So, the visit with the psychiatrist went really well. It was better than any other visits I have had with a psychiatrist. He commented on how I looked and sounded better than last time I saw him. I guess that is a positive step in the right direction.
It would seem everything is moving in the right direction in terms of referrals.
Now for Exercise 1.
Exercise 1 requires a review of depression questions. There are 10 questions, but only 8 are pertinent to me. It also requires me to say whether the questions and answers sound right to me.
Q: What’s wrong with you?
A: Nothing is wrong with you. There are reasons that you’re depressed that have to do with your life.
Q: What’s causing you to feel this way?
A: Complex experiences like depression rarely have one cause.
Q: Do you have some kind of chemical imbalance?
A: Some research shows a relationship between the amount of certain chemicals in the nervous system and the likelihood of being depressed.
Q: Is there something in your childhood or past that’s making you feel this way?
A: For some people, experiences in childhood can increase the likelihood of developing depression as an adult.
Q: How can you overcome this?
A: There are a variety of effective treatments for depression that have been tested in controlled research studies.
Q: Should you take medication?
A: Certain medications have been shown to be effective for depression.
Q: Do other people feel this way?
A: Yes. One out of ten people experience an episode of serious depression every year.
Q: Will you ever be able to feel “normal”?
A: You will certainly be able to feel less depressed, more energised, more engaged in your life and less down.
For the most part, all of these answers sound right to me. The first question doesn’t sound too right to me. I feel that since I have depression/anxiety – something has to be wrong with me.
Thursday March 11th 2010 @ 16:30
I understand to some extent the seriousness of this situation, and want to ad another perpective. Julie and I have been taking an institute class that meets once a week at night, at first I thaught it would be lame because Its one more thing we have to do, and also have to schedule babysitters etc. We are studying Acts through Revelations. It has been amazing for me to learn about the Apostle Paul. we have done all the reading in the Bible and in the Manual for each weeks lesson. It has helped(not fixed) my stress with not attaining a good full time job. We have been experiencing some financial distress. I have learned a lot and look forward to reading in the scriptures everyday. We also have morning and night family prayer, as well as personal in the morning. I know, and have been reminded through the scriptures that Jesus Christ knows us each intimately, and is the only one who knows how to succor each of us. There is hope smiling brightly before us. As we turn to the lord we will find ways to help us deal with our life here on earth. I'm glad I was able to serve with you, we had some good times mostly because of the setting, now we have to remember to do the seemingly small things that the lord has asked us to do, in order for us to be happy.