earlier today phoned NHS direct as I had a severe depression episode - and they passed me onto a nurse, the nurse passed me onto the GP colaberative - i phoned the NHS direct over 2 hours ago. Severe depression with suicidal thoughts that I was trying to ignore?

Not critisising the staff but the system - it seems to try to prioritise - die now or later? Later you get onto a different department - asked the same info - ect... Less chance of help should it be needed. ect.

Edit: From the referal from NHS direct also it took a long time for the details to transfer.

Contact your GP who will get you into the community health system via a referral, they have a duty team / crisis team , but your GP would be the way to go if you are a sufferer of depression and feeling that low.

Go to A&E if you are having thoughts of self harm. NHS direct are a waste of time. Hope you get the support you need.

On a weekend / bank holiday the procedure is as follows :-

1. Ring doctor as normal, automatically forwarded to out of hours service
2. Out of hours doctor will if they consider it serious enough refur you to SCT crisis and home treatment team.
3. Crisis and home treatment team contact you within 4 hours and arrange an assessment.

The alternative is to attend at NGH A&E telling them that you are suicidal,
they will call the on duty psychiatric resource (social worker or nurse) who will assess you.

I've phoned my GP - that goes to the local GP colaberative - I'm still waiting a call - it's been over an hour. It's a good job I have a good hold on things - mainly my mind. :)

agree with the above see your GP - don't be afraid to ask for anti depressants ... you are not on your own ... although I wasn't 100% confident about the fact I would benefit from pills ... let me tell you after a couple of weeks things took on a more normal slant.

You may feel worse before they kick in... but persevere.

Believe me things can look better quite quickly.

2 weeks from the onset - 6 months of use and I now look forward to getting up again.

They DO work and contrary to the myth are no longer addictive.. I hope this helps as I have some recent empathy.

I've phoned my GP - that goes to the local GP colaberative - I'm still waiting a call - it's been over an hour. It's a good job I have a good hold on things - mainly my mind. :)

Its scary but it does get better... its a temporary feeling and can be brought on by the most trivial of things.

Honestly you are not the 1st and won't be the last to feel this way.

You are NOT going mad. :loopy: lol

Thanks alll for your replies - usualy I store all my problems (which are many) and 'onion' them but this was bad.

I've done what I needed to do but for a while the dam just momenterily 'burst'.

I'll phone for an emergency appointment tuesday unless GP Colaberative can help me.

Thanks all.

Hi Dark

You sound like you have been here before, have you been diagnosed/treated for depression before?

I have, it was the loss of my nephew, he was given to the earth this gone thursday, and this had finaly tipped the balance.

I've had many problems - and I onion things - I form a layer around it - this time it broke - and I wanted help - I know I heed help.

Out of hours can only give me my AD's (which I havent needed for about 4 months) at my local Boots..
In the morning.
Yay.

Looks like an emergency apointment with a doctor still...

I have, it was the loss of my nephew, he was given to the earth this gone thursday, and this had finaly tipped the balance.

I've had many problems - and I onion things - I form a layer around it - this time it broke - and I wanted help - I know I heed help.

Out of hours can only give me my AD's (which I havent needed for about 4 months) at my local Boots..
In the morning.
Yay.

Looks like an emergency apointment with a doctor still...

Out of hours can refer you to Sheffield Care trust, but they are not always very co-operative.

If you're that bad A&E is another option.

I have, it was the loss of my nephew, he was given to the earth this gone thursday, and this had finaly tipped the balance.

I've had many problems - and I onion things - I form a layer around it - this time it broke - and I wanted help - I know I heed help.

Out of hours can only give me my AD's (which I havent needed for about 4 months) at my local Boots..
In the morning.
Yay.

Looks like an emergency apointment with a doctor still...


I'm sorry to hear of your loss and the pain you are suffering. if you think it would help to talk to someone now you could call the Samaritans on 0114 276 7277 (the Sheffield branch closed at 10pm but it will get put through to a branch that is open). A friend did this in the middle of the night a few months ago and they were very helpful. Chatting to someone might help you cope until you can see your own GP on Tuesday

hi if you need too talk please contact me i have depression i can understand how your feeling please dont self harm it is,nt worth it xx

earlier today phoned NHS direct as I had a severe depression episode - and they passed me onto a nurse, the nurse passed me onto the GP colaberative - i phoned the NHS direct over 2 hours ago. Severe depression with suicidal thoughts that I was trying to ignore?

Not critisising the staff but the system - it seems to try to prioritise - die now or later? Later you get onto a different department - asked the same info - ect... Less chance of help should it be needed. ect.

Edit: From the referal from NHS direct also it took a long time for the details to transfer.

Been there with you, although when I first realized I needed help I rang them, by the time they'd passed me around to different people, I went from wanting to kill myself from wanting to kill them ( IN NO WAY IS THAT INTENDED TO BE A JOKE), so it actually helped me in a weird kind of way.

