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Being patronised by doctors
Dear Dilys,
I have been battling against depression since I was about 25. I?m now 48. I?ve seen various GP?s over the years who all say ?pull yourself together? or ?you?ll start feeling better when you get a job? ?try harder? and ?it?s no mystery disease, just get on with it!? I?ve also had some counselling. I?ve managed to keep going and held down various jobs and done some studying but sometimes everything feels like a huge effort like my current job. My concentration has got worse and I?m really slow now. It takes me an hour to get ready in the mornings to go to work and I know my colleagues have noticed. What can I do to buck myself up and get better ? without going back to my unhelpful GP?s?
A
Dear A,
Depression is a serious medical condition which ought to be taken seriously by your doctors. What a tragedy you?ve obviously never found anyone to listen long enough for you to explain precisely how it feels. Your concerns need to be taken seriously...simply being heard and being able to offload would probably have helped you feel a whole lot better over these years. There are various forms of help you can get. Anti-depressants, although they don?t suit everybody, can be a really useful short-term help just to give you that lift and extra burst of energy. They might help you quicken up just a bit so that life doesn?t feel such a constant struggle and so that you don?t feel embarrassed at work. And once you feel a bit better, you might find a bit more energy to seek more long-term help with some kind of talking treatment or therapy. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy can be useful in trying to overcome depression. It's a way of learning how to change your thoughts and perceptions so that you eventually learn to lift yourself out of your despair. Or you could try some group therapy. This would give you an added layer of support that individual counselling can?t. People who've been through the same kind of depression as you are likely to be more sympathetic than anyone and it's good to swap experiences and find out you're not alone. Try the Depression Alliance - www.depressionalliance.org
for a group near you.
Dilys