BBC News - Carers and depression - POLL

[Jane:-)]

I'm registered as a carer with our GP and attend all appointments with my OH, I can ask questions and they get answered but was told not entitled to flu jab as I'm too young and OH doesn't suffer from respiratory problems, and GP doesn't appear to be bothered about whether I can cope despite me leaving the room once in tears and returning clearly having had a good cry. GP clearly doesn't understand my role as carer to disabled partner and mother to 3 teenagers but when I crack then it'll hit the fan and then who'll be picking up the pieces???? Am I depressed?... of course I am, its not normal to weep when I think of my children leaving home and leaving me behind is it? Have even cried when they've gone off to school in the morning!

[crocus]

Jane, that made me so cross. Any chance of seeing a different GP? If you are at the stage of constantly crying you need to get things sorted quickly. Are you having treatment for your depression? Also, ask for a carers assessment and try and get some extra help.

[bradstonian]

I think this subject is by far one of the more important ones for carers like myself & the unrecognized army of carers out there who do an amazing job every day all day every month every year every decade all the time.

Yes, it's fair to say this will does has affected out health & at last at least for me this is as good a time as any to recognize the affect it has on us all. Personally I think you need a pretty understanding G.P to be of any use any way & I've only had one of those & that was may years ago now - but the choice is important as is the reason behind the choice to understand to recognize to listen to ourselves for once in out life & take the time to hopefully get back tome sanity some understanding into out own lives.

In short a screening of carers for depression is a start. Good luck. God bless.
Paul.
(One last thought on the matter : )

Although to be honest what good it will do is probably at best negligible at worst put us all on antidepressants : which is not the answer at all ! I think it is simply to have someone to listen to us to answer any questions we may have about ourselves or our loved ones who are disabled in one way or another & simply to sum up '' is the care we the Trust is providing or Drs surgery - adequate or not?
That is all I ever hope for & all I ever want. I suspect I am not alone in this either - one last time - God bless.

[bowlingbun]

I've been a carer for 34 years. My old doctor knew my whole family, and what I was going through. The new one doesn't like me, and so I see anyone other than him! I live near a Teaching Hospital so the practice often has GP's with L plates, some really good, some not so good. I'm just a sausage in a sausage machine, no one ever asks how I am, many are still learning how to use the software on the computer, one hardly looked away from his screen to look at me. Why don't I change doctor? It's the worry that the next one may be even worse! I looked up "depression" on the NHS website, and there's no doubt I have many of the symptoms, although I'd describe myself as doing OK at the moment. When I read about neglecting myself, I went and put some nail varnish on, can't remember the last time I did that.

[Scally]

There is a big difference between "sadness" and "clinical depression". But don't tell that to the drug companies, or they would lose a huge amount of their profits. If I feel a bit low, I go for a walk, skiing, sailing or cycling. Always works.

[charles47]

At our carers centre we're working with GPs on a pilot scheme to offer support to carers identified by GPs. It's early days but the interesting thing is that we're finding a lot of GPs who just had no idea what to do to help carers - and they are really interested in this scheme. As I said, early days, but the signs are encouraging and we're hoping it will lead to full coverage in the area.

[crocus]

Good to hear something positive charles

[bowlingbun]

Charles, that's really interesting. We could certainly do with something like that in our area, so if successful, I hope it gets rolled out nationwide.

[charles47]

Quite a few areas have already got or had this - Nottingham, Sunderland and Bristol among others. It should be national.

[bowlingbun]

Charles, is there anywhere we can read more about the projects? I can't be the only member interested.