Self Injury, Anxiety and Depression

[Timothy]

I suffer from social anxiety and depression for over 4 years and have been self injuring during times of stress and anxiety for over 2 years. I am wondering if I should seek immediate help. I am currently on a waiting list for a psychologist/psychiatrist/psychoanalyst. My GP. has been prescribing medications in the meantime. I am currently on 20mg Cipralex, and have been on 150mg Venlafaxine in the past.

The reason I haven't told anyone I have been self injuring is due to my social anxiety. I have a hard time talking to people face to face or over the phone (hence the forum thread). I would like to improve but my social anxiety and depression make it very difficult to get any motivation to do anything. I have had a temporary psychoanalyst tell me to check myself into a facility but I feel that is extreme (he didn't know about my self injuring). Checking myself into a facility would also be extremely hard for me to do because of my social anxiety and depression.

I have a decent support network, but I don't want to tell them that I am self injuring because I feel they would be disappointed in me or think I am weak (I am the only man left in the family).

I would appreciate serious recommendations and discussion.


PS. I'm not sure if this is in the right forum section.

 

[Retired]

Hello Timothy and welcome to Psychlinks. To help your post being read by people interested in the topic of anxiety and depression, your post has been moved to this Forum section.

Has your doctor ever prescribed Cipralex along with venlafaxine or persaps another SSRI such as Zoloft (sertraline) for your symptoms?

Perhaps it might help to convey your symptom report to your doctor if you printed your first post here, describing your situation, and handing it to your doctor, if you feel anxiety in actually speaking about it.

I have a decent support network

What is and or who makes up that network at this time, Timothy?

Your doctor should not be judging you based on your symptoms, but rather using your symptom report to form a diagnostic opinion, in order to best tailor your treatment.

 

[Timothy]

My doctor has not prescribed anything else for my symptoms.

My support network is made up of : 3 sisters and my mother. I have no friends. The main problem is that my 3 sisters and mother all suffer from similar disorders (anxiety and depression). I have a strong genetic predisposition to anxiety and depression (everyone on my mom's side is medicated and multiple people on my father's side are medicated. My father was an alcoholic who eventually died from it when I was 13).

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Your doctor and other health care professionals are not going to judge you, Timothy. They are there to help, not to judge, and they can best help you if you are open and honest with them - about everything, including self-injury.

Are you comfortable telling your GP about this? or would you rather wait until you see a psychologist or psychiatrist?

I agree with Steve: If you want the most effective treatment, you need to give your doctors and therapists all of the information they need to provide you with the best treatment for your issues and symptoms.

 

[forgetmenot]

Hi Timothy you hun can get some help if you open up to your doctor.
Your doctor will listen and will not judge you. Please do what is right for YOU okay Get help now hun so you do not have to suffer anymore

Ask for a referral from you doctor to see a psychologist someone who will truly listen to you and help you ok Do it now hun don't wait.

 

[Timothy]

Thanks for the helpful posts. I have been referred to a psychologist/psychiatrist/psychoanalyst but the waiting list is 6 months. I can't afford private therapy. I was hoping to tell my psychologist/psychiatrist/psychoanalyst about the self-injuring when I got one but it sounds like I'm going to be waiting for some time until then. In the meantime I can try to come up with a way to tell my GP.

 

[forgetmenot]

Write down everything you want to tell him okay that way you won't forget anything hun and just give the paper to doc i hope you get to talk to him soon

 

[Futurepower3000]

Your doctor and other health care professionals are not going to judge you, Timothy. They are there to help, not to judge, and they can best help you if you are open and honest with them - about everything, including self-injury.

Exactly!!!

 

[Retired]

In the meantime I can try to come up with a way to tell my GP.

A good way to start that conversation might be to say, "I'd like to talk about something that I feel uncomfortable talking about, would you help me explain it to you?"

Your doctor has received training in all facets of medicine, and the training included clinical experience with many of these disorders. Your doctor won't be shocked, surprised or offended by anything you say, and should be understanding and supportive. You might be pleasantly surprised by the compassionate response you are likely to receive.

Most people go into health care as a profession because they like helping people, so when you express the need for help, you are usually appealing to their basic motivation for their career choice.