Basicly long story short I am now officaly suffering from depression and I am in need of antidepressents very soon, I feel that if I am left another night I am going to try and kill myself (I've already stabbed my arms up last night) and I called my local doctor but they are closed. Would I be able to walk into A&E and get help as I am in desprate need for it.
Thank you, Ian. Hi, Ian:
I'm so sorry that you're having such a terrible time right now. I've been depressed, so I know how it is - so painful all-consuming, just completely miserable. And depression can also be very dangerous. The fact that you've already stabbed your arms and that you feel you might kill yourself if you don't get help soon makes your situation an emergency.
Some who have answered here have suggested natural remedies - that's not the way to go. Someone had a bad experience with antidepressants; I suppose that could be possible in rare instances, but many people take antidepressants without side effects and find that they help very much. I am one of them.
A couple of people have pointed out that antidepressants take a while before they start to take effect (it's about 2-3 weeks) - that's true. So even if you were to start taking them right now, you'd still be depressed for a while, and your depression is at the point where it's too dangerous and too serious. I do think you should start taking them right away, but since you're in danger of harming yourself, you can't wait until they start taking effect. For your own protection and safety, I feel very strongly that you should be in a hospital until the medication starts to take effect. You are not safe. It would be a tragedy if you killed yourself, because your depression will pass - you really willl feel better, though I'm sure right now you don't believe that. That's what depression does to your thinking.
Now, what to do... I live in the US, and I suspect you live in another country (I'm not familiar with A&E - is it sort of like an emergency room?). But you do need IMMEDIATE attention.
If you were having a heart attack and your local doctor's office was closed, what would you do? Because your situation is just as much of an emergency - you can't wait. If A&E is like a place where you go with a life-threatening emergency, then, by all means, go there right away. Do you have Suicide Hotlines where you are, or any kind of mental health agency that you can call? Whatever you do, do it NOW, and make it clear to the person you talk to that you are not only depressed, but that you have already harmed yourself and have strong suicidal thoughts. They will know how to help you.
Antidepressants will help you in the long run, and eventually I would encourage you to get into therapy with a psychologist.
You need to be under the care of a psychiatrist, who can prescribe medication for you. But the first and most important goal is to keep you safe - right now. Go to A&E, if it's a place to be seen for an emergency, make phone calls, do whatever you have to do to get immediate attention, and do NOT stop until you get hooked up with someone who understands how serious your situation is and who will help you.
By the way, hospitals aren't at all as bad as you may be imagining. I've worked in them, and I've been a patient in them, and it's not a terrible thing at all. It's a place where you can be watched over and kept safe, and also you will have a Dr. there who can start you on your medications.
Again, I know how you're feeling - it's so painful that others who have never been depressed can't possibly understand it.
You don't need to keep suffering - there is help out there - so find a way to get it, and don't wait. Depression is a real disease, and it is treatable. You will feel better. But first you have to keep yourself safe.
I'm glad that you asked this question, because it indicates to me that you're reaching out for help, and that you know you need help. Please take action right now.
So sorry you're in so much pain. I understand and I care, and you will see that a lot of people care about you. Good luck! Remember - if you hit a brick wall, don't stop - keep going until someone realizes the seriousness of what's going on with you right now, okay?
With concern and love, Sue Hi Ian,
I hope I am answering this late in that you have already gone and recieved help and yes you have every right to go to a hospital and tell them how you feel and that you need to be protected from yourself, I think that would be a very smart and brave move. I am concerned about how much you want anti-depressants because they aren't the answer, we all wish they were and they won't work over night, they could take anything up to weeks or months to work, if at all...they don't cure it but that doesn't mean it's hopeless either. If you haven't went to A&E please book an appointment with your gp asap and they will most likely perscribe anti-depressants or refer you to a psychiatrist who can assess you and maybe perscribe anti-depressants and therapy.
best of luck good news, you can go to A&E anytime, and they can help you,(you will not be high priority if they are busy tho, so be prepared to wait). Also, where ever you live, you have an out of hours GP service, normally you access them through getting the number from an answer phone message by ringing your GP number. You can try ringing NHS direct to ask for the number as well. If not, you can be refered by A&E.
Also , it seems like you need help with DSH, deliberate self harm, there are some good websites
Bad news, antidepressants won't give you instant relief.
most work after 2-4 weeks of taking them REGULARLY. they need time to change your brain chemistry. Normally , this is why you need to get them from your GP, as you will need to go back again.
The quickest way to gain a short term boost of mood enhancing chemicals, is exercise. I know it sounds silly, but it can work.
