What help do I need to seek?

[Phobos1337]

Right, I'm almost 20 and for several years now I have had mood swings ranging from feeling so low I cut myself to extreme highs where I can hardly sleep or eat, they can last for quite a while and are hard to cope with.
I am currently studying for a degree and I find myself unable to be productive, or indeed have normal relationships as I understand them to be. These mood swings have cost me a lot in terms of what I can prove academically as I find myself not working and not interested in my future career.

I am very rarely happy, I constantly want the approval of others and feel anxiety and severe paranoia most of my waking day. When people have problems around me I feel it is my fault and start to panic etc

Even when there is nothing wrong I still have my mood swings and they are starting to affect my relationships in my everyday life on top of my paranoia which is so bad I find it hard to be alone without feeling afraid and that I am a burden constantly and a disappointment.

When I tell the people close to me I will see a professional they tell me there is nothing wrong with me and that I am overexaggerating, I am not. When I am feeling up I feel I can conquer my downs and that I want to keep feeling up. However when I feel down I am frightened to see a doctor in case they tell me I am being stupid and that this is normality.

But I cannot keep living as I do. In your opinion would I be best seeing my doctor or a psychiatrist?

Sorry to carry on a bit there but please tell me a way to cope with this.

[LeftCoastChick]

I had a heck of a time in University, my moods even on an AD (antidepressant) were still quite up and down. I had a lot of anxiety, and that caused me not to complete projects and requirements of courses. It's tough when you aren't getting the proper help.

I know in the UK you have more access to proper care, there aren't the private medical insurance companies to deal with if I am correct. Canada is the same way. See your own family doctor, tell s/he what you are feeling exactly, don't leave anything out, write it down if you have to, down to the last detail. Unfortunately where I am there is a long wait list for pdocs, and I was in crisis, so I had to take myself to the ER. If you are actively cutting, it means you are trying to numb the pain of something else. I would recommend you go to your local hospital, that way you will get help immediately.

Please keep in touch, we can support you, but we can't diagnose you here, and we only want the best for you, LCC

[monkeyc]

A GP  can give you a referral to see a psychiatrist, thats the first step.

As to cost, some reading tells me that the NHS does have psychiatrists and psychologists but the state of mental health care in the NHS is also something I see attacked a lot so I have no idea what its like - we have many UK members here including our community leader Bulldozer who I am sure can advise you on this aspect.

You might find that your university has this sort of support on offer as well.

What I would do is see a GP, explain as clearly and briefly what you want - "I Want to see a psychiatrist what can I do" and go from there, some GP's care and some don't just wanting a script, the reality is you don't want to tell a GP more than the basics anyway as they are not qualified to treat mental illness - I always time how long it takes to offer Prozac to measure the quality of care myself.

You may also find you have support and advice in the form of a campus student support service or mental health line - if you do have one of these ring them and talk; theyre normally confidential or anonymous; and see what they can advise in the name of information on doctors.

A psychiatrist does no harm and there is nothing to be scared or nervous about - before I got treatment I did not want it, I could not accept what I an everyone else knew ; that i was bipolar' but once you get treatment it gets better - no its not perfect every day but its better and at least you can function smoother.

Hang in there ok

[ILADVOCATE]

Actually being from the United States even though I understand fully the benefits and healthcare system here I don't outside of the United States. But there are independent living centers worldwide. Here's a list of the ones in the U.K.:
http://www.independentliving.org/docs3/cils.html#anchorUK
They would be able to explain to you how the health insurance system works.

[pdr7686]

ILADVOCATE is right when he said it sounds like you have Borderline Personality Disorder. My suggestion to you is to seek out a psychiatrist.

[Phobos1337]

Thank you for your comment, yes, I don't tend to confide in people when I am feeling down and I do like to be around people so I do probably seem happy and well adjusted.

However I've never set about anything like going to see a psychiatrist so I'm a bit unsure of how to do it. I'm in the UK and as far as I know you see a doctor first but there are a lot of things I do/feel that I am unhappy about, surely it would take too long to properly explain the problem in the short time allocated?

And there is the problem of money, I always thought you couldn't get therapy on the NHS.

But as I said before, thank you for replying.

[ILADVOCATE]

If you are doing something such as cutting yourself then there is no question you should speak to a psychiatrist as soon as possible. However, other people may see you when your affect (tone) is euthymic (normal) in between the moodswings and think nothing is wrong. Don't depend on their judgment not to seek psychiatric help. Self harm is enough of a reason in its own. However, the idea that you cut yourself and as you put it you constantly seek the approval of others might mean you have borderline personality disorder as well. I would speak to a psychiatrist as well. But do see a psychiatrist regardless.