Need Psychiatric Help

[JoeShmoe]

I am from the UK ive been in Thailand since 2001.

I paid some national insurance contributions - as i was employed part time by a university in the UK working online until 2006 so i havent made any contributions since then

Im feeling suicidal at the moment, ive tried various councellors but i cant afford them

Will they help me in the UK? If i tell them i am suicidal will they lock me up? I dont want to get locked up and loose my right to leave the country. What can i do? I need more than an hour a weeks councelling at 60 quiid and hour - i feel i have 20 years of problems that need unwinding and i dont know where to turn

sorry for not posting with my usual username

[bkkbound04]

you're a uk national m8 and whilst i know some things can change with being away i would imagine if you've paid ni/tax up until 06 u should be cool..at the very least you'll definately get to see a gp and be given a script that may help you..it will help but won't be a instant relief as the meds have to take action

the longer you are in the uk the more help u will get..i don't know if you'll have problems but as a brit u will definately be allowed back into the country and access to a gp/meds

counselling/therapy in the uk is difficult in that again unless you're going private then you'd be extremely fortunate to get the frequency of help that you're thining of..there's few too many therapists working with the nhs and private treatment is expenive..however you'll have all the charities, samaratans etc and more specific mental health groups that u can call for somebody to talk to

get help though and what ever you do don't act on the suicidal thoughts, you will get better m8

i'm sending you best wishes and happy thoughts

& this may seem trivial but try and watch more comedy's or something that will make u laugh, may seem impossible with how u feel at present but if you can lighten your mood even a wee bit then it'll offer relief, read osm funny jokes, watch some funny videos, listen to your favourite music and if you don't already then try some exercise..diet & sleep is also important too so if you try and address each wee issue it can all add up to making you feel a bit better lol what i mean is if you're feeling low already and not eating, sleeping well then this will just amlipfy your low mood..can feel like being stuck between a rock and a hard place with having less energy etc but by forcing yourself to eat well & sleep etc it can be the wee changes that allow you to deal with what's on your mind

here's a wee site that may help to talk about how you're feeling, you will get some trolls there but c'est la vie

a site like that(doesn't need to be that1 ) may offer you some advice and relief until you make your way back to the uk

http://www.uncommonforum.com/index.php

i hope this finds you feeling a bit better, as hard as it sounds keep smiling & don't ever give up

sending best wishes

[neverdie]

Joe, You won't get locked up & you won't lose any of your rights or freedoms if you report to a GP or hospital in the UK with these symptoms. Its important you get back asap & get diagnosed and follow the medical advice you are given before you make any mistakes that you cant reverse.

[bkkbound04]

yeah sorry about that joe, i should have added that comment..you have nothing to fear and they won't lock you up or keep u in the country etc...it's actually more common than you might think but due to the stigma attached to mental health it's still an uncomfortable subject to talk about for many people...but it's pretty common and certainly isn't rare or untreatable

get help and be well

all the best

[Penkoprod]

You will ALWAYS get free treatment on NHS for a mental illness, irespective of the rules in place at present

But people shouldnt make the mistake of thinking it is based on any contribution record. Its a RESIDENTIAL based ruling

But, like i say, you shouldnt have any problems getting attended to if and when you return to UK

Penkoprod

[noahvail]

Hi Joe (love the nickname, by the way),

Let's alleviate your big fear of the moment: the only way - only - is if you present to a psychiatrist who, after careful discussion with you, deems that you are an immediate danger to yourself or others.

From what you've written, I would extremely doubt that you would fall into either parameter. The fact that you are seeking help says much about your future - that you will overcome this, and get back to your usual self. And no - they don't keep you from leaving the country, and I don't know of Thailand even asking a visitor about any medical problems.

Do you speak enough Thai to see a Thai psychiatrist who doesn't speak English? If not, you might be able to find one by going to a local government hospital and asking the admins if they know one who speaks English. They will try to help you - my experience has been that the local hospitals go out of their way to help farangs. If they can't locate one for you, then you might ask them for an English-speaking GP. When you see that person, explain your situation, ask for meds to tide you over until you reach the UK...and bring a list of any meds you're taking, even over-the-counter meds, and include anything you're allergic to. You may find that a mild anti-depressant will be enough to get you through the period until you get to the UK.

In the meantime, if you can bring yourself to walk for 30 minutes once or twice a day it will release endorphins and make you feel better. Believe it or not, the best physical exercise for depression is sex. You can take that statement any way you want to. Chocolate releases serotonin in the brain, and that makes you feel better, too.

