Has anyone used Vita Health?

[GurlWithACurl]

I am suffering from crippling depression and struggling every day. It has been getting worse and worse throughout this year. My poor DH and DSs are really worried about me, but cannot help with this severity of depression. I am taking Mirtazapine with some Lorazepam occasionally, but have been told that I cannot take Lorazepam long term. The psychiatrist has said that there are no other drugs available to me due to my age - late 60s.

I have been told by my psychiatrist to refer myself to Vita Health privately for counselling as the NHS cannot offer long term counselling. Does anyone here have any experience of them? TIA

Have you seen the psychiatrist through the NHS or privately/through insurance?

Vita Health is I think similar to the private healthcare company I work for, we provide a range of healthcare services for both NHS and private companies, insurers, etc. So the people who come for long term mental health support usually have a private insurance policy that gives them cover for long term therapy.

Please take a look at Dr Georgia Ede on youtube and the metabolic mind youtube channel.
There is increasing evidence that resolving underlying metabolic health issues can help resolve/help with mental health issues, and metabolic health can treated by lifestyle interventions. Take a look, it can't hurt.

Best wishes.

Thank you for replying. I am seeing the psychiatrist through the NHS at the moment and also a mental health nurse, although she has only been in the job for a couple of months. My mental state is getting much worse and I am terrified that there is apparently no medication left that can help me.

It was the nurse that suggested that I might need to go privately. Perhaps because the NHS only offered a few weeks of counselling? I will have to see what the psychiatrist says on Tuesday. I am panicking at the moment.

Thank you, I will have a look at your suggestion.

I work with older people and they are often on sertraline or citalopram. I don’t understand why there is an issue about other medications due to your age. Are there co morbidities?

I have been on both of these in the past, but neither of them made any difference even when I reached the top doses. I’m now on Mirtazapine (top dose) and Lorazepam (which they only allow as a short term help). There must be something else that would work. I’m totally debilitated with this longing to end it all and have respite from this misery.

@GurlWithACurl have you ever been on HRT, or had peri or menopause related issues?

No, I never took HRT. I went through the menopause at 48 and am now 69. I do have a long list of other illnesses including underactive thyroid, sarcoidosis and asthma.

Talking to my psychiatrist tomorrow. Am terrified that he will say that I can’t have any more Lorazepam or that there is no other antidepressant I can have. I feel that I am going insane with horrific fear and anxiety. Nothing works for me. Nothing at all. My poor family watching me like this.

Good luck tomorrow. Have you had any form of therapy at all? Medication combined with therapy has the best outcomes. I hope you get somewhere.

Thanks again to everyone who has tried to help me. My appointment with the psych yesterday went very well. He is looking into the possibility that my thyroid issues may be the cause of my depression and has also said that he will look at a second antidepressant to support the first. I felt much more optimistic after talking to him and just hope that the GP can get on with the blood tests as soon as possible.

Hi, Please do check that your thyroid treatment is optimised (not just "ok"), and get GP to check your ferritin level too, when mine was low I had crippling anxiety (ferritin should be up near 100 - ask for the actual number and anything under 50 needs treating, anything below 30 is really deficient) as thyroid disease if autoimmune can cause nutrient absorption issues. It's really helpful that your psych is looking into that. Also - maybe still consider HRT - it may not be too late. The thinking around that is changing - see Louise Newson's website for info.