Not coping

[Will it be ok?]

Hi i'm 32 and have recently been diagnosed with severe depression/anxiety, my husband has been in hospital for the last 3 weeks and is very poorly. I'm his full time carer and have been spending all my time at the hospital trying to comfort him, we have little family and even fewer friends. I haven't yet been given any medication and am awaiting therapy. I feel like i'm not coping and have no one to talk to. Does anyone know of any shop bought medicine to make me feel a little better?

[Zaf]

Hi and welcome, it seems odd you havent been prescribed any medication.

St John's Wort is the traditional herbal anti depressant but you shouldnt check if its OK to take if you are on any prescribed medicines.

There are various teas and tinctures that can help with anxiety, valerian and lemon balm being the best known and probably the easiest to get.

Z xx

[Will it be ok?]

Hi Zaf, thanks for the quick reply. I saw my gp about three months ago, before all the stuff with my husband happened and i was coping better, he suggested i try therapy first but there was a waiting list. I had a telephone consultation with  a mental help advisor and they did the score test. They decided i would benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy and i am happy to try that but again i have to wait. Since then things have all got on top of me and i am mentally exhausted, my husband is usually my rock, he understands and comforts me and to see him so poorly is breaking my heart. I know it takes a while for medication to start to work and hoped speaking to a therapist would help in the meantime but it hasn't quite worked out like that. Thanks for the advice on st johns wart etc, i'm going to speak to the chemist tomorrow. X

[Zaf]

I would suggest you go back to your GP and tell him things have got a lot worse, he might now be prepared to prescribe something.

Make sure you check up all the contra indications for St Johns Wort before you take any (or any herbal remedy for that matter).

Z xx

[Beetzart]

Welcome, I think it is a bit strange to have a diagnosis of severe depression and not be given any meds.  Have you thought of seeing a different GP?  Ok, meds can take a while to work but it would at least be a start while you wait for CBT.  Do you take other meds that may interact with antidepressants?  Also, I would have thought you would have been referred to a consultant psychiatrist.  Sorry you are going through this, it can be so frustrating knowing that there is help a penstroke away and you can't get it.

[Sweetpea]

Hello and welcome, I also think it would be a good idea to go back and have a chat with your dr.  As things are a lot worse for you now.  But if you do start taking St. Johns Wort, you must tell your dr as you have to stop this if he/she decides to give you prescribed anti-depressants.

Take care

S x x

[Buttercup]

Hi

I agree with Shaz and Zaf.

Xxx

[Ezel]

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[CharleysAngel']

I agree with everyone else that you should go back and have a chat with your doctor, your situation has changed now so he might be able to give you something to help, hope you feel better soon xx

[vix]

Hi I had the same problem my gp said they are reluctant to put people on anti depressants and would rather use therepy i was referred to the hospital but had ti wait about a moth I was seen by a nurse who then spoke to me an advised what i should be on I then had to go back to the gp and tell them what the hospital had suggested. only then did i get any meds i am still trying to find somthing that makes me feel even a little better as the 2 ive tried so far havnt work an now i feel worse if thats possible. You should deff go back I think now adays you have to be more demanding in what you want or they just fob you off.
sorry im new at this not sure if my rant was a little off ghe point
hope you feel better soon x

[KateG]

Hi and welcome, like the others I think it's awful to have been diagnosed with this but not given anything, especially as waiting lists for counselling are so long

Kate x

[Will it be ok?]

Thank you all for your support, I have made an appointment to see my GP and a friend suggested i try MIND, just for someone to talk to until i get things sorted. I'm hoping things are gonna get better soon but my husband is still really poorly and i need to support him more than ever. I just wish there were a quick fix for us both.