Mood swings?

[chilistrucker]

Is there a medication to control them? Rather than go to the doctor about this I'd prefer any form of natural remedy if there are any available? I've managed to deal with them myself and avoided my doctor over the last couple of years but in the last few weeks I think I have realized I may need something to help.

TIA

[SpamDisco]

Your GP should be able to refer you for alternative treatment or a least give you advice about what you want.

[chilistrucker]

Thanks, I'm seeing GP Tuesday so will see what they have to say. Not really sure myself TBH on what the "actual" issues are, I just know I don't seem to have any control over it anymore. Can go from top of the hill to rock bottom in the click of my fingers, just can't control it.

[SpamDisco]

My wife was referred for counselling and a more natural/homoepathic type medication a few years back, she did find it very helpful, I think there can be quite a wait on the NHS, but I believe you can just pay per session for the same treatment if not using the NHS.

[chilistrucker]

Sadly my only option currently would be NHS. I know exactly what the root cause of my moods are but it is out of my control, if that makes sense. It frustrates me to have to hold my hands up and face the fact that I do have issues and that I have no control over them anymore but I know I need to address it. I just don't want to get put on some form of medication that becomes a long term thing. If certain things were to change tomorrow I know these mood swings would very quickly disappear. Crazy I know but most of it is out of my control, other than trying to control the mood swings.

[fttm]

Can I suggest some form of counselling referred via your GP ? Don't know if you've already tried this , if so and found no benefit try another one .Certainly with what you've been through over the last few years I'd strongly suggest it , could help you to learn some triggers and how to control your feelings . Best of luck mate

[SpamDisco]

Your doctor will not make you take anything that you are not happy with, if you make it clear what you want or don't want, iirc my wife paid about £20-£25 a session for alternative treatment/counselling (5ish years ago).

[chilistrucker]

fttm said:

Can I suggest some form of counselling referred via your GP ? Don't know if you've already tried this , if so and found no benefit try another one .Certainly with what you've been through over the last few years I'd strongly suggest it , could help you to learn some triggers and how to control your feelings . Best of luck mate

You can, and I think it may be what I need? I honestly don't know?
No I haven't tried counselling as I have always deliberately avoided it, (which I now see as a mistake.) Back then it would have felt I had admitted failure and as a proud man back then I couldn't of done that. I always said to myself and those around me that throughout all of this they would never beat me. I now realize they did, but not just beat me, virtually destroy.

I had kind of walked away from it in March this year as I had EXHAUSTED every possible avenue, and my Mrs and friends were telling me it was making me ill, they were right. Things went back to some form of normality as I could deal with/hide my anger at my situation and try and carry on with some form of normality.

The ironic thing is that due to the recent ombudsmans report that has now filled me with some hope of finally getting getting some form of justice, so the mood swings have come back, but this time with much more intensity. Perhaps it's because I may now finally be so close to getting all of their wrongs put right.

I sat here the other night with the Mrs and explained to her exactly what I was feeling in detail, this was the first time I have ever done this and it was very hard for me to do. Its hard to admit to your Mrs how much of a failure you feel you have been through no real fault of your own, and when you have put so much effort in to just trying to succeed. I told her I'd stared at the floor many times wondering what the point was in carrying on, sometimes I just wanted to curl up in a dark room and hope it would all go away. Luckily for me she gets it, and I would never have got through this without her by my side and I know how lucky I am that she has stuck by me throughout. The whole thing has cost us dearly but its not so much the financial side of things that bother me anymore, they can't take what we haven't got, its what they have cost us emotionally that angers me so much. They have turned me into a nasty person of late I literally feel like I could snap at the slightest issue. I really have to bite my tongue at work on a daily basis and that has never been my style, I never used to be this way.

I deliberately avoid phone calls from friends, and going to meals, parties etc as I hate off loading my st on to them when they ask, "Hows things?" They've all heard it, why should I keep off loading it on to my friends? (Easy to do it here, no one really knows me but I really appreciate the good advice.)
My closest mate phoned the other day and I answered as it had been a while, chatted about random st and he asked what was happening? I just said I was plodding along, didn't tell him about the recent chauffeur job interview or the latest developments on the whole DVLA/DMG story. I just wanted him to think everything was normal. It hasn't been normal for 2 and a half years. I've been invited to London on Sunday. My old tour friends are in town on the Chili Peppers tour so they want me to pop up for a drink and I should be able to blag a free ticket for the show, which is handy because I can;t afford to buy one After all this is my favorite band so I should really go.
The sad thing is, again I'm a bit apprehensive about going as in the back of my head it will just remind me of the good old days when life was normal and I had a job I was quite good at and loved.
Funny the cards we are dealt at times and the path it can lead us down and the way these things can affect you as a person.

[fttm]

You're a prime candidate , none of this ste was your fault . Take Mrs CT with you , the