Depression, Anxiety, or other Mental Health Conditions

PostRe: Depression by **Rocsteady** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:06 pm

Sounds like a bit of a cop out, all you have to do to begin is to fill out the UCAS application isn't it? You could get that done in a day or two when you're feeling better.

Corazon de Leon · PostRe: Depression by **Corazon de Leon** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:12 pm

I did mine in 45 minutes. Just waiting for a reference coming through.

PostRe: Depression by **Fade** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:12 pm

Rocsleddy wrote:Sounds like a bit of a cop out, all you have to do to begin is to fill out the UCAS application isn't it? You could get that done in a day or two when you're feeling better.

I don't even know if I have enough UCAS points. I left college 8 years ago.

It's not that easy anyway, going to Uni takes a lot more than just filling out a form.

PostRe: Depression by **Green Gecko** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:57 pm

UCAS is straightforward mate, just write why you want to go to uni and virtually anywhere will accept an answer other than "I want to go to university because that's what people do". Any old college will give you a reference, a standard one yes, from the student records department saying you got x qualifications. Then it'll come down to interview, and everywhere is desperate for students due to funding cuts. Don't make it bigger than it really is or you'll lose out on opportunities. For example I was convinced by my college that if I gave in my art foundation application late I'd never get in and as a result I wasn't able to apply to one of the best art schools in the world because they require it. I went somewhere else and got a very good degree anyway, but hey, I didn't pass my requirements there either - I was given a formality requirement to finish my BTEC that I didn't even need to do. I never did, but pointed out I had enough UCAS points on the day of enrolment and was let in anyway. Nobody ever questioned it but technically I never passed my requirements to get into my university. :lol:

If you don't have enough UCAS points (which includes courses like Key Skills and even music theory and general studies), do an Access course at your local college.

Saigon Slick wrote:After a year of trying, I've finally managed to get an appointment with a community health psychiatrist to talk about potentially having ADD.

It's very hard to get people to listen to your fears when you have a degree under your belt - "Oh you can't have it, you went to uni!" Yep, and I underachieved immensely because I had so much trouble concentrating on the course material, and am now a year behind on my PhD because of the same problems.

You might find they diagnose it there and then, try to get it in writing.

I had the same situation, my learning difficulties that are considerable where never formally recognised, partly because my father refused to accept it but mostly because I did very well in school. It was only years after my GCSEs and strawberry floated A-levels, 2 terminations from uni etc that I fully realised these things weren't solely my fault. I have difficulty reading, focusing and all sorts due to mental deficits that have nothing whatsoever to do with academic ability or commitment. Actually my uni reference says I was one of the most consistently committed people they'd ever met (I was there for 4 years and then worked a further 1 year). I had to get them diagnosed privately and with the NHS before they were recognised by any funding bodies and today the DWP. I still get help from different places, mostly charities, so it's worth doing.

PostRe: Depression by **Fade** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:19 pm

Yeah I didn't mean that. I meant the actually going to Uni part.

PostRe: Depression by **Banjo** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 6:59 pm

Depending on where you're applying to, University could be a great boon to you. Most are very liberal in nature and also have some strong communities for mental health awareness and support. When I was at Glasgow Uni there were always events and groups promoting support for students struggling with the pressures of university life. Of course your mileage may vary, in my experience said communities can be exploited by self-destructive individuals and are usually more supportive of those with obviously 'visual' signs of depression, but that's absolutely in the minority. Trust me, at uni everyone is going to feel stress in some form or another, so there will be support structures in place.

PostRe: Depression by **Green Gecko** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 7:59 pm

Admittedly I did sort of break and then figure life out around the time I met my partner but I somehow still managed to have fun. It wasn't easy but everything that happened at university was transformative.

PostRe: Depression by **Banjo** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 9:35 pm

Ah man, that sucks. Did you shop around for student-led groups? One of the things I liked about the Glasgow-based Universities and colleges is that the Societies and Groups are open to students from other schools (at least the University of Glasgow ones are), so if you hear about another uni having a society that sounds up your street (hobby or otherwise) you can tag along. Cora came to one or two all-nighters the Glasgow Gaming Society were holding and we rinsed Smash Bros all night.

