Entry tags:
GP
So following on from my post last week I took a self-assessment test on the NHS webpages, and scored somewhere between 10 and 15, most likely around 13 - indicating that it's likely I'm suffering from moderate depression. Anyway I went to see my GP today (well I say my GP - I'm not sure I've actually seen Dr Rann before, but she seems nice and coped calmly with me sobbing at her :). After explaining how I felt she asked what I was hoping to get from the appointment, to which I said at least partly just to get someone to agree I wasn't just imagining it. But eventually I left with:
- A prescription for a low starting dose of sertraline (anti-depressant)
- A sheet with some online resources for DIY CBT to try
- An appointment for 3 weeks time to see how I'm getting on, and if the CBT seems helpful to refer me for a course
She also suggests I see if the university counselling service can offer any help too, and really thinks 2 years of sleep deprivation is probably a big issue and suggests we need to do something about the night wakings. I'm not prepared to give up breast feeding (which she didn't suggest but equally didn't sound terribly supportive of) but we can try cut down how often we offer milk at night and see if he wakes less as a result - it may not make much difference though, as he was down to just one wake most nights before he was full of cold, so I think it's more than just wanting milk.
Anyway I felt a bit better for going, but a bit wobbly at the same time.
And I feel like the Pensions Officers meeting in London today was well worth attending and hopefully having written a brief report on it for our action committee and exec on the way home on the train has been really useful too, so a positive day overall.
- A prescription for a low starting dose of sertraline (anti-depressant)
- A sheet with some online resources for DIY CBT to try
- An appointment for 3 weeks time to see how I'm getting on, and if the CBT seems helpful to refer me for a course
She also suggests I see if the university counselling service can offer any help too, and really thinks 2 years of sleep deprivation is probably a big issue and suggests we need to do something about the night wakings. I'm not prepared to give up breast feeding (which she didn't suggest but equally didn't sound terribly supportive of) but we can try cut down how often we offer milk at night and see if he wakes less as a result - it may not make much difference though, as he was down to just one wake most nights before he was full of cold, so I think it's more than just wanting milk.
Anyway I felt a bit better for going, but a bit wobbly at the same time.
And I feel like the Pensions Officers meeting in London today was well worth attending and hopefully having written a brief report on it for our action committee and exec on the way home on the train has been really useful too, so a positive day overall.
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Being a Parent is the hardest job in the world. Being a good parent is even harder and being a good working parent in utterly impossible if you are not super human. Dont expect to be able to pull it all off, you cant something has to give. Personally I gave up unnecessary housework including ironing !!!!
There are times when I need a little help and have over the years for a few periods had a little bit of help from my friends the anti depressants, having one of those periods at the moment and have to say that thanks to my friend Prozac I am feeling much better able to cope and in fact almost human instead of a wobbly jelly.
Sleep deprivation is the pits, there in nothing worse in just grinds you down. Now for the hard bit. I gave in to tough love in the end, sitting on the top of the stairs listening to Gethin Cry, crying myself..... I would leave longer and longer periods between going in to him and would just talk to him calmly untill he settled and then leave again without picking him up. I had to give up breast feeding quite early as he needed prescription milk but as part of the sleep pattern breaking I had to stop the milk and replace it with water. It seems harsh but it worked for me and I could finally sleep in a bed again ( I was sleeping on his bedroom floor to scared to move most nights) and all this whilst working full time. Within a week he was sleeping but that week was hell !!!!
Councilling is good but only if you are honest with yourself. Chin Up you are doing a great job considering your world has just been turned upside down.
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We don't iron anyway ;)
Thanks for your kind words.