What If I Am Not Happy With My Treatment
If you are not happy with your treatment you can:
- talk to your doctor to see if they can suggest changes,
- get an advocate to help you speak your doctor,
- ask for a second opinion if you feel it would help,
- contact Patient Advice and Liaison Service and see whether they can help, or
- make a complaint.
There is more information about these options below.
Advocacy
An advocate is independent from the NHS. They are free to use. They can be useful if you find it difficult to get your views heard.
There are different types of advocates available. Community advocates can support you to get a health professional to listen to your concerns. And help you to get the treatment that you would like. They arent available in all areas.
You can ask an advocate to help you make a complaint. Advocates that do this are called NHS complaints advocates. They are free to use and don t work for the NHS. They re available in all areas.
You can search online to search for a local advocacy service. If you cant find a service you can call our advice service 0808 801 0525 . You can email us too at . We will look for you.
Second opinion
Talk to your doctor about your treatment to see if you can resolve the problem with them first. If you dont agree with their decisions about diagnosis or treatment, you could ask for a second opinion. You are not legally entitled to a second opinion, but your doctor might agree to it if it would help with treatment options.
‘PALS’
Complaints
- Advocacy by clicking here.
Whats The Link Between Depression And Chronic Illness
In some people, a chronic illness causes depression. A chronic illness is an illness that lasts for a very long time and usually cannot be cured completely. However, chronic illnesses can often be controlled through diet, exercise, lifestyle habits, and certain medications. Some examples of chronic illnesses that may cause depression are diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, kidney disease, HIV and AIDS, lupus, and multiple sclerosis . Hypothyroidism may also lead to depressed feelings.
Researchers believe that treating the depression may sometimes also help the co-existing medical illness improve.
Does Having One Manic Episode Necessarily Mean You Will Have More And Will Have Depressive Episodes
Not necessarily. Studies have shown that approximately 10 percent of patients have a single episode only. However, the majority of patients have more than one. The number of episodes within a patients lifetime varies. Some individuals may have only two or three within their lifetime while others may have the same number within a single year. Frequency of episodes depends on many factors including the natural course of the condition as well as on appropriate treatment. Not taking medication or taking it incorrectly are frequent causes of episode recurrence.
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Can Certain Drugs Cause Depression
In certain people, drugs may lead to depression. For example, medications such as barbiturates, benzodiazepines, and the acne drug isotretinoin have sometimes been linked with depression, especially in older people. Likewise, medications such as corticosteroids, opioids , and anticholinergics taken to relieve stomach cramping can sometimes cause changes and fluctuations in mood. Even blood pressure medications called beta-blockers have been linked to depression.
Types Of Mental Health Problems
If youve been diagnosed with a mental health problem you might be looking for information on your diagnosis, treatment options and where to go for support. Our information pages will help you learn more.
Some of this information is also available in Welsh. Visit our Welsh information and support pages.
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Whats The Difference Between Grief And Depression
Given that the primary symptom associated with depression is sadness, it can be easy to think of grief or bereavement as depression. But grief is a natural response to specific experiences, such as the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one. While you might feel regret or remorse, and you might withdraw from usual activities if you are experiencing grief, youre unlikely to feel the overwhelming sense of worthlessness, thoughts of self-harm or suicide, and other symptoms of depression. Another important difference is that in grief, painful feelings usually come in waves and are often mixed with positive memories.
American Family Physician
Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Mental Illness
NOTE: Persons with mental illness usually exhibit a cluster of symptoms not just one or two symptoms that are persistent and interfere with daily life and work. This listing of warning signs and symptoms of mental illness is to be used as an educational and information tool not as a diagnostic instrument. A diagnostic evaluation by a licensed mental health and/or medical professional is needed to determine if someone has a mental illness. A diagnostic evaluation may include: a complete physical checkup to rule out other illnesses information gathering on family health history and other diagnostic tests/evaluations as determined by a licensed professional.
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Why Depression Is Viewed As A Mental Illness
Depression is widely viewed as a mental illness in the medical community because it is a condition that chronically disrupts someones functioning, disabling them from living full, healthy lives. For many people, it is not something that will eventually go away on its own. It also can worsen if not treated, further supporting the view that it is an illness.