Hope that helps some go to your local holland and barret and try st john wort, its a herbal remdey... you see the thing with anti depressants is, that they dont take effect for up to 6 weeks, you need to speak to someone today. why would your doctor be closed on a thurs at 3pm, you can go to a&e but be prepared for a long wait then they will get the on duty shrink to talk to you and assess you and really you dont want that on your records. If you need quick help I would highly recommend going the natural route. I personally have taken many prescription anti-depressents and had horrible results. Many side effects (low libido, gain weight or lose weight, chemical dependency, mood swings, inability to feel emotions) this is NOT something you want and it is proven to make depression worse over a period of time, but don't get upset, there are many many many people out there who have switched like me to ST JOHNS WORT, 5HTP or SAM-E. These are all very good anti-depressents and they are all available right now at your local drugstore in the herbal or vitamin section. I personally used 5HTP had no side effects whatsoever and it made me feel calm cool and collected. It really helped with my anxiety disorder. But for bad cases of depression I would go for the ST JOHNS WORT as I know they even prescribe this as a anti-depressent in Germany because it is so effective. Prescription anti-depressents can cause long term disaster, I wouldn't touch them. (BTW the prescription AD's take 2 weeks to even start working as they have to run through your system and build up) I have suffered from Depression ! So anybody who suffers from any of the different types of Depression has my greatest sympathy & understanding ! See about getting yourself referred to your local Community Mental Health Team either via your Doctor or as a Self Referral ! If your situation is so bad you can voluntarily Section yourself under the Mental Health Act 1983 ! PLEASE THINK, ACT & BE POSITIVE (+) ! When you hit Rock Bottom then the ONLY way is UP ! Remember QUITTERS NEVER WIN ! WINNERS NEVER QUIT ! I wish you GOOD LUCK ! Hey Huni!! I hope your Okay I have been there and I have the t Shirt sometime it hard to know if you are suffering from depression,I didnt think i was untill i cut my arms,I left my for months n months before i got help!! please huni go and see a doctor they will help you,if not go to a n e they cant turn you away stick in there and hope things get better soon You do need emergency help and that means doing what the doctors recommend no matter what it is. I say that because antidepressants do not work immediately. They may take as much as two month to really kick in. If they want to give you other medicine o calm you down or talk to you, then do it. if they feel as you do that you are a danger to yourself and suggest a short stay then welcome it. It is hard to treat someone you have only seen for a half hour. Your most important job now is getting better so do everything you can. Good luck! Run don't walk to the emergency room and tell them the truth.
This is not the sort of thing that you schedule an appointment for a doctor visit. Remember, not all doctors are involved in treating mental health issues. They can write a prescription but it may not be the one best for you. These are some helps for permanent cure
Yoga, meditation, Pilate
Breathing exercises
Tapping technique and EFT
Affirmations and Self Hypnosis or Self Talk.
Reading good books like 鈥淐hicken soup for the soul鈥?br>
Exercise - home or gym
Acupuncture helps for addiction and cure try www . acupuncture . com
Chinese Herbal medicine is very good
Having good friends
Getting a hobby, volunteering.
Check for glandular imbalance
Music therapy 鈥?Listening to soft melodious music, Mozart or Handel for example.
Good luck You can walk straight in to A&E and they will phone you an on call psychiatrist. Do you have a GP out of hours service? That might be quicker. NHS direct will also have information for your area and will also be able to guide you on the best way to get help. Not sure what A&E is, but you can go to a hospital emergency room or a medical clinic. Both can help immediately. Call the doctors when they are open and go there is the best bet. A&E wont turn you away though.
Good Luck with everything :) Be careful about taking St. John's Wort, as some have advised. It can cause heart palpitations, as I discovered from my own experience. If you seriously think you are in danger of harming yourself then yes go to A&E or call NHS Direct and speak to someone there for help. you need a prescription from a doctor but even if you get one it takes a while to work. You need to do what ever it takes. I don't know what an A&E is but you might try an emergency room. But get help. Antidepressants usually take a couple of weeks to begin becoming effective, IF they are prescribed in the correct dosage, (they are often prescribed in too low a dosage to be effective, because of medical conservatism, and the fact that some people need 30 times as much of some medications to achieve the same effect) in the first place, and IF your system reacts well to them, and you do not become even more suicidal (check them out at www.drugs.com first).
You can begin nearly all of the following immediately: Ask yourself: "Why do I feel depressed, and when did I first start to feel this way: can I associate this with any recent change in my life?" (if so, it is probably situational depression: counselling, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is indicated). Or, was it a more gradual thing, with no apparent cause? (nutritional deficiencies, hypothyroidism, environmental toxicity, or reactions to some medications, etc., becomes more likely as the cause).