Wishing you all the best for a quick and complete recovery.

[colino]

Joe you just need to get back and see a GP, The only time that you have to worry about being sectioned is if you are a Danger and will inflict harm on yourself or others.

You could go to any Hospital A@E if you feel that you are losing it and see someone from the crisis team.

But if you can get to a GP and get some medication most GPs surgery' have a councilor but there is a waiting list.

I speak from first hand experience as I have a very similar condition and now take the right medication.

Best of luck

Colino

PS the only time I have known anybody being refused to fly was when the guy had told his Community psychiatric Nurse he was flying and she stopped him from going by contacting the airline and telling them he was unfit to fly.. He was on home leave from the hospital at the time and really manic.

Edited July 31, 2009 by colino

[eek]

Hi Joe,

So much good advice given.

I just wish to say that if you have Skype-out or similar, and need someone just to listen (in the mean-time i mean), i think you could connect ok to the Samaritans: http://www.samaritans.org/

Another site that may be worth mentioning is the NHS Direct website, which also has a helpline (contact us). http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ Im sure they could advise you and put some of your fears about sectioning to rest.

Please stay strong and know that no matter how hard things seem right now, it wont always be that way, so hang in there. I admire you so much for realising that you need help. If you cant find what you are looking for, keep posting, im sure many of us will try our best to find the information you need. Ask as many times as you need to. Wish you well. Take care.

Edited July 31, 2009 by eek

[mommysboy]

I've lived here for a number of years and got NHS treatment straight away. I think the key is not to tell anyone. After all who's to know.

Being mercy to depression is painful and you feel like you are going out of your mind.

But it's not the same as psychiatric help which often means a serious clinical condition.

Suicidal thoughts need to be differentiated from 'I wish I hadn't been born thoughts'.

If it's about a woman, my sympathies but you will recover much sooner than you'd think.

I've noticed that depression in Thailand seems connected to addiction, could this also be the case ?.

Don't lose heart there really is no need.

[Sheryl]

As others have said, you need not fear the getting locked up scenario. If the doctor felt you were an imminent danger to yourself they might encourage you to enter a hospital and indeed it might not be a bad idea to be in a protected environment for a few days while getting stabilized on meds. If you admit yourself you can leave at any time. Even on involuntary admissions they usually have the right to hold the patient only a few days (in the US I believe it is 48 hours) and rapid discharge is the rule rather than the exception. The "lock up and throw away the key" aproach died out years ago, if anything the tendency nowadys is to err on the side of not hospitalizing people when they should be or discharging them way too soon.

As far as being eligible for NHS, there have been past threads on this and I believe what emerged is that one should just use a UK address. Also I think in the case of emergency care (which is what it would be classified as if you present as having suicidal impulses) it would always be covered.

In the interim, costs of seeing a psychiatrist and starting on antidepressent medication would be quite low in LOS. You would almost certainly be placed on an SSRI and some are available in generic form e.g. sertraline (generic for Zoloft) recently came off patent and is available in a GPO formulation that costs only 300 baht per month. Be sure to tell the doc that cost is a concern and you want generic.

These meds can be bought over the counter but in a case like yours it would be better to be under a doctor's care.

In either case need to be aware that meds take a few weeks to work and that the risk of suicide actually increases in the short term, partly because one starts to have the pyschic energy with which to act and partly because, in a depressed state, one loses all sense of propiortion and time, and when one has started meds (often done only as a last resort) and does not feel better despair sets in, often just before the person would in fact have begun to feel better.

With or without meds, you should not be alone during this time. Take steps to be in a more protected setting, be it staying with friends or even a monastery retreat. Likewise if you return to UK (a good idea), don't stay alone.

There is a good samaritan/suicide prevention hotline in Thailand you can call to talk to someone:

Samaritans of Thailand: 24 hour, 7 days a week answer phone service in English: you leave a number and they promise to call back within 24 hours.

Tel: 02 713 6793 (Thai, English-speaking help is sometimes available but not guaranteed)

I believe Thursdays from 8AM - 12 noon have been specifically set aside for English speakers, you can call at other times too but then they may have to call you back after locating an English speaking volunteer.

If worse comes to worse and while in Thailand you feel that you are going to hurt yourslef, go to the ER of either a government hospital or one of these not-for-profit hospitals: Saint Louis, Camellian, or Bangkok Christian. Costs will be low and they will not turn you away if unable to pay.

If you have a history of either alcohol or drug abuse can also access free support from AA or NA respectively.