What if I can't get help??
Hey guys,
So I've been dealing with depression off and on for about 8 years now. This particular bout has been the worst one yet. I've been especially depressed and self-harming for almost 6 months now. I've never wanted to seek help before because I've always thought I should just able to handle it on my own. But I can't do that anymore and I really need help.
The thing is, I moved to Central America 2 months ago. A therapist is out of the question, as there just aren't any where I live. My only option is to visit a primary care physician and hope she puts me on meds that will help me out until I'm back home. This is worrisome for a few reasons...1) I've asked around and it seems that the people here have a huge stigma about mental illness and they tend to think it's something to deal with in private. 2) I visited the pharmacy the other day just to see what meds they have available (almost all medications here don't even require a prescription). I was told that while I likely wouldn't need a prescription, they just didn't even have any antidepressants. 3) I'm not sure my Spanish is good enough to accurately describe what's going on and how bad it is without throwing the word suicide in there whish I feel like would cause a ton of extra drama.
So I'm just worried that even if/ when I work up the courage to go and ask the doctor for help, I won't get what I need. I don't know what to do, I feel so stuck in this.
@mjiyn2010
Hey there!
First of all, thank you for sharing this. I can see it was a lot for you to share this and it took you enormous courage even if you almost lost all hope you can get any help.
Second, PLEASE don't lose your hope! We all can & deserve to get help... Sooner or later. <3 I am happy you got here and I hope that the following words will help you even a little.
1) If you feel like it's too much and you can't control your mental state anymore and fear you will do something you'll regret, PLEASE consider calling this number: 1 800 273 8255 (it is the crisis line - suicide international line) - they might be able to give you a lot better than anyone here where exactly to go for a good consult;
2) DO NOT take any meds on your own. They might just make it worse for you and you seem to be in a very sensitive place right now. It might be better to inform yourself online about certain meds but don't take anything without a visit to a psychiatrist. No doctor can give you a prescription for good antidepressants unless he has psychiatry background.
3) We have good exercises to help you relax your mind on 7Cups or blog posts if they can also help you with increasing your positivity. Also, in the forums we have covered a bunch of most common mental issues so take a look and see if you can get some useful info from there. Or maybe you can start some discussions with some other members of our dear community and feel more involved.
And finally, what do you feel you need most? Tell us. We are all here to support, listen and care for you dear. So don't hesitate to ask. But if things are just too intense, calling the number mentioned above might just be the best decision.
All the love to you <3 !
@cristiana33 Thank you so so much for taking the time to respond to me! It means so much as I often feel so alone in this fight here since my support system is back home in the states. So I suppose visiting the doctor here wouldn't actually be much help since she isn't a psychiatrist then, right? Man, that's so discouraging.
I'm worried that if I ask my boss (she's from here) to help me find help, things will be super awkward because she'll think I shouldn't have mentioned it or that I'm crazy. Everyone back home wants me to come home and get better, but I just can't abandon my commitment (I'm a teacher) and make life harder for my coworkers.
I'll keep that number. I'm pretty scared to call them, but I might do so one day.
Thank you again.
