**The Mental Health Thread**

Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2020
Posts
2,401
N.B. Adderall is for ADHD which I don't believe you've claimed to have. It's not cheap.

I said in the US, where it is also prescribed for fatigue and low motivation.

I have 33% of the symptoms of ADHD. mainly the fatigue and zero focus parts, which are the exact symptoms that any of Buproprion, Modafinil, Ritalin or Adderall can treat.

The NHS refuses these medications for any of the symptoms they are supposed to help. Furthermore the places that should be able to assess me for these symptoms won't do so because there's not enough evidence I have them ...

How can there be evidence when no tests are being done?

I have depression as a secondary symptom of chronic daily debilitating fatigue, not the other way around. Every GP and service under the NHS refuse to accept that my symptoms are caused by anything other than depression / mood disorder, and only offer medications for 'mood disorders', none of which have worked or done anything.

When I last worked I was double medicated on Venlafaxine in the morning and Mirtazapine in the evening. I still couldn't do just 10 hours a week without collapsing twice.

Because I can talk fine, turn up to an appointment, and went to uni, every and anything else other than a mood disorder is immediately dismissed by every NHS specialist / doctor. I've straight up been begging for 'full mental health testing' for almost 15 years now and never get offered anything more than a mood quiz asking only if I'm going to kill myself.

I have a face to face GP appointment booked now but not until late August, I'm thinking I should have another rant at IAPT again now.
 
Associate
Joined
28 May 2021
Posts
1,305
Location
St Albans
Unless you tick all the boxes they are seeking it seems our mental health services fail to provide much help. Because I have periods I feel fine, I'm struggling to get help for the "other" times... Its frustrating and being "hard wired" to NOT be suicidal I never "score" enough on their "scale of worry" to merit attention :(
 
Capodecina
Soldato
Joined
1 Aug 2005
Posts
20,001
Location
Flatland
Unless you tick all the boxes they are seeking it seems our mental health services fail to provide much help. Because I have periods I feel fine, I'm struggling to get help for the "other" times... Its frustrating and being "hard wired" to NOT be suicidal I never "score" enough on their "scale of worry" to merit attention :(

It's about thresholds. Score above a certain quantity and you'll get appropriate help. If you fall anywhere under "moderate" they'll just send you home for a cup of tea and an iced bun.
 
Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2020
Posts
2,401
It's about thresholds. Score above a certain quantity and you'll get appropriate help. If you fall anywhere under "moderate" they'll just send you home for a cup of tea and an iced bun.

I score maximum points on depression and a few points below maximum on anxiety.

Multiple assessments have concluded 'Needs to be seen urgently', these are scattered throughout my medical history.

I'm still never seen for an appointment for anything more than with another GP that doesn't have a clue or the power to do anything but offer more prozac.

If I wanted to transition, my bits would be chopped off in record time on the NNS, but forget about even testing for any mental health issues beyond 'ARE YOU GONNA KILL YOURSELF?'.

Oh, I told them today 'Yes I feel like punching people at the GP clinic'.

'WE'RE CALLING DA POLICE!'. Sure, maybe they will actually do something?
 
Associate
Joined
16 Apr 2003
Posts
1,399
Location
London
Found there to be absolutely no point in using the NHS when I had my MH issues. As mentioned they just said it was depression and to take some tablets. I rejected that and went private. Cost me thousands but was worth it.

I do feel for people who can't go private because I would not be keen to folllow what the NHS say in terms of MH issues.
 
Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2020
Posts
2,401
Everything is basically put down as depression and ignored. If 6+ different anti depressants don't work then its put down as an untreatable behaviour disorder.

I straight up have narcolepsy and need stims. Its that simple. Everything else is a result of this not being treated. I really doubt that anything will be different this time but here I go again trying to explain this to them.
 
Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2020
Posts
2,401
Maybe you should be a doctor?

Well the doctor I spoke to today didn't even know what Modafinil was and needed me to repeat it 10 times or so.

