Mental health nurse phone call…asking for antidepressants?

[Chancedays]

I’m looking for anyone that has experience with receiving antidepressants/anti anxiety medication.

I’ve been fobbed off continually by my mental health nurse regarding treatment due to my age. I want to come outright and say I want to discuss medication options either with her or my doctor. I’m having anxiety attacks, hot and cold sweats, borderline panic attacks at night, dreading every single day. Haven’t spoken to some of my family for 2 years due to social anxiety, I feel like I’m so far gone.

The mental health nurse is continually trying to push for CBT which I am open to, but feel I need medication to take any therapy on board.

How did you receive anti-depressants? How do I get my nurse and doctor to listen to me?

When tiu say due to your age? What age are you?

Are you under 18?

In my experience you're supposed to engage with services (CBT, counselling sessions) offered before they consider medication - if it's been some time since you were under the mental health team, what have they offered to this point?

I’m 26! I’ve said I’ve had anxiety since I was 14/15 years old but it’s continuously getting worse and affecting my life to the point I can’t take myself to the shops, socialise with my own family or sleep a full night!

Don’t know what else I can say to demonstrate how little quality of life I have with anxiety.

Ask for propanarol! They help with the physical symptoms.

Have you tried at John wort

St*

Can you do an e-consult with your surgery where you write down what you want to say in an online form before they phone you back? You could be quite forceful in what you write down and make it clear cbt alone is not acceptable to you.

Otherwise maybe consider a written complaint to your GP citing the age issue.

I have bought St. John’s wart but can’t bring myself to take it, ironically.

I’m hoping to start actual antidepressants soon as my phone call with the mental health nurse is on Monday afternoon. I understand some mental health nurses are also prescribers, I really have my fingers crossed I will finally receive the help I need.

Can I ask my mental health nurse to speak to my dr who is part of the same practice regarding medication options?

As a mental health nurse prescriber I would absolutely have no issue in going down the medication route, obviously talking therapies in combination are great but they also take a lot of work and commitment and like you say if you are feeling as you are describing then you need some help in being able to feel well
Enough to engage in these therapies.
If you find the nurse you are dealing with unhelpful ask for an appt with gp, I hate to say it but a lot of the more recently qualified mental health nurses
Are strongly biased towards a psychological model whereas us old schoolers although we know psychological approaches such as cbt are very helpful so is being on the correct medication.
Hope you get sorted

Thanks @chickywoo

Am I better to just be honest and say I feel I need a medication alongside engaging in CBT? And explain how my anxiety is affecting my life and manifesting itself?

Why can't your gp just prescribe it for you?
I'm on anti depressants and my gp is the one who suggested it. They've just raisethe amount I take too.

What is special about being 26 that they think your age is a barrier? I was expecting you to say under 18 or over 65.

Hi -
I’m CBT therapist and with your longstanding anxiety I would advise a patient to try an antidepressant medication before engaging in therapy
With extreme and chronic anxiety it can be hard to concentrate and learn new strategies (CBT) hard to retain information and hard to make changes
An antidepressant can really help to improve things and help you get the most out of CBT

I have no idea what the issue is with age. My dr previously told me he’s reluctant to diagnose due to age, I was 25 at the time.

I have asked to speak to my dr regarding anxiety and I’ve been directed to the mental health nurse again, had to wait 2 months for this one call. I understand services are very stretched at the minute.

Yes I think so, and explain as you have here that your not ruling out talking therapies altogether but as you’re currently feeling it’s too much for you to contemplate. You shouldn’t feel pressured into having to go down any particular route with this,
Their job is to listen to what you need and formulate a plan of care that’s right for you as an individual.

I would side step the nurse, go straight to the GP and say you wish to trial medication for your long standing debilitating anxiety
Don’t bother with propanol - just stops some
Of the physical symptoms, doesn’t address the cause
Don’t bother with St. John’s wort - too tricky to get a therapeutic dose and no professional has prescribed / will monitor your response etc

@Schmoozer I disagree with you when you're saying about avoiding propan. Yes it doesn't treat the cause, so to speak, but sometimes when you've been chronically stressed and anxious there is no real cause to it. Your body goes through the motions of panic and anxiety for no real reason. It's stops you leaving the house because you're prepared for the panic attack coming on. You're actually more anxious and panicked about the symptoms than the original cause of it. Y'know? It changed my life. Gave me a normal way of living and allowed me to think clearly and just live without constant panic attacks and fear every time I left the house. X

@emsmar - my experience was taking propranolol on and off for years helped my panic attacks
But it wasn’t until I went on escitalopram (ssri) that I didn’t experience the anxiety anymore that made me vulnerable to panic attacks - iyswim ?

Just a wee update for everyone as a thank you for replying.

Had my phone call it was 4 minutes long and she invited me into the clinic and said “IF I give you medication I can do it there”.

I don’t know how it’s still an “if” situation as I explained how bad my mental health is and how I’m not coping.

Anyway, fingers crossed for my in-person appointment for getting the help I need!