What happens when you visit a psychiatrist?

[memoo]

Don't think I have spelt Psychiatrist right?!

Have finally got my referral through to go and see a psychiatrist about my ongoing anxiety/PND

I'm feeling really nervous about it, have no idea what to expect.

Doesn't help that its at the local psychiatric hosptital (the barbed wire around one of the buildings makes it a bit scary)

Can anyone tell me what exactly he/she will do?

Have been refered because despite all the meds I am on I am not really getting any better. GP has put my of higest doses of citalopram, diazepam and propranolol but says he is unsure what dirrection to go in now as its clearly not working.

The PND is slowly living but the anxiety is still hanging around like the proverbial black cloud, thats the thing I need the most help with.

Sorry for any typos, have a unhappy 6 month old hanging from my front in her sling, hard to find the keys

I'm fine now! I will be forever grateful to the wonderful mental health team that are still popping round to see me every now and again now, just to check that I'm ok, I have been fine now for over a year, I even had another baby in that time and stayed off all drugs and everything.

So, there is hope! :D

In a way, I am better now then before I got ill, because I got to deal with all sorts of things head on. Not that I would recommend getting yourself mentally ill as a life coaching technique or anything, but sometimes you need something bad to happen to make you wake up and sort yourself out.

Obviously I still get tired and grumpy, but just in the ways everyone does, and I have learned to recognise that, yeah, some days are bad, so what, more are good

It really is easier said than done, I know, been there and done that, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Oh, I just saw your post about thinking about harming yourself. Don't worry, it doesn't mean you will. Apparently everyone gets those thoughts sometimes, it's just that some people get worried and start thinking them over and over. I used to do that (it was a completely different issue to the harm I actually did, they were in different ways and at different times and with different feelings). The way I deal with those thoughts is to not give them head time. So, as soon as you recognise the thought forming, just calmly think to yourself "what a silly thing to think about" and then kind of visualise calmly rubbing the thought out or throwing it away. If it comes back, do the same thing. eventually it will stop coming back. I sometimes shake my head or make a throwing away action or even say out loud "don't be daft Butterpie" (obviously when nobody is listening!).

The thoughts are just a symptom of anxiety, so you need to recognise them, then throw them away. Don't try to ignore them completely, and don't worry about them.

I know it is easier said than done, but just give it a try.

Oh, and you know everyone says to eat well, get regular sleep, outdoor exercise and to avoid alcohol, recreational drugs and too much caffeine? That's true.

Set yourself little tasks, maybe just that you will leave the house every day to start with, or even just getting dressed every day, and feel proud if you manage to achieve them, even on some days.

I used to imagine the illness as a cloud of smoke, and so lots of fresh air and exercise would blow it away. I'm really not an exercise/outdoorsy person either, but a wander to a cafe for a brew was easy enough to deal with.

I dunno whether you suffer with traditional depression, or if you have manic bits, but again, I found that mania feeds on mania, so when I found myself getting overexcited or spending too much or running about (I used to literally run up and down my front room carpet all night sometimes) I would try to take deep breaths, recognise the mania, and try to bring it down a notch or two at a time. I must admit that mania for me was a lot harder to deal with, and I would still be straight on the phone to the MH team if I saw any signs of it as, with me, that is when things start going seriously wrong as I have the energy to do really odd things.

Seriously, I hope you find the help you need, and I'm happy to hold your hand virtually and all that if need be

ButterPie that's fantastic that you had another baby and stayed off all the drugs!

That is my dream

I want to get off all my drugs and have another baby. And then show them all next time round that I can manage fine without flippin psychiatry!

Butterpie, your posts are very uplifting to read, inspiring even! You are living proof that its possible to beat this illness.

The things you say about my thoughts of self-harming are very insiteful, and I am going to try the technique you suggest. I did mention a little bit about my thoughts of hurting myself to my GP (who is fab) He said similar to you and also said its like a way of directing my anxiety inwards, towards myself.

I have never suffered with Mania but have battled depression on and off for years, it seems to have got worse after each baby. I am taking citalopram and that does seem to have help the depression but hasn't touched the anxiety. The only thing that helps that at the moment is diazepam, but obviously thats not something I want to be taking long term.

Thanks for your posts, you have given me a lot to think about and made me feel quite positive of winning this battle

Brilliant advice from Butterpie x

If there is anyone around still reading this thread, maybe you can answer more questions? Ive been on Seroxat 40mg for a while which is cool and seems to help more than anything else, but this dose has increased over time from 10mg - now the GP says I cant go higher without a referral to a psychiatrist. At the mo. Im ok on the 40mg but I know from previous that there may well come a time when I crash again and need a higher dose. What really scares me about starting the whole mental health thing is do 'they' start interfering with the kids? Im just worried that if I start being totally honest about how I feel when Im bad they will start saying I cant cope or whatever. Not true because my kids are my life but I see it as a real barrier. Pls tell me Im being silly!
PS. Im asking now very sensibly because as you no doubt know, when the drugs dont work im in no state to be rational about anything. Thanks for posts so far.

Hi, Since starting this thread I have seen a psychiatrist and various other mental health professionals. I have been really ill and have been totally honest with them about everything.

I told them about my thoughts of wanting to harm myself, about not wanting to be here.

One afternoon I phoned the crisis team who have been seeing me and literally sobbed and screamed at them down the phone that if they didn't come and get me I was going to kill myself.

I have stood in front of my husband in the dead of night and begged him to kill me because I couldn't bare the pain anymore.

I have had periods of extreme confusion when I was accusing DH of having had an affair and bring another womans baby home because I really didn't remember that she was my baby.

I have also just had a short spell of in patient care

I could go on and on, and they know it all! But not once has anyone ever questioned my ability to be a mum, there has never been any suggestion that my children aren't been looked after properly.

Infact they have been brilliant, one of the cpn from the crisis team said to me that being ill doesn't make you a bad mum, even if its a mental illness.

Please seek the help you need, please be honest with them because nobody is out to label you a bad mum, they really are there to help you, and I can't tell you what a huge relief it is to be able to let it all out and have people tell me that its ok!

xx

Memoo do tell them about your thoughts of self-harm. Thoughts like that are very common; you won't be judged as a person on them. However, your answer will be part of an assessment of how unwell you are.

Equally, the fact that you recognise your daughter is a reason never to act on this is important.

People do have odd ideas about psychiatrists. Remember, they are doctors NOT psychics. There is no secret insight they have, just experience of meeting lots of people who feel the way you do.

Make sure you discuss a plan if the feelings of self-harm do get more intrusive.

Odd ideas about psychiatrists - that would be me then! Thanks, memoo for the reassurance.

thanks for the advice Jaybird, as per my last post I have now gone through the assessment process and am now being treated.

Fatwildwoman, you do not had "odd ideas", it is natural to be scared! sat in the waiting room for my first psych appointment I was sobbing I was that scared!