No doctor will take me seriously

[DizzyDolly]

Around 5 years ago I first saw my g.p because I was feeling down, suffering with fatigue and felt compelled to carry out morning rituals, which were affecting my school attendance. She diagnosed me with depression and OCD, prescribed me prozac and sent me for psychotherapy. But I didn't give the meds chance to work cos I didn't believe they were working and couldn't stop being late for my appointments cos of OCD, so they discharged me. Now, I don't feel depressed anymore and have managed to gain control on my rituals through family help. But am still struggling with fatigue and brain fog, which have got worse. I went back to my doctor, but they look at my history and tell me i'm depressed, without listening to what's changed. I don't have problems with low mood, suicidal thoughts and i've stopped self harming, yet they still tell me i'm depressed and that's why I'm fatigued without re-evaluating me. I went to a different doctor in the practice, who tested me for anaemia, which came back negative, then he gave up, just referred back to my history and sent me away. The last doctor I saw told me that "it's just the way you are", gave no help or advice. My brain feels constantly fuzzy and almost numb and it has interferred with my grades now. I can never concentrate and have constant headaches, always feel exhausted, physically rundown and lacking in energy, not lacking in drive like when I was depressed. CONT WOULDN'T ALL FIT

[DizzyDolly]

...People around me tell me I look ill and after experincing a mental breakdown and coming back from it, I really believe I'm not depressed anymore. I mean, they tell me i'm depressed, but then refuse me antidepressants (not that I actually think they'd do any good anyway) and will stick me on the 4 month waiting list to see a psychotherapist. If I were depressed, what if I went into crisis during that 4 months? According to them, just grin and bare it. I just want them to find out what's wrong and not just guesstimate on a diagnosis with no evidence. Send me for a psychoevaluation if they are still so sure I'm depressed (which they've never carried out). I'm on the NHS so surely I'm entitled to treatment or something. Why won't they even consider my diet, which I've told them is bad. I just want them to take me seriously. I'm not having a ago at doctors and I don't mean to sound bitter. I've just had no luck with any of the ones i've gone to see. How can I help them understand I'm not in the same state I was?

[Jaquta]

It takes some people a lot of time before they can appreciate us and not constantly refer back to how we were.  Sometimes things also need to change in their own lives before they can see.
Sometimes, while we perceive our changes to be huge, others barely perceive them at all.
I used to get tired of hearing people say I wasn't changing.  Especially when I knew I was.

I can relate to ocd or repetitive behaviors making one late.  I have that problem too, and not because I am so disrespectful of others or their time or I am disorganized.  I just get extremely anxious and then panic because I am by then late.

Maybe your symptoms have gotten worse because you are controlling the rituals.  Perhaps that is their way of making their presence felt?  Meaning you haven't addressed the underlying issue but are using self-discipline to hide it.

I've found brain fog and fatigue can be related to both depression and anxiety.

Perhaps it was the ocd causing your depression?
I would feel depressed if someone discharged me because I was late for appointments due to an illness they were suppose to be treating.
Sometimes we can be depressed without feeling depressed.  Sometimes it becomes so normal for us or we are unaware of it.  I have been depressed without acknowledging it.

I have found waiting lists extremely counter-productive.  Who wants to wait four months anyway when we have a problem now.

I think if you do have a crisis during those four months you either talk to your GP or arrange for emergency psych support.  Or go to the hospital.

Mental health issues are subjective.  In some respects psychiatric diagnoses are 'guesstimates' too.

If your diet is bad that may either be caused through lack of education or have emotional origins.
When I went to the mhs I use to say I had issues with my diet, etc.  It is not the diet that concerns people but the feelings that make us make poor food choices, etc.
Does that make sense?  It's a bit like the self-harming.  You will find that doesn't interest them as much as how or what you're feeling.  What drives you to self-harm?
Is it because you feel hurt, angry, sad, upset, etc?

I would agree.  I think you should have a psych assessment.

You sound a little like me.  I was initially diagnosed with severe depression now I'm said to have bpd (sorry I can't type the name out, I don't like seeing it).

It sounds like you could be anxious.  There are depression and anxiety tests you can do online.  I doubt the doctor would be very impressed about doing online tests but there you go.

Good luck
J

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

I agree you should have a complete medical workup because your symptoms could have an organic origin but it is also just as likely that these same symptoms, even though they have changed, could be depression and anxiety equivalents.  I suggest you go back and ask for a trial of antidepressants while waiting for the psychotherapy, and if the antidepressants don't help, go back and tell them so and insist on a work up for thyroid disease and diabetes.