Depression: I KNOW, from experience, how difficult it is, but once you drag yourself out of bed, throw on a dressing gown, and have a little time in the morning light, preferably doing easy stretching exercises, then have a shower, a cuppa, and either fish, or scrambled eggs, and possibly bacon for breakfast.
These provide a lasting energy boost: no carbohydrates for 2 hrs, or extremely little; a teaspoon of sugar is OK, but Xylitol is preferable, (health food stores) or fruit sugar (fructose, such as "Fruisana", from supermarket sugar aisles) or even a LITTLE honey. Splash cold water on your face, to revive you, as needed. No daytime sleeping; only 8 - 9 hrs at night. Overall though, low to moderate levels of protein suit most people best, with considerably more of the complex carbohydrates, preferably from wholefoods, and a smaller amount of fat, or oil.
Antidepressants work quicker than the following; 2 - 6 weeks, but you may have to adjust dosage, or types, whereas St. John's wort is effective for most people, tolerance doesn't develop, and the few side effects don't occur often, and even then are normally not severe.
It doesn't cause sleeping problems, or weight change, but usually takes at least 2, and generally 4 - 6 weeks to become effective. A recent, independent German double blind study showed it to be as effective as Sertraline (marketed in the USA as Zoloft: a commonly prescribed antidepressant) in cases of major depression, with far fewer side effects, and those were generally better tolerated, with a lower rate of discontinuation. Unlike antidepressants, where sexual dysfunction is a common side effect, it happens much more rarely with St. John's wort (I have noticed no effect in this area).
Remember back to a time when life was full of promise, or a day when you felt particularly good, or possibly excited from a good result. Emotional states are associated with memories, and if it isn't major depression, this method can help.
A multidimensional approach to treating depression without medication follows. All except for no. (7.) are safe to use with medication, but not St. John's wort, because of interactions, and it's sensible to check out anything else first with your doctor.
(1.) Take 4 Omega 3 fish oil supplements, daily: (certified free of mercury) it is best if consumed with an antioxidant, such as an orange, or grapefruit, or their FRESHLY SQUEEZED juice. If vitamin E is added, it should be certified as being 100% from natural sources, or it may be synthetic: avoid it. Also take a vitamin B complex which is certified as being 100% of natural origin; a deficiency in vitamin B9 (folic acid, or folate) is known to cause depression. Around 30% - 40% of depressed people have low vitamin B12 levels.
(2.) Work up slowly to at least 20 minutes minutes of exercise, daily, or 30 - 60 mns, 5 times weekly. Too much exercise can cause stress, which isn't wanted when dealing with depression.
(3.) Occupational therapy (keeping busy allows little time for unproductive introspection, and keeps mental activity out of less desirable areas of the brain).
(4.) Use daily, one of the relaxation methods in sections 2, 2.c, 2.i, or 11, and/or yoga, Tai Chi, and/or the EFT, in sections 2.q, 2.o, and section 53, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris whichever works best for you.
(5.) Initially, at least, some form of counselling, preferably either Cognitive Behavio(u)ral Therapy, or Rational Emotive Behavio(u)ral Therapy.
(6.) Maintain a mood chart, and daily activities schedule, as per page R, in section 2, at ezy build.
(7.) As options, if desired, either a known, effective herbal remedy, such as St. John's wort, (the strength varies, but the supplier should be using a standardised hypericin content, so follow the directions) or supplements, such as SAMe, or Inositol (from vitamin and health food stores, some supermarkets, or mail order: view section 55).
Also, 80% of people in the Western world have low magnesium levels, and these are known to cause depression & anxiety. Try the magnesium supplement types shown in http://www.real-depression-help.com/ Some of these will be available in pharmacies, or supermarkets.
An improvement can be noticed in as little as a week, if a deficiency is the cause. Also, iodised salt is much preferable to regular salt (one of the treatments in books on depression is iodine drops).
Try to imagine, as vividly as possible, a time in the not too distant future, when you have overcome this temporary setback, and things are much better.
Most depressive episodes last for around 6 months, which is why treatments should be maintained for at least that long, and preferably 1 - 2 years. Then wean off medication, or herbal remedies, over at least 2 weeks, with medical advice, and see how things go, but I would maintain the other treatments, with the possible exception of therapy. Even then, realise that depression recurs in about 50% of cases: know your early warning signs, and be quick to act at the first hint of it returning.
This is a shortened version of the much more comprehensive post, which may be seen on page R, in section 2 of ezy build, above, but to gain full appreciation, it's really best to view the whole of section 2.
~~~ If you are already taking antidepressants, and want to use the wort, I suggest that you taper off the antidepressant, over at least 2 weeks, with medical advice as to how long to take, before beginning the wort. |