Per the American Psychiatric Association , mental illnesses are health conditions that change how people feel, think, and act. Mayo Clinic agrees, saying that a mental health concern becomes a mental illness when the signs and symptoms of a condition are ongoing and frequently affect someones ability to function. It also lists depression as an example of mental illness along with anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors.
Mental Health America says more than 200 classified kinds of mental illness exist. Along with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are the most common among people in the United States.
Depression Treatment Using Medication
Using medication to treat depression is effective for many people. However, it is important that you understand whats involved with taking medication for your condition. If you are prescribed antidepressant medication, you must take one that is right for you.
Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to treat depression because they balance natural chemicals in the brain that control a persons mood, emotions, and behavior. Many medical professionals believe these medications are safe for use because they work slowly and are generally not addictive or habit-forming.
Still, people with a history of substance abuse should tell their doctor before starting antidepressants or any kind of medication. This is critical for people who are recovering from a substance use disorder. They also should tell their doctor about other medications they are taking as well as other vitamins or supplements.
Antidepressants are grouped by the brain chemicals they are designed to treat, FamilyDoctor.org notes. There are five classes of antidepressants available. However, two are among the ones most widely used. Those are:
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
You may recognize antidepressants by their trade name. Some SSRI medications are:
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Depression Treatment Using Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is also widely prescribed for people who are living with depression. Medication addresses only one aspect of depression. Even if medication helps people feel better, they still need to know what to do to keep their mood lifted. Practicing healthy behaviors can be engaging and require active participation to keep depression in check.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of therapy that is commonly used in mental health treatment. During CBT sessions, participants are guided through exercises that help them identify and target negative thought patterns that can lead to depressive behavior. People learn about the link between thoughts and behavior and are encouraged to find solutions that help them work through adversity and bring about changes that are positive. Changing how one thinks can support efforts to manage depression.
Other therapies that can be used to treat depression include:
Interpersonal therapy : This short-term psychotherapy helps a person with depression focus on their interpersonal relationships and social interactions, per Verywell Mind. There are two forms of IPT. The first is dynamic interpersonal therapy, which helps people understand their thoughts and feelings and those of others. The second is metacognitive interpersonal therapy, which VeryWell Mind says is an integrative approach to address personality disorders with prominent emotional inhibition or avoidance.
A Psychologist Explains Why Depression Is One Of The Most Misunderstood Mental Illnesses
Depression is a debilitating condition. Its time to get rid of the misinformation around it.
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Many people come to therapy seeking help for their depression. They ask questions like:
- I wish I were capable of dealing with life like a normal person. Why is my brain so incompetent?
- I feel so guilty about being depressed when I see that there are so many who lead a much harder life than I do. Why am I so self-obsessed?
- I understand that my lack of initiative at work is because of my depression. Why do I still feel like I am making excuses for myself?
If youve ever been depressed, you know how impairing it can be. Depression can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, impossible to concentrate, and cause you to lose interest in activities you used to enjoy. Its no wonder that depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide.
Despite its prevalence, there are still some myths about depression that can make treating it difficult.
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Myth #1 Depression Is All About Brain Chemistry
When people think of depression, they think of it as a chemical imbalance in the brain that can be fixed through medication. But this line of thinking shuts the door to several effective models of treating depression.
While its true that depression is linked to an imbalance of neurotransmitters, there’s more to it than that.
Symptoms And Causes Of Depression
Symptoms of depression can be very different from person to person. However, as a general rule, if you are depressed you feel hopeless, sad and lacking interest in things that used to make you feel happy.
Depression symptoms are bad enough to interfere with work, social life and family life, and can persist for weeks or months.
Doctors describe depression in one of three ways, depending on how serious it is:
- mild depression it has some impact on daily life
- moderate depression it has a significant impact on your daily life
- severe depression this makes it nearly impossible to get through your life day to day
A few people with severe depression may have symptoms of psychotic depression.
Below is a list of depression symptoms it’s unlikely that one person would have all of them.
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Talking To Your Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health
Communicating well with your doctor or health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read NIMHs Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask your doctor, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website.
If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-TALK . You also can text the Crisis Text Line or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
Does Depression Often Occur With Grief
Grief is a common, normal response to loss. Losses that may lead to grief include the death or separation of a loved one, loss of a job, death or loss of a beloved pet, or any number of other changes in life, such as divorce, becoming an “empty nester,” or retirement.
