?depression and reregistration

karenG · Oct 3, 2003

dont think you will have a problem- last time I re-registered they just wanted my money!! I guess wait and see what the NMC ask for. remember mental illness is not uncommon- you are not alone!!

good luck

Karen

catz · Oct 4, 2003

ty karenG, im hoping that is all they want. i will wait n see. i guess the bigger problem is going to be getting another job with a history of long term sick. i feel like im hiting my head against a brick wall though with my employers and the system. eventually..........

Karen30 · Oct 5, 2003

Hiya

You shouldn't have problem...I have been diagnosed with depression and there wasn't a problem.

Depression is a physical illness as well as a mental health one. People are more understanding of depression than you seem to think, although I reckon your employer is being totally unfair and non-supportive and you could probably go to the union over your dismisal....after all would they fire an asthmatic, diabetic etc?????

Also it's not about receiving a label but getting a firm diagnosis so that you can work towards getting well again....It sounds like your doctors have not been giving you any clear definition as to what is wrong..so how can you get well??? You can't treat something you that you don't know about can you?

I have never being referred to as having Münchhausen's etc because I have depression, nor have I heard of anyone else.

There are loads of nurses out there who suffer from depression, and if they weren't re-registered then there probably would be a complete collapse of the health care system.

Sorry if I rambled, just get on my soap box over attitudes towards mental health!!!!

Karen

amyslater · Oct 7, 2003

I would be very interested in knowing how many nurses there are with a mental illness or drug addiction of some sort. I know lots of nurses who are on medications for depression, anxiety, bi-polar ect. I also know that there are many of our brohers and sisters who are chemically dependant. Okay, I am starting a poll. Maybe iour law makers here would be interested to know just what kind of toll the stress from our jobs create. look for my poll.

amyslater · Oct 7, 2003

NO DONT LOOK FOR MY POLL! I GOOFED AGAIN. I can't seem to get the hang of things around here. I can't type very well, just look at the last post---what is a broher? I guess you folks will look over me this once. I am really interested in why we don't take better care of ourselves though. I know a lot of nurses who smoke or are overweight or both(myself included). I know some who are on medications for various forms of mental illness and some who are chemically dependent. I will appreciate any and all responses.

Karen30 · Oct 8, 2003

For me it's not that I don't look after myself, I go to the gym, try and relax, but then I go to work and hear stories from older people who have scrimped and saved, done all the right things in life to make them healthy and then they end up in hospital with a stroke or other debilitating disease and I think why bother, why not live for the day???

I can hear you all screaming now that I'm not extending my chances of getting old by eating unhealthily etc. by hey what the heck you only live once so make the most of it!!!

I do save some money, in case I make it as far as old age but at least if I die or suffer a debilitating disease before I get old I can say I have lived my life and enjoyed myself.

As an aside, shift work doesn't help you with a healthy lifestyle either, what does everyone else think?

catz · Oct 23, 2003

ty for the replies guys, sorry its taken me so long to respond. amyslater id be interested in that poll to if u sus how to do it. maybe ill try.

ive spoken to my union, a healthcare law lecturerer from my old uni and occy health in the last few weeks. apparently i dont have ny rights with regards to work dismissing me. they are complety entitled to as by leaving it for 12 months they have fulfilled the criteria required aparenly.

oh and to make things worse, a wonderful friend of mine(Please note the sarcasm) decided to ensure that the occy health dr. new all of my problems and symptons, which include self injury, so i guess im pretty much stuffed as far as nursing goes huh.

i havent yet heard from my employers since the last visit to occy health and am now debating do i resign fast b4 they do dismiss me or do i wait and see wat they do?

i dont realy want to go back to the same unit since a big part of my being of sick in the first place, this time round, was a bully for a ward manager. im not sure i want to return to work in the same hospital but i dont want to loose my career completly just because i have been ill. i have no intentions of returning before i am completly ready, that was my mistake last time.

as for getting a firm diagnosis, i am still going round in circles as far as that goes. my gp has decided i should try yet another antidepressant. i dont know how to go about getting someone to listen to me so i can get a proper diagnosis n thus the proper treatment.

and the too much knowledge thing is kicking in, i have been researching bipolar disorder because a few people have sugested i fit the criteria. from the little i have found i could not possibly argue that i dont, bipolar ii nyway. which, should i get diagnosed will affect my reg. although i think i have gotten to the stage were i would rather get the diagnosis n the treatment than not just because of my career.

sorry ive rambled again.

Karen30 · Oct 27, 2003

One way is to ask your GP to give you a diagnosis. If they won't ask if you can be refered to a psychiatrist or CPN.

I only finally got a diagnosis once I had seen a psychiatrist, because my GP was unsure of which antidepressants to try next as none were working.

Eviene · Oct 31, 2003

catz, I'd suggest you ask to see your psychiatric notes or request an out-patients appointment with your consultant psych (do this through his secretary) and try and get some kind of diagnosis and plan sorted. Your gp can prescribe yet another anti-depressant, but if you've had specialist help a gp is unlikely to be able to do anymore. If you don't want to go back to the cons psych, then you could access your CMHT (their no will be in phone book) or alternatively you can be referred to common mental health disorders team via your gp.

catz · Oct 31, 2003

can i scream bout trying to get hold of my psych notes arrggghhh.

i am going round in circles to try and find out whom i ask to let me see them. secretary doesnt want to know........

i no longer have a consultant psydoc since i was discharged without follow up. gggggrrrrrrrrr because i work for the nhs the consultant didnt want to see me again cos it looks bad on my records when as far as they were concerned i was admitted during a crises and was well. i was hyper at the time but they didnt want to listen to me. ggrrrrrrr

gp has prescribed me yet more antidepressants which i dont believe will make ny difference since my moods swings from being suicidal to being happy n fine and not able to sit still and not shutting up. (usually i am quiet n can be shy except when i have been drinking).

am going back to gp again on monday as these ads are not agreeing with me, at least i think its them. i am way more anxious than usual and feeling very jittery and unreal a lot of the time. so will nag him some more then...........will let yall no wat happens.

thanks

cat

Eviene · Nov 1, 2003

To see your notes you have to apply in writing to your cons psych. There will be a fee you have to pay to copy them, and the cons can take anything out they don't want you to see. (S)he can't deny you an appt if you want to see them, so persist. Re feeling jittery. If you were on Seroxat before it may be a withdrawal symptom so get your gp to adjust the titration.