How do I bring up depression to my Dr.?
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 5:18 pm
Hi I'm Misty. I have been struggling with depression for about 15 years. I started receiving treatment 8 years ago but stopped after a few months because my parents couldn't afford it. Since then I have been trying to just deal with it, hoping it would go away. More recently I tried therapy, which didn't help as much as I had hoped. I even tried meditating which worked until I lost interest. I also think I have anxiety, though I haven't been diagnosed with it yet. I applied for health insurance a year ago and only a month ago I built up the courage to schedule my first doctor's appointment in years (I had to because I hit my head really hard and turned out to have a mild concussion). I'm not sure if it's a result of the concussion, but I feel like my depression has gotten worse. I should have finished my tech school classes by now, but I haven't even called my school yet to see if I can pick up where I left off. I have also been avoiding calls from my parents because I'm afraid to tell them I'm not in school and unemployed, and ignoring them is easier than making up a lie. I am afraid to go out and look for a job right now because I don't feel ready to deal with people and have interactions with customers where I pretend I'm happy and normal when I'm not. It's like my life is going down the toilet but my mind is not letting me take the initiative to get out of this. I have been through phases like this, but every time I try to pick myself up, I eventually slow down and give up again. I have a follow-up appointment in a week and I think I should tell my doctor to see if I can get back on medication, but I'm afraid to tell him. I don't even know how to bring it up. I feel like he won't believe me. I don't want him to recommend therapy because I know it hasn't worked for me. I really regret taking this long to do something but I feel like if I don't act now, I might end up somewhere much much worse. I just want to stop feeling this way so that I can function normally, get my tech license, and get a job to support myself. I just want to feel normal and live a normal life.