# Help and Advice > Related Illness/medication/alternatives >  severe/chronic depression

## Nikki

I have had chronic depression for years, mostly untreated which has allowed it to become progressively worse. I'm now suffering an episode of clinical depression. Its caused me to leave work and im currently unemployed and have been for some time. I am seeing my GP but am waiting on appointments and i need help ASAP. I am on medication but i feel i need more help. I have been seeing a therapist but i recently stopped seeing her as it wasnt helping much in the short term. I am now almost completely unfunctional. I dont know what will help or if anything will. I want to get back to work but at the same time im not sure if im well enough as im still having negative/critical thoughts and not looking after myself or sleeping well. I dont know what to try, i have considered trying CBT, seeing a psychologist, counseilling, hospital admission or CMHT. Im trying to research into the CMHT but im not quite sure what this involves. Does anyone have advice or can suggest something that has helped them with severe depression?

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## S deleted

Try going back to basics. Focus on getting up, washed and dressed every day. You’ll be amazed how important those simple things are and how much better you feel for achieving them. Eat and drink regularly and if the feel up to it a bit of exercise is good to boost your mood. I know it might sound a bit silly but these simple tasks are often the first to slip when feeling low and without a good foundation everything else collapses and you get buried in the rubble.

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Paula (30-12-17)

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## magie06

Can I just ask what do you mean when you say that you are almost completely unfunctional? Are you getting up at a reasonable time each day, showering, eating, drinking and taking meds? If you are not able to carry out these daily basics then you need to go back to your gp and explain your situation to them. In the past what has worried me most is that people would think that I had a bad body smell so I would shower a few times a day to ensure I was clean. What helped me in the past was talking therapies and taking my meds on a regular basis. You really need to start with your GP though. It helps to get into the system so to speak, and you will be able to access a lot of therapies from here.

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## Suzi

Can you go back to your Dr and tell them how things really are for you right now? Maybe take someone with you or print out what you've put here and show them to explain it better?

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## Paula

Hi, Nikki, and welcome. Can I ask what meds youre on and how long youve been taking them? Do you have support from family and friends?

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## Nikki

> Can you go back to your Dr and tell them how things really are for you right now? Maybe take someone with you or print out what you've put here and show them to explain it better?


I have an appointment with her next week. Yes i will try. She is trying to refer me to the access and assessment service but there is quite a long waiting time for it and i feel i need more urgent help. Also i had an appointment with them before and i found them to be unhelpful as they discharged me after the assessment.

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## Nikki

Sertraline i have been on it for less than a week but i have tried other meds. My family knows but they dont really understand. Im trying to talk to my mum about things but sometimes she makes me feel worse.

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## Paula

Perhaps if you both look at the Time to Change website it may help your conversations https://www.time-to-change.org.uk

New anti-depressants take 4-8 weeks to really take effect and every time you start/change the meds the 4-8 weeks starts over. Plus, if youve been coming off other ADs, youll be experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Lovely, your body is going through a lot of changes at the moment so you really need to take time to look after yourself

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S deleted (30-12-17)

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## Suzi

A week isn't a long time to be on the meds - as Paula says, they take a while to get into your system. 
If you are feeling like you might hurt yourself lovely, then please, please, please get some emergency help via a helpline or A+E.

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S deleted (30-12-17)

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## Nikki

I've found A&E to be useless, i went there and waited for 4 hours to see someone from the mental health team, was told there was no psychiatrist available so ended up having an assessment with a doctor, he left me alone after the assessment with no plan of action/help even though i had requested a hospital bed after discussing this with my GP. He offered no explanation as to why this was not possible so i left feeling worse than i did before.

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## Suzi

I'm sorry that was your experience. Have you seen your GP since?

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