Two years to find a treatment for you
Imagine that you have an illness. You go to your doctor for help and....
Your Dr. says, - "We think we can help you, but it will take two years to find the proper treatment."
You ask - "Two Years!? WHY"?
He replies, - "We have to find the right medication and therapy combination. People react differently. You will just have to be patient. It'll take time. You will have to try various drugs and various therapies until we hit on something effective. But we think we can find something that will work ...eventually."
What would you think? How would you feel? How would you react?
I just saw the program Second Opinion. (TV show with real doctors discussing real illnesses.) It was about depression. They said that treatment often works, but it is not unusual for it to take two years. Doctors have to find the right meds & treatment combo, and that is individual. It takes time.
The other day I read that 60% of people who commit suicide are in therapy. Now I understand. Sometimes people who are clinically depressed can be suicidal, and to not be helped, even when in therapy, must be further depressing to them. Can you imagine being told that you have an illness, and yet you can't get an effective treatment for two years? Heck, that's depressing it itself!
I've had trouble with depression and anxiety. I'm not crazy about therapy in the first place, and this is not good news. I'm not saying that I have thoughts of suicide. I am not saying that. But things aren't good. The depression is slowly getting worse. And what I heard today is bad news. Imagine that you were ill and your doctor said that he MIGHT be able to help you in TWO years. How the hell would you feel? I feel a bit pissed off right now.
Related Posts - "This Isn't Me" AND "IF I saw a therapist..."
13 comments:
here is a thought,I have been in and out of therapy since I left the US Air Force in 1974.I have been on different medications some have worked and some have not.then there are the ones that stopped being effective and or harmful.Currently I am doing good and seem to be on the right course of meds.I am still in therapy but than again it is part of the requiremnet of my disability retirement from the Sherifs dept.
I'm a new reader of your blog (though this isn't my first comment) so I'm apprehensive to offer advice/suggestions, but I feel a strong pull to leave it...so please know that it comes from a caring heart...
Have you thought about Pastoral Counciling through your church or faith center? They may have a different approach, that you can relate to more with your Faith/Bible College background.
Again, I hope I've not overstepped, I enjoy your blog and just feel compelled to comment.
Spring is trying to be here - hopefully that will help as well!
Awake
I am sorry that you are still struggling like you are...I know you are lacking both a sense of community and a lack of purpose. That is so hard. But reach out. Like Rebeccah said, pastoral counselling works. And support groups...just talking with people, even if they don't hold solutions, is therapeutic.
Yes I would be pissed off too but take as much control as you can to find the right solution for you to control your depression and anxiety. I suffer with it too but have avoided drugs to date. That may change.
Mike Golch,
Mike, I apologies if I have offended you. It's a difficult thing to fight for your health sometimes and I commend you for getting help. I was/am just angry and felt a need to express myself. I have a hidden diary that is closed to the public. I haven't used it in many months. I might start writing a few posts there now in order to vent.
Hi everyone,
I haven't seen a therapist. I'm not crazy about them, and have a link about that. I don't have health insurance and go to a free clinic. I asked them for help awhile back, but I was told that the Dr. doesn't help in that way.
I'm not crazy about Pastoral Counseling because I'm a lesbian and, they might not accept me the way that I am.
I was looking forward to this TV program and hoped it would give me some tips and offer hope, but I was discouraged instead.
It took my medical team a year and a half to properly diagnose and medicate me. But now, it was ALL worth it. Ive never felt better. Honestly.
Hang in there....don't give up. help is available...it might take a bit more time...but hang on. as for being afraid of being judged in pastora counseling -- inquire. call. if they sound like jerks on the phone, hang up.
Hugs you my blogger friend. I am so sorry that you are depressed. I also understand your feelings regarding how long it might take to get real help. I have been down that road myself. Not a fun one. Try to think of it instead as healing one day at a time, and one step closer to being healed.
The picture on this post reminds me of one of my works! :) Has the same feelings as some of my art.
I hope you feel better soon.
Blessings.
I am sorry to hear you are struggling so. I don't have any words of wisdom. I have done the counselling thing and while it had its benefits during the time I felt worse then I ever had previously. All I know for sure is that over time thinmgs got slightly better and i learnt what kind of things really triggered the deep depression so could learn to avoid them (well sometimes anyway) I am not hot on counsellors/therapists. I have seen a few but have never really been truely open with any of them. I have this whole part of my life that I just can't talk about
anyway I hope things start looking up soon for you
take care
It's kind of true. When I was working with my doc on figuring out what med(s) worked for me it was not a pleasant time in my life. But now that I've found the right med and I've evened out I'm glad I did it.
Im hoping that YOU are okay as I have not heard from you in a while! Shoot me an email?
Being in therapy and having it not work is such an awful feeling. It makes me feel unfixable and then as a result feel much worse.
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