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Essential support for under 25s
Essential support for under 25s
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there we go!
Baring any last minute fixes what we'll have to do is organise the live chat for another time (don't worry we'll make sure it works that time!)
and until then Kelly has very kindly agreed to answer the questions people have already posted through the boards. If you were planning to ask anything then just post a question and we'll see if by 8 we can get to them all.
Nice timing, was just about to ask if it was likely to be fixed.
My question would be - how would you know when general day to day stress and upsetness had turned into something that might need more help? And how would you go about getting the help? I can't word it properly though
I'm nineteen, and been on mine (fluoxetine) for about six months. But my GP told be that i should be aware that i may have to stay on them for life. Can this cause problems?
The role of the Doctor is to help you assess your situation and explore any options of treatment and support available to you - for example there may be an underlying issue causing you to self harm, such as anxiety or depression. Your doctor would be able to refer you to a relevant service such as a counsellor, or prescribe medication such as anti-depressants.
In comparison, a counsellor would be able to spend more time with you on a regular basis and provide the opportunity for you to talk through any thoughts or feelings you may have.
Both a counsellor and GP will be there to provide a safe confidential enviroment.
Self harm can be a really isolating experience and as you may be familiar with it can be a way of expressing or coping with difficult feeling therefore it can be really hard to explain to other people about your situation. Also, some people simply don't understand and although it might seem like they don't care they may just not know what to do to help.
It might be worth spending sometime with your close friends or family who you feel don't understand you and the self harm your experiencing, and being honest about some of the thoughts and feelings your having at the moment.
Alternatively, you might like to point them in the direction of websites such as The National Self-Harm network or Inside Out that provide information specifically for friends and family to help them understand self harm.
This is clearly a difficult issue for you to be going through and it must be really difficult to be honest about the mental health problems your experiencing.
Some people can be surprisingly understanding if your honest about the way you're feeling once they know more about your situation and what your needs are. They may be able to support you more effectively.
If you would like to talk to somebody about your social phobia and the difficulties it's causing you to experience with people who your concerned won't be understanding you might like to talk to somebody in confidence at Saneline on 0845 767 8000.
There's also more information about social phobias on the National Phobic Society website, which may help you address your concern about the stigma associated with your situation.
There's been a lot of research over the years into the causes of mental illness and it could be said that illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia are heredity. However results still remain inconclusive and it's also important to take into account social factors, for example somebody whose gone through a traumatic experience, such as abuse or experienced difficulties with drugs or alcohol or problems with relationships, may be more likely likely to develop mental illness.
For more information about mental illness and genetics you may like to take a look at the Re:think website at www.rethink.org and if you have any concerns about your own or someone else's mental health you can talk to someone at Saneline on 0845 767 8000.
Everyone can experience feeling stressed or upset at times but some experiences can be more intense than others. It's impossible to say at what point these things could lead you to needing any type of professional help, but it is important to know that if you have any concerns there are options of support available.
For example, the first step to finding help for any mental health concern is to visit your GP. She/he will be able to talk through your situation and explore the options of any relevant support or help available, for example, counselling.
If you don't feel comfortable going to see your GP perhaps there is a close friend or relative you could confide in, they may be able to give you support to help you through difficult times. But if you would prefer to speak to somebody you don't know you may like to speak to somebody at Careline on 0845 122 8622.
Anti-depressants are generally prescribed to people experiencing depression or anxiety to help stablise a person's mood, enabling them to be able to begin addressing some of the underlying issues, thoughts and feelings that may be causing them to feel the way they do. Trying to do this alone is not easy and many people find it helpful to combine medication with a talking treatment, such as counselling or cognative-behavioural therapy.
There are lots of different types of medication and some work more effectively than others, people may take anti-depressants for different periods of time depending on their needs, you may find that with the combination of medication and talking treatment you're able to work through some of the issues that may have led you to needing anti-depressants, but this may take sometime, so it's important to be patient.
Try not to be too hard on yourself if you find you need to be on anti-depressants for sometime.
If you have any concerns about the long-term effects your medication may have on you you can speak to somebody at the UKPPG Psychiatric Medication Line on 0203 228 2999.
It is important to be aware that if you suddenly stop taking anti-depressants you may experience some discomfort called 'discontinuation symptoms', so if at any point you feel you would like to stop taking them it would be worth discussing this with your GP first.
In addition, just to let you know, it's recommended that people who have been taking anti-depressants should continue to take them for at least a year after they begin to feel better. This is just a precaution to help avoid a relapse.
Ultimately, it's important to remain honest with your GP about how you're feeling with regards to taking your medication, so that the GP can help you explore the best options to suit your needs.