I am going through therapy through a rape crisis centre in my home city, my therapist is a trained psychotherapist so I am very lucky to have qualified help for just a donation.

She surprised me today as I said I had an appointment with a psychiatrist for a proper assessment and medication. She is not allowed to tell me what to do, but I suggested coming off AD's all together cos I dont think they're helping anyway, she is qualified to give me an assessment and says going to a psychiatrist on the NHS would give me labels such as bi polar, acute PTSD and borgerline as they are the signs she sees in me, but she says with her therapy over a few years I can overcome all of this and she doesn't want me to be labelled for life. She says this can cause more trauma and the reason I show all these symptoms is because I've lived in fear all my life and don't know how to be balanced, only either up or down.
I am going to ask my doctor if I can come off the medication slowly and see how I am.
My husand still wants me to go to the NHS psychiatrist for an assessment, any ideas or advice? I am a bit shocked really and don't know what to do. I would like to come off the AD'S though.

Jin xoxoxoxo

[(JD)]

I don't quite understand why she said what she did to you.

You know, your therapist has to submit codes regarding your treatment anyway...and if she's dx'd you with those disorders, she has it in her stuff somewhere already.

Since you're on anti-depressant meds, then that doctor also has to give support as to why, meaning using codes and labels.

I would go and get your assessment. I don't understand trying to hide what you're suffering with while you're trying to get help for it.

Besides, your T might change long before she has time to help you "recover." She makes it sound like she's gonna fix you quickly.

There isn't anything wrong with suffering from illness, imo. She makes it sound, to me, like you need to hide all that from the big bad world. What's up with that?

((((hugs))))

[Perna]

I would go see the NHS psychiatrist as the DRC is just therapists and not doctors or anything. I don't know that you have to take any more/different meds or that a psychiatrist will necessarily "label" you anything and it would be good to talk to a psychiatric doctor about how to come off the anti-D's and effects, etc. instead of just your regular doctor. You don't have to do anything the psychiatrist says or agree to become a patient, etc. so I don't see any harm in at least going to see how/if one can help, being more specialized than a therapist and regular doctor are with psychiatric meds. You all's medical system is pretty "backed up" anyway so I don't think you would have any trouble "losing" the psychiatrist if you didn't agree with what he had to say and I doubt there'd be much of a "record" to follow you around if all there was was the one meeting you didn't follow up on. I don't know how you all's NHS records work but it's possible your regular doc could check for you what the low-down was and "fix" anything the psychiatrist said/did you didn't like.

[wickedwings]

it's good to know what you're options are. and, you always have the right to change your mind if something is not working out for you. ((((jinnyann)))) hope it works out well for you.

[pegasus]

Gosh jinnyann, I'm quite shocked by what your psychotherapist said, what is her training anyway? I think it was totally wrong of her to say that.

Your GP is the one that cares for you as far as the meds go at the moment I would be inclined to ask him whether it is or isn't a good idea to drop the meds. I would also keep your appointment to see a psychiatrist, there is no harm in seeing one and he/she would then be able to refer you to a properly qualified chartered psychologist - T.

(((((((( jinnyann ))))))))

[Perna]

Don't forget jinnyann is in England; it's a whole "foreign" country to us in the US :-)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/actionnetwork/A2969517

[pegasus]

I'm from the UK Perna.

[Merlin]

I know that I used to see just my GP, but as my dx and treatment got more complex she recommended a pdoc MD, and it was the best decision. He is able to quickly make decisions regarding med changes (and is really doing so lately) that a GP isn't trained enough to do.

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
I suggested coming off AD's all together cos I dont think they're helping anyway

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
If the ADs are not helping, then maybe indeed it is worth trying to come off of them. But please speak to your doctor who prescribed them before making a change. Perhaps this can be handled between you and your doctor, and you will not have to visit a psychiatrist.

I don't know enough about the UK healthcare system to understand the risks of seeing a psychiatrist with the NHS. If needed, could you see a psychiatrist who is not part of the NHS so you don't run into these "labeled for life" dangers? I understand the fear of that. I have some of that myself for my daughter, who sees a therapist. I opted not to get her visits reimbursed by my insurance, as a mental health diagnosis would then become part of her records and might have potential later to impact her future options.

thankyou so much for all of yur advice. My pdoc is a trained psychotherapist not just a counsellor. She is qualified to give a diagnosis now, recently passed her degree and has been in mental health for a number of years.

I will go and see the psychiatrist also, they have more say over here than general practitioners when it comes to mental health.

the waiting list is 2 years for a pdoc, but this is for an initial assessment which I should have had last time, I couldn't wait that long, so I met my pdoc at a rape crisis centre, I am lucky cos she is actually qualified! Landrd on my feet there.

I actually agree with maybe coming off pills as they inhibit parts of your brain, I want to get fully rid of my deamons, gone outta here deamon free as far as I can, some meds block the deepest bits dont they?

i REALLY appreciate all your help and support, I'll keep you posted, my appmnt with psychiatrist is nov 19th.

Love, Kerry xooxoxoxoxo

[MissCharlotte]

((Jinnyann))

I think this merits some more conversation with T. It sounds like you are confused about what she said. Whenever that happens with me, I go back and ask T questions until I am satisfied that I understand what he said and why. And if I disagree with him, I let him know and we talk it through.

Take care.

((((((sister))))))))))

Thanks sister you are right. I'm not going to make any hasty decisions. I just dont want to be over diagnosed, I have had trauma in the past that has affected my emotions and realationships and judgements. I will listen to the psychiatrist tell him what my own psycotherapist suggested and come to a decision with them both. They all have my best interests at heart.

Jinny xoxoxoxoxxoxoxxo