If I have depression and anxiety who should I contact?

Question

If I have depression and anxiety who should I contact? I never had to deal with doctors before so I am kind of lost. I am 21 and I have anxiety,social anxiety with intense panic attacks and depression.
Ive been like this for like 3 years,I decided to do something about it. But who should I contact. All I know that I am patient at some family clinic in dowt town. Should I go there and they are gonna direct me to psychologist or therapist?

Answer 1

You really should go to a mental health facility so you can get the right kind of treatment. Your primary care provider probably does not specialize in anti-depressants and such. Sometimes medicine is not the answer. You should talk to a mental health therapist first and see if medication is right for you and if they think it is, then they will refer you to a psychiatrist in their agency.

People always try to turn to medicaiton first, but all medications have side effects and it is much better if you can have therapy rather than rely on medication only. But sometimes certain people need medicaion also, which is not a bad thing in any way.

Answer 2

Call your health insurance company and see how much of your therapy is covered. Look in your phone book for mental health clinics or if your insurance is good enough, look to see a psychiatrist in a private practice. If you do not have any mental health coverage, there are other options. In my city the mental health clinics ask for payments on a sliding scale basis, in other words they bill you according to your income. Your payment could be as small as ten dollars a visit. I am glad you have made the right decision to seek out help. So many people try to cure themselves with alcohol and drugs. That never works, and denial is not an option either. We all need a little help now and then, so good for you. Good Luck.

Answer 3

First, a doctor. He may give a prescription, but I would be wary of that now, unless you are suicidal, or really depressed to the point where you arent functioning well at all...

He may refer to a psychologist or psychiatrist, or depending on your finances, you may be able to find some cheaper counselling.

Congratulations for having the guts to seek some help... I wish I had have done that faster!!!

In the meantime, I would suggest change to healthy eating, more water, more exercise, more sleep... These things can greatly improve your mood, energy, and confidence!!

Cheers, and good luck
J

Answer 4

Absolutely.You should seek professional advice.I've been there.Don't let yourself think it will clear up by itself .I went that route and it 's not going to happen.It may be a chemical imbalance and you'll get medication. I was diagnosed years ago. I've been on medication since and I've never felt better. It turns out I suffered depression most of my life. I became an alcoholic as an attempt to self medicate. Now I'm booze free and view life objectivity and can handle the situations. Do it ASAP

Answer 5

Hi,
If you have depression and anxiety you should read my artical as under and take actions accordingly and then Consultant Psychiatrist although the treatment is given in the last.


What is depression?

Clinical depression is a medical condition where a person feels very low or sad over a long period of time. It is more severe than the general feeling of hopelessness that a person may feel after a particularly stressful event in her life and often results in a change in the person's functioning. During bouts of depression, a person feels extremely dejected and has feelings of inadequacy or low self esteem. They take a gloomy outlook upon life.

How is it caused?

It is now believed that depression is caused by a combination of genetic factors and exposure to a stressful life event. In other words, the chance of a person having the condition increases considerably if one or more family members has it. It is also fairly well established that a change in the activity of certain chemicals in the brain is associated with depression. Clinical depression is seen more in women than in men. Women in their child bearing years are more vulnerable to it. There are many causes for clinical depression:


It can be inherited i.e., the chance of a person having the condition increases considerably if one or more family members have it.

Environmental factors like the death of a parent can cause a depressive episode.

Physical illnesses like cancer and heart disease may be followed by depression. There may also be conditions like Parkinson’s disease, whose symptoms include depression.

Depression can also be a side effect of certain drugs used to treat hypertension.

Some people have personality traits that make them more susceptible to depression. These people view themselves as losers and have a negative attitude towards themselves.

What are the symptoms?

A patient with depression may have physical symptoms in addition to psychological ones. The most commonly seen symptoms are:


Sleep disturbance, either excessive sleep or insomnia (lack of sleep)

Continuous fatigue and tiredness

Headache

Feeling of irritability and excessive crying

Loss of appetite

Loss of interest in any activity

Vague pains in the body

Fluctuation in weight

Constipation

Decrease in sexual urge

Poor concentration

Poor co-ordination of limbs

Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness and guilt

Suicidal thoughts sometimes culminating in suicide attempts.


How is it diagnosed?

The first thing that any doctor will do is take a detailed and thorough history and rule out the possibility of a physical illness giving rise to these complaints. This may include blood tests to detect anaemia or thyroid problems. Once physical illness is ruled out a psychiatrist can make the diagnosis based on the cluster of symptoms commonly associated with the depressive condition. The doctor confirms over a two week period that the episode is not due to a temporary stressful event. Once all other causes are eliminated, the diagnosis is confirmed.

Initially a person seeks medical help when she is depressed for most of the time during the day. The psychiatrist then diagnoses the condition based on the symptoms associated with the depressive condition. In case the doctor sees the main symptoms of the condition like sleeplessness, apathy, lack of interest and loss of appetite and a constant feeling of fatigue, depression is short listed as a possible cause.

What is the treatment?

Drug treatment is the most common method of treatment. Antidepressants are prescribed in adequate doses. These generally include oral medication from a group of drugs known as tricyclic antidepressants. These have a calming effect on the patient and also help in reducing sleep problems.

Therapy to improve the patient’s outlook towards events is begun in conjunction with the drug treatment. The person is encouraged to think positively and to shun thoughts of worthlessness, guilt and suicide.

In severe cases, shock treatment (Electro Convulsive therapy) is given. It is mostly resorted to when the patient cannot wait for the drugs to become effective or when she goes into deeper depression and stops reacting completely to situations, a condition known as depressive stupor. A combination of treatment measures is usually helpful in bringing depressive episodes under control.


Feel Free to Contact

Dr.Mojo
[e-mail]

Answer 6

ok well comend u for being brave to confront uer issue ,i know its very hard and im proud of u. now if u have a dr at so called clinic then go there find out where it is then make an appt if needed then ask uer dr. for a referal for a dr that specializes in mental health and please if u think uer dr. isnt helping u seek another opinion u should feel free to ask uer dr . anything and not feel intimidated. i wish u the very best of luck as for where u live i havent a clue but i know there are mental facilties like shepard pratt... dunno if u have that where u are,im sure thoug h if u do an internet search ull will be able to find one also try www.webmd.com there should be a search engine for all types of dr.s and their speciality and their records as to wether they are a good dr. good luck once again.

Answer 7

Wow, 3 years is a long time to have been dealing with this alone,I am glad you are seeking help. Yes definitely go to your doctor, or church, and they can refer you to someplace or someone to get you going in the right direction. GOOD LUCK to you I am sure you will start feeling better about a lot of things soon!!!!

Answer 8

You need to go seek counseling and they will recommend a good doctor. Don't feel bad, I suffer from the same thing, anti-depressants should be in the water now-a-days, good luck, and try to relax and have a positive attitude, there is help!

Answer 9

Your family doctor is the best first point of call. Depression is the biggest single cause of patients presenting to their doctor, so they are really well placed to diagnose and treat the problem and make suitable referrals.

Answer 10

yeh its best to go and see your doctor first and see what advice he can give you. If he does think you have depression i'm sure he will point you in the direction of a specialist. Good luck