Hope your feeling better now :)

Contact your GP who will get you into the community health system via a referral, they have a duty team / crisis team , but your GP would be the way to go if you are a sufferer of depression and feeling that low.

You can't get your own GP out of office hours though

earlier today phoned NHS direct as I had a severe depression episode - and they passed me onto a nurse, the nurse passed me onto the GP colaberative - i phoned the NHS direct over 2 hours ago. Severe depression with suicidal thoughts that I was trying to ignore?

Not critisising the staff but the system - it seems to try to prioritise - die now or later? Later you get onto a different department - asked the same info - ect... Less chance of help should it be needed. ect.

Edit: From the referal from NHS direct also it took a long time for the details to transfer.

Do you not have anyone you can turn to, to help you through this until those in the medical profession can help you?

does your name begin with a "j"? i think i know who you are if your the person i think you are i spoke to you on the shops last week and you told me what happened my thoughts are with you and family pm me back if it is you and we will sort something out for meeting up for a chat im near you anyway x

hi i really do hope that youre over then worst of your episode...
try this i hope it helps.
http://www.sct.nhs.uk/our-services/adult-mental-health/community-services/home-treatment

You can't get your own GP out of office hours though

there is 24/7/365 primary care services across the Uk, given that most GP practices use a common IT system which OOH providers and acute trusts also have access , this argument is somewhat of an empty one...

Thanks for the turn out - I'm feeling a lot better, putting up another layer as I call it.

Recieved my Citalopram and took the pill for the day, not had any thoughts of self harm - was at the time of posting clinging to sanity (last time I seriously lost that grip on sanity many years ago I went to Scotland and tried to pass to the next world) - but I now know how my mind works and how to protect it.

Thank you all for your advice, info and offers of help - it was a short time of "whap-depression" time, and I think I'm better now, it's just how the NHS dealt with it at the time which I was not impressed with.

I am back on the pills, working things out, thanks again - and all the best.

I'm glad that you are feeling a bit better today and well done for spotting the symptoms, asking for help and helping yourself. remember that the Samaritan's are there 24 hours a day if you need to speak to someone
Take care

I can sympathise through the experience my mum and step dad are having with my younger brother.

Very hit and miss in terms of assistance. They've been in some awful situations and rang the crisis line number they were issued with, to be met with "not really sure what to suggest" and "see how things are in the morning". Which is not helpful at 2am when he has been in some real states.

When he was finally taken into a mental health unit and subsequently granted leave from the place over the bank holiday, they confirmed he was allowed out for 6hours over the course of the weekend - which my parents used at an hour and a half for the first few days, before they then clarified it was actually 6 hours a day entitlement. He'd therefore missed the opportunity to be home the best part of the first 3 days of the weekend.

I've had depression for most of my life, as my life has been full of bad events.

I know the signs, as I have said I onion things, layer after layer, and I usually do OK.

I use the tablets short term as usualy it is only a few months I need them for - last time would have been 8 months since I asked for them. Saves wastage and NHS funds.

I phoned NHS direct as it was not at a 999 situation, samaritans for me won't work as I don't speak about my problems - hence most forms of support doesn't help me - and was helped by tablets in the morning.

Yay.

Will arange a docs apointment and see what we can sort out.

Thanks again all - it was good people help one another still, thick or thin, friends or strangers. :)

keep smiling mister!!! ;)

there is 24/7/365 primary care services across the Uk, given that most GP practices use a common IT system which OOH providers and acute trusts also have access , this argument is somewhat of an empty one...

It's NOT meant to be an argument, too many people simply say phone your own GP, I'm saying you can't get "your own GP" out of hours, it's obvious there is going to be 24/7/365 care services available but when it comes to mental health issues it takes longer to get help than it would if you phoned for an illness issue

hope things work out for you

I've phoned my GP - that goes to the local GP colaberative - I'm still waiting a call - it's been over an hour. It's a good job I have a good hold on things - mainly my mind. :)

Aaah, it's the old Catch 22 with mental health. They think if you're well enough to know something is wrong and ask for help then you're not well enough for it to be an emergency. If you're so far gone you don't know there's something wrong or are too ill to ask you won't ask for help anyway so either way they get out of doing anything for you.

The best thing to do is to ask someone else to phone on your behalf and say they are concerned for you and that you are having a bad depressive episode and they think you may self harm. That way they have to do something to check on you because it becomes their responsibility.

If you ring yourself you're on the end of the phone so they can get out of doing anything by saying you were assessed over the phone as not being a risk to yourself. If someone else does it they have to check it out or get you a referral into hospital or something. (NB This is from experience of working within the NHS).

Go to A&E if you are having thoughts of self harm. NHS direct are a waste of time. Hope you get the support you need.

I did that they are a waste of time when i needed help i was told there was no one there who could help me and that i had to come back at 9 the next morning it's disgraceful :(