Anyone can experience grief and loss, but not everyone will experience clinical depression, which differs from grief in that depression involves a range of other symptoms such as feelings of low self-worth, negative thoughts about the future, and suicide, whereas grief involves feelings of emptiness, loss and longing for a loved one, with an intact capacity to feel pleasure. Each person is unique in how they cope with these feelings.
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How Is Depression Treated
Depression is among the most treatable of mental disorders. Between 80% and 90% percent of people with depression eventually respond well to treatment. Almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms.
Before a diagnosis or treatment, a health professional should conduct a thorough diagnostic evaluation, including an interview and a physical examination. In some cases, a blood test might be done to make sure the depression is not due to a medical condition like a thyroid problem or a vitamin deficiency . The evaluation will identify specific symptoms and explore medical and family histories as well as cultural and environmental factors with the goal of arriving at a diagnosis and planning a course of action.
Dissociation And Dissociative Disorders
Dissociation is a mental process where a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. Dissociative disorders include dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalisation disorder and dissociative identity disorder.
For more information see: Dissociation and dissociative disorders
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Are There Other Therapies To Treat Symptoms Of Depression
There are other treatments your doctor may consider. Electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, is a treatment option for people whose symptoms don’t get better with medicine or who have severe depression and need treatment right away.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, involves using a noninvasive device that is held above the head to induce the magnetic field. It targets a specific part of the brain that can trigger depression.
With vagus nerve stimulation, or VMS, a pacemaker-like device is surgically implanted under the collarbone to deliver regular impulses to the brain.
How Can I Find Help
If you think you may have depression, start by making an appointment to see your doctor or health care provider. This could be your primary care practitioner or a health provider who specializes in diagnosing and treating mental health conditions. Visit the NIMH Find Help for Mental Illnesses if you are unsure of where to start.
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Psychological Depression Symptoms Include:
- doing poorly at work
- difficulties with your family or home life
It’s not always possible to tell that you’re having symptoms of depression right away it can start and progress gradually. A lot of people don’t realise they’re ill and try to carry on and cope with their symptoms. Sometimes it takes a friend or family member to notice that there’s a problem.
How Is Genetics Linked To The Risk Of Depression
We know that depression can sometimes run in families. This suggests that there’s at least a partial genetic link to depression. Children, siblings, and parents of people with severe depression are somewhat more likely to have depression than are members of the general population. Multiple genes interacting with one another in special ways probably contribute to the various types of depression that run in families. Yet despite the evidence of a family link to depression, it is unlikely that there is a single “depression” gene, but rather, many genes that each contribute small effects toward depression when they interact with the environment.
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Chronic Illness And Mental Health: Recognizing And Treating Depression
Chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or diabetes may make you more likely to have or develop a mental health condition.
It is common to feel sad or discouraged after having a heart attack, receiving a cancer diagnosis, or when trying to manage a chronic condition such as pain. You may be facing new limits on what you can do and may feel stressed or concerned about treatment outcomes and the future. It may be hard to adapt to a new reality and to cope with the changes and ongoing treatment that come with the diagnosis. Favorite activities, such as hiking or gardening, may be harder to do.
Temporary feelings of sadness are expected, but if these and other symptoms last longer than a couple of weeks, you may have depression. Depression affects your ability to carry on with daily life and to enjoy family, friends, work, and leisure. The health effects of depression go beyond mood: Depression is a serious medical illness with many symptoms, including physical ones. Some symptoms of depression include:
Remember: Depression is treatableeven if you have another medical illness or condition. For more information, visit the National Institute of Mental Health depression webpage. If you need help starting the conversation, check out NIMHs Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider.
Deep Breathing To Alleviate The Risk Of Depression Anxiety
Performing deep breathing exercises every day helps improve the function of your nervous system and energizes your entire being. Toxins are actually anomalies of life that create a lot of Ama in the body and to deal with that, to neutralize that, to charge your batteries up we perform Poison B. It is a perfect antidote for infections, dirt, germs, and viruses in breathing exercises. Poison B is an acronym that stands for,
P = Prevention
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