Shane
Shane was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. He was prescribed a high dose of antidepressant medication and overdosed (self-harmed) one night. He is no longer on medication and has weekly informal counselling with a GP he likes. He also takes part in events organised by a local charity.
Shane was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. He’d been working as a volunteer with people going through mental health issues, so was familiar with the symptoms of depression and the way it affects people. He was helping his girlfriend through depression, too, but didn’t talk to anyone about his own difficulties.
Eventually, encouraged by his family, Shane made an appointment to see a GP about nosebleeds he’d been having, which he thought were stress-related. This was when he was diagnosed with anxiety and depression.
The GP who diagnosed Shane introduced herself by her first name and saw him weekly. The consultations felt quite informal instead of facing each other across a desk, Shane and his doctor sat next to each other and looked at the treatment options on the computer screen together. He also felt that the GP was very empathetic and talked from her own experiences. This GP became Shane’s regular doctor. Shane had mixed experiences of other GPs who he had to see when she was away. He disliked being passed around’ and felt that seeing a different GP each time was not what you need from a counselling experience’. He also felt that some doctors weren’t very good at talking to patients, despite their qualifications and medical knowledge.
One of these doctors prescribed Shane antidepressants, which he found effective initially. However, the dose was gradually increased over time and, in the end, he said he was taking the highest dose a patient under 23 could take. The side effects made Shane feel groggy, tired and forgetful. He ended up overdosing one night (self-harming) and his friends called for an ambulance. Shane spent a night in hospital where he was assessed. That night he also had to tell his mum how he’d been feeling.
After a night in hospital, Shane continued taking medication for some time before stopping completely. He recalled feeling uncomfortable having to go to the pharmacy with bandages on his arms where he had harmed himself, but his main reason for stopping was to avoid having to go to hospital again. He resumed his weekly consultations with his regular GP, whose first word to him when she saw him was sorry’. Shane appreciated this and it showed him her genuine concern. Since then, he’d also been in touch with counsellors from the crisis team, and participated in local groups where he could talk to people who’d gone through similar experiences. He also went back to college.
Although a full 24-hour GP service sounded unfeasible to Shane, he felt it would be helpful for surgeries to have at least one doctor working after hours. Shane knew about online counselling services but said, I don’t feel like talking to a screen is the best way to help yourself’. He found some websites helpful, though, including MIND’s website and Psychology Online.
Shane advised parents to encourage their child to visit the doctor. He also suggested that young people having mental health problems should seek help as soon as they can, read about mental health to gain understanding, and try volunteering in charities and relevant organisations.