PostRe: Depression by **Green Gecko** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 9:21 am

I was able to get counselling and eventually was assigned 3 different support workers but I had to get various formal diagnoses for the latter.

PostRe: Depression by **paperbag** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 4:57 pm

So... things may have exploded somewhat at the start of the year. In a big way. The good news is, I'm doing something about it and talking to my wife *and* colleague *and* the doctor. So it could be worse.

Also just been prescribed Citalopram (20mg) and now two days in... am finding I'm incredibly unmotivated at work, though, which was my driving force before. Not sure if it's a reaction to the start of the drugs or the aftermath of what was effectively a breakdown but I really just want to leave and not go back.

PostRe: Depression by **Banjo** » Thu Jan 05, 2017 9:22 pm

I'm going to assume you either did or tried to hurt yourself in a major way?

PostRe: Depression by **Green Gecko** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 8:52 am

It will take a while your your body to adapt to the medication but it should in the long run help keep at a level that isn't so low you want to hurt yourself or other major depressive symptoms.

PostRe: Depression by **Fade** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 7:31 pm

paperbag wrote:So... things may have exploded somewhat at the start of the year. In a big way. The good news is, I'm doing something about it and talking to my wife *and* colleague *and* the doctor. So it could be worse.

Also just been prescribed Citalopram (20mg) and now two days in... am finding I'm incredibly unmotivated at work, though, which was my driving force before. Not sure if it's a reaction to the start of the drugs or the aftermath of what was effectively a breakdown but I really just want to leave and not go back.

The drugs will take a few weeks to kick in so don't worry if you don't notice any positive changes right away.

PostRe: Depression by **still** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 11:10 pm

Hey Paperbag, you the guy that put me right on the rugby World Cup Welsh send off while back?. You know what I mean... (Yes, bollocks, you were right...) Sorry to hear things not so good. Clear you are clued up. Hope things work out. Post here, no need to give a gooseberry fool, no judgement here. Ah, bollocks, just noticed that you took down your post. No need really, loads of people here for you. Take care.....l

PostRe: Depression by **Akai XIII** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:37 am

Back to self harming and feeling gooseberry fool all the time \o/

It's January!

PostRe: Depression by **jawafour** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:38 am

.

PostRe: Depression by **Akai XIII** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:40 am

jawafour wrote:
Akai XIII wrote:Back to self harming...

Have you sought help for this aspect in the past, Akai?

Yes. I was told as long as I hadn't killed myself not to worry.

It made me extremely angry, funnily enough.

PostRe: Depression by **jawafour** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:45 am

Akai XIII wrote:Yes. I was told as long as I hadn't killed myself not to worry...

Akai, I'm not an expert in this field, but it sounds like you do need to talk again with your doctor. I could perhaps understand a "one-off" incident being airbrushed-over, but if you are returning to self-harm than that must trigger warning signs with your doc.

PostRe: Depression by **Akai XIII** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 12:55 am

To be honest my doctor(s) are kinda gooseberry fool. They just change my medication, or offer me time off work. I've had time off work before and it never really helps. The change in medication strawberry floats me up for a few weeks and then settles for a few months then goes back to being nothing. It never goes beyond surface cuts - I have a family to support and look after... Still, it's not fun.

My mother committed suicide, it's something I can't see myself doing.

PostRe: Depression by **Fade** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 1:17 am

Akai XIII wrote:
jawafour wrote:
Akai XIII wrote:Back to self harming...

Have you sought help for this aspect in the past, Akai?

Yes. I was told as long as I hadn't killed myself not to worry.

It made me extremely angry, funnily enough.

Doctors don't seem to care about it a huge deal... most of them are not very good at empathising, and I can't blame them really with stuff they have to deal with.
Have you tried having an elastic band around your wrist and hurting yourself with that when you feel like harming?

I did that once when I had a bit of a relapse last month and it seemed to help. But then I only used to hit myself and not cut so I guess it might depend on that...

have you eve had proper counselling? Because meds aren't going to change anything on their own they just make you more open to change. You need to rewire the way you process things.

I'm still not 100% but I'm a lot better than I was and I'm slowly making progress.

Depression, Anxiety, or other Mental Health Conditions

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