@wallflowerguy Why?

@wallflowerguy Did you? Was it worth it to risk your condition potentially getting worse?
Contrary to popular belief, medicines don't make people addicted. It might be the feeling of "if I drink this it'll turn me into a normal person with normal reactions" and taking it on your own without previous consulting. It appears that most of the therapies are based on using meds if needed and then slowly diminishing the dosage and removing them (if used with CBT).

I am not a professional and I have no meds to offer - but if talking would help, my PM is open. 🤗@Melpomene

@Mamapolo2016 Thank you but I think what I really need is a doctor 🤗

I think so too. 🤗@Melpomene

@Melpomene Are you positive it's not just your view and those of your family & friends?

Personally, I don't give a crap what someone else's opinion is. When I need help, I ask for it. I'm sorry you feel uncomfortable doing that.

@SW-User Yes, I'm positive. People don't get jobs even though they are the best candidate if the employer finds out they had been going through some sort of therapy and even though they are healthy, normal people now. We're marked as lunatics.

@Melpomene I'm sorry it comes with such a terrible stigma where you live.

@SW-User Oh, I already did that...years ago. The thing is, it will surely disrupt my family and I've been avoiding it fearing that it might break us. I was handling it quite well until I got this new type of stress and everything just went downhill. I'm afraid I cannot always control my emotions and that having a panic attack at a bad time might cause me to get medications before even consulting a psychiatrist.

@Melpomene you said something good there, that you want to talk to a psychiatrist before considering medication, seems to me that pills are often used before other options have even been discussed, and i think they just sedate the problem rather than address it.

It's a bit naughty but in a situation like this i might mislead my doctor and maybe elaborate on my symptoms to get him to refer me sooner, can always claim the gp misunderstood the reason for referral, but at that point at least i'd be sitting in front of who i needed to.

@SW-User Oh I know medication is needed but I'd like to talk and explain the situation before he prescribes me meds. Last time (years ago), I was stalling and going around in circles so I'd get the therapy or be let go without saying the reason. I had to change a couple of medicines and do a bunch of tests so they'd know which meds are the right ones but then they got too close to discovering what it was and I had to leave. I know it was the right thing to do at the moment but maybe asking for help a year or two earlier would be a better solution.
I did get a panic attack on my last appointment and I think I'll be sent to visit a psychiatrist from now on...but I still hope that even with my hollow description and misleading they figure out which meds I need. I can't say the real reason for all of this happening, at least not in the next 4-5 months but I still need help.

A General Practitioner - i.e. official UK terminology for a local non-specialist doctor. @BlueVeins

@ThePerfectUsername Ah, thanks.

@ThePerfectUsername Thanks but there's definitely shame and stigma here... maybe not in a hospital but a lot of people still think we're "choosing" to be sick and a positive mindset is going to change everything. That's why we've got a ton of untreated people and those that have some sense do go to a doctor because of those that didn't. Truth be told, older people have no idea what's this "anxiety" and "depression" and other mental illnesses we're talking about.

[quote]Truth be told, older people have no idea what's this "anxiety" and "depression" and other mental illnesses we're talking about.[/quote]
I beg to differ on that score. It's only three months since I helped my 22 yo grandson recover from a suicide attempt. You simply don't get to decide what other people know or don't know about mental illnes.

One thing I do know is that it takes real guts to walk into a GP's and admit "I'm depressed" as my grandson did. You may not currently have the guts to do that but if you don't buckle up and find them you run the risk of becoming just as big a failure as the people who'd condemn you for it.
@Melpomene

@ThePerfectUsername Good job on supporting your grandson and I hope that he's alright now but just because you know about it doesn't change the fact that no one here that's over 40 years old (and doesn't directly work in health) thinks about how deadly mental illnesses are, until they lose someone.
And no, it's not about having the guts. I am exhausted and going to a therapist could be risky in some other ways.

@Subsumedpat That's one of the problems, I am in physical pain but if I show up with only that as a symptom...

@Melpomene it can be so frustrating going to the doctor, they only want to hear one complaint at a time and want to pidgin hole it in 3 minutes

@Subsumedpat I understand their need/desire to finish quickly and move on and that they are used to seeing much worse conditions but stating "you're anxious" and telling me to "live more healthily" when I obviously can't isn't really going to do much.