A previous psychiatrist has stated I couldn't have that because its methamphetamines and too addictive when it isnt (I have a script for tramadol anyway which is far more addictive).

NHS 111 person just combed through my medical history and did indeed find an entry for Sleep Apnoea. Which is supposed to be treated by the exact same thing.

So now I have to wait until 25th August to go forward with everything.

Most doctors don't know anything at all other than thinking 100% of mental health problems are depression and throwing Prozac or some other SSRI at any and every mental health disorder.

I already have a (mis)diagnosis of sleep apnoea, and it needs Modafinil to treat. If still refused I will happily go to a sleep clinic that will conclude that it isn't sleep apnoea but either narcolepsy or chronic fatigue.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 May 2007
Posts
4,841
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Found there to be absolutely no point in using the NHS when I had my MH issues. As mentioned they just said it was depression and to take some tablets. I rejected that and went private. Cost me thousands but was worth it.

I do feel for people who can't go private because I would not be keen to folllow what the NHS say in terms of MH issues.

So what did going private get you?
 
Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2020
Posts
2,401
So what did going private get you?

Private doctors don't need to care about the cost of the healthcare. The NHS won't tell you directly, but the reason they routinely refuse referrals and treatments is due to their cost. Even a lot of doctors don't realize as such and simply follow the guidelines that say not to use certain treatments for whatever reason, but the real reason is how much those treatments cost.

Private healthcare is not limited to restricting treatments as such as the patients are paying fully for them.

It's a total waste of time talking to him. As of now, I'm giving up.

Show me exactly where I ever asked you to reply, or explain why I care at all about you or anything you say? Anyone working for the NHS is nothing but a shill for them anyway, you are nothing but tiring to bother listening to.
 
Caporegime
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
27,635
Location
Lancs/London
Unless you tick all the boxes they are seeking it seems our mental health services fail to provide much help. Because I have periods I feel fine, I'm struggling to get help for the "other" times... Its frustrating and being "hard wired" to NOT be suicidal I never "score" enough on their "scale of worry" to merit attention :(

Not that it'll help but being in the system isn't much better.
 
Caporegime
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
27,635
Location
Lancs/London
Indeed, if you can get a referral go private at least for a diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.

I saw a Psychiatrist privately, he recommended I start on Pregabalin. My GP wouldn't give it to me, he wanted to put me on Paroxetine (devlis drug) instead. It was horrible. 12 months later, 12 months of fighting every month and being tried on different dosages of different ADs (lovely withdrawal that was) he finally put me on the Pregabalin that the expert advised a year ago. Guess what? I'm infinitely better, like night and day difference.

Go private and do what I didnt, push for the recommendations to be followed.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Nov 2007
Posts
4,091
Indeed, if you can get a referral go private at least for a diagnosis and recommended treatment plan.

I saw a Psychiatrist privately, he recommended I start on Pregabalin. My GP wouldn't give it to me, he wanted to put me on Paroxetine (devlis drug) instead. It was horrible. 12 months later, 12 months of fighting every month and being tried on different dosages of different ADs (lovely withdrawal that was) he finally put me on the Pregabalin that the expert advised a year ago. Guess what? I'm infinitely better, like night and day difference.

Go private and do what I didnt, push for the recommendations to be followed.

Be careful with pregabalin it is otoxic.
 
Associate
Joined
4 Jun 2020
Posts
2,401
6 different ADs, none of them worked, all make my symptoms worse, and the only thing NHS psychiatrists do is try to push get another one onto me, because to everyone working under the nhs, any 'chronic fatigue' = depression.

And people in this thread have the nerve to keep defending these clowns (ofc they also happen to work for the NHS, who would have guessed?).

So I've realized to tell them very simply this time 'I don't have depression, I have fatigue' and at least get referred to a sleep clinic. I don't get how NHS guidelines say not to prescribe medications that make fatigue worse for people that already have that, but thats the only thing everyone working under the NHS does?

Be careful with pregabalin it is otoxic.

And almost every antidepressant is a somnolent or minor tranquilizer, which hardly seems any better.
 
Back
Top Bottom