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DepressionArrow
Age 40-54
Interview 19  

Interview 19

Age at Interview: 50
Sex: Female
Background: Married with children, was anxious as a child and felt ill-fitted with her family. She left university due to anxiety and struggled for years at a bullying workplace before a debilitating 5 year depression.
Brief outline:Has managed to find joy in life through approaches including medication (currently venlafaxine 150mg & chlorpromazine 25mg), counselling, partner support, Christianity and voluntary work (which led to rewarding employment).


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Advises those who are not responding to medication to ask for a different medication or for referral to a psychiatrist.

 



It isn't a one size fits all is it? You know, I think I would say to folk if you feel like you're not getting any better, and it's not a quick journey to get well anyway, but if you really feel after say three or four months on the particular medication that you are just not getting any better, go back to your doctor and ask your doctor to change, to consider changing your medication. Ask your doctor to refer you to a psychiatrist if you are not under a psychiatrist. 

And my personal experience is.... is go for a younger doctor who has had more recent training in the more modern anti-depressants. And particularly, I know, you read stuff about people saying Prozac has done this, done that, you know, but any drug, you know has some side effects you know, and don't let that put you off because living with depression is far worse than any side effects. And I... I don't have side effects I don't think. Perhaps I would say I'm not quite as sharp in my mind as I used to be, but maybe that's just because I'm getting older [laugh]. But I am certainly smart enough to be able to function extremely well and do a challenging job that demands my brain to work.
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