Hi

[Unknown]

I'm looking for help with figuring out if I have a mental illness and if so which one I might have.

• I cannot afford therapy
• I have been in counselling for most of my life
• I have been given a variety of medications for treating depression and anxiety
• I have never been diagnosed with any mental illness

Is this forum the right place for this sort of problem? If so, which subforum would be best to start a thread discussing it? If not, are there any other places I can find this kind of help?

Please note I am not expecting a diagnosis but rather am searching for help in finding an eventual diagnosis.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

See Psychlinks Forum Rules:

Any and all advice provided on this forum is intended as general information for the membership and/or any visitors to this site and should never be construed as a substitute for or a contradiction of medical advice from your own physicians, who are in a position to know your full medical history. It should be emphasized that we do not provide online diagnoses at Psychlinks and we do not permit members to diagnose other members. Only a qualified physician or mental health professional (1) with the legal authority to diagnose and (2) who is in a position to evaluate your history and current symptoms can provide you with a diagnosis.

I would suggest that you start a new thread in either Anxiety & Stress and/or Depression and ask your questions there.

 

[Daniel E.]

I cannot afford therapy

Does your insurance or government pay for seeing a psychiatrist? At least in the U.S., some universities and community mental health centers offer outpatient psychiatry/therapy services to the public at sliding scale fees.

 

[Unknown]

Thanks David I will do that. I realise that you cannot provide diagnoses and will not seek one on this forum.

Does your insurance or government pay for seeing a psychiatrist? At least in the U.S., some universities and community mental health centers offer outpatient psychiatry/therapy services to the public at sliding scale fees.

Hi, Daniel. I live in the UK. I know that the NHS (the national healthcare in the UK) does provide therapy but only after being referred by a GP. All of the GP's I have seen won't refer me to therapy and instead have prescribed me medication and counselling. In the past I have been happy to go through these processes and trusted that they know what is best for me. However, 10 years on, I am somewhat disillusioned with the service and have begun seeking something beyond medication and counselling. I do not feel like either of these things have any effect on me.

Private therapy is too expensive and my university does not provide any insurance for this although it does cover the cost of my medication and counselling (neither of which are covered by the NHS, as far as I understand it).

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Why won't the GPs refer you? What is the reason they give you?

 

[Unknown]

Why won't the GPs refer you? What is the reason they give you?

The reason they state is they feel I should pursue alternative treatments first. They are not unresponsive to my complaints and do switch me to different medications but state that counselling and medication is the best course of treatment for me. I suspect this could also be because they are unable to offer my any further treatment for free and, as they are aware of my financial situation, are attempting to do the best they can for me under that constraint.

I am willing to try anything and would happily continue with this treatment for another 10 years in case something worked. However, over the last 10 years, I have been signed up to 3 separate counselling schemes. The first was run in conjunction with my secondary school. I then moved to an NHS clinic for under 18s. Recently I left the counselling service at my university. Every time I have left counselling, it has been on the advice of my counsellor (i.e. if I have any further specific concerns, I can book another appointment but the course I am put on is for a limited number of sessions and they feel that this does not need to be explicitly extended). As a result, I am reluctant to try counselling again as I always feel under pressure to leave but my current GP (a different GP who suggested my previous counselling course) wants to refer me for another course.

At this point, I am a bit worried I might just be a hypochondriac and am wasting everyone's time. I don't understand how I can go to see so many counsellors, finish the course and then just be referred back to another counsellor. If I am a hypochondriac, I wish they would just tell me.

More recently (in the past 2 years) I have asked repeatedly for some sort of diagnosis from my GPs. They will say things like "I am prescribing you this for depression" or "This drug helps with anxiety" but if I ask directly "Do I have depression?" or "What sort of mental illness do I have?", they do not give me straightforward answers but instead say things like "We will have to see if this helps or if something else might be more appropriate". Sometimes I do not feel like they have a good understanding of my mental health situation as I struggle to explain the vagueness of these responses.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

When you consult your doctors, what symptoms do you describe?

 

[Unknown]

When you consult your doctors, what symptoms do you describe?

* Feeling of being motivated and controlled by a need to have others approval.
* Feeling completely detached both emotionally and causally. In other words, as if events do not matter and also as if one event does not cause another event. For example, I can recognise the consequences of my actions but they feel distant and unreal.
* No feeling when it comes to other people's problems. Again I feel very detached like I am solving a crossword.
* Desire to self harm both to alter people's opinions of me positively and also for comfort.
* Desire to commit suicide.
* Desire to lie all the time in order to affect other's opinions of me.
* Desire to avoid all social situations.
* Constant fantasising about being in situations where I am percieved well by others.
* Constant planning and worrying about how to behave or act in particular situations. I will come up with tree diagrams in my head in order to deal with conversations.
* Inability to sleep except when exhausted. For example, the night before last I slept from 7am to 8am (I had to get up for something) and then last night I slept from 8pm to 3am. Tonight I expect to be asleep at about 4-5am.

I feel that I also have a very high level of self control. For example, I used to self harm up until about 8 years ago and have desired to ever since but remain safe in the knowledge that I never will as my desire to fit in and be approved of overrides my desire to self harm. The same goes for suicide, lieing and avoiding social situations.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I would guess that all that would be rather beyond the comfort zone for most GPs. Maybe you need to be a little more aggressive in insisting on a referral to a psychiatrist?

 

[Unknown]

I would guess that all that would be rather beyond the comfort zone for most GPs. Maybe you need to be a little more aggressive in insisting on a referral to a psychiatrist?

When you say "comfort zone" do you mean socially or professionally? In other words, might they feel awkward about talking about these issues because they are difficult issues or because they are generalists and so unequipped to deal with them? If it is professionally then I do wish they would just say that.

I will try and get another appointment as soon as possible and attempt to get referred to a psychiatrist. I'll take notes in case I have any problems. Thanks very much for your help!

 

[David Baxter PhD]

When you say "comfort zone" do you mean socially or professionally? In other words, might they feel awkward about talking about these issues because they are difficult issues or because they are generalists and so unequipped to deal with them? If it is professionally then I do wish they would just say that.

I meant professionally. I agree that it is puzzling why they do not make a referral for you.

 

[Jackie]

Try ringing MIND, if you feel you need help and are being refused it then they might be able to tell you your rights or even help you to get the right help from the services. The mental health sector of the NHS here is a disgrace.

Mind, For better mental health | Mind