do, or why you think the things you think and how you can do things to stop it.
i think!

starlover · 24/04/2006 19:12

it's a very worthwhile therapy IMO.. I know a lot of people who have really found it helpful

WigWamBam · 24/04/2006 19:16

I would go for both, to be honest. If you have a year to wait for the intensive CBT you would probably be better off trying medication for at least a while. If you find the medication doesn't work you won't have lost anything , and there are a number of different ads to try - there is a good chance that one of them will work for you. There are several that are OK to use whilst breastfeeding - if you can talk to someone from the mental health unit they will have a better idea of which are best than the GP will.

arfy · 24/04/2006 19:18

starlover is right on CBT. My DH had it for severe OCD and it really did work wonders.

it examines how you react to things, why you react that way, and what you can do to stop yourself reacting in ways that cause you to be stressed/depressed. You learn to recognise patterns in your behaviour and thinking, and where those are destructive, ways in which to challenge what you're doing and therefore learn to control it. It it very, very useful and if you are being offered it, grab it with both hands.

IMO, it'll work best in conjunction with ADs - they may sort out the chemical aspects of your PND which allows you to concentrate on the rest in the CBT - will also help isolate if there are any other probs for you apart from the PND.

And, as I have ranted extensively on other threads, there are ADs you can take whilst breastfeeding. But you need to give ADs a good 2-4 weeks to work properly, it's no good trying them for 4 days and then thinking 'oh, these aren't working' (unless you get really terrible side effects, in which case talk to the GP about it).

Good luck!

starlover · 24/04/2006 19:21

also, you can ask to be referred to a counsellor or CPN

you shouldn't have to wait to see your cpn, or not very long anyway.

that would give you someone you could talk to immediately instead of just waiting for the cbt

Original poster

purplemonkeydishwasher · 24/04/2006 19:24

I think a CPN is who I'd be seeing. TBH the thought to having to talk to someone about my thoughts/feelings scares the CRAP out of me!

OP posts:

waggledancer · 24/04/2006 19:47

I have been lucky, in that i am on ad's and have counselling/cbt with a specialist hv. I think i would have found the cbt much harder without the uplift from the ad's. I think they have lifted my mood enough that i can cope with examining my feelings and find use from working out my triggers and responses

arfy · 24/04/2006 19:49

what waggledancer says is exactly it - the ADs should lift you enough so you can look at the deeper stuff

Pernod · 24/04/2006 20:19

I've also been lucky enough to have both AD's & CBT - I think they are both needed to help overcome the problems of depression and to help not only find it's cause but also realistic solutions to it's prevention.
I'm also BF at the moment & my AD's have not had any effect on my 18 week dd. I've been on them since she was 10 weeks old.

Good luck!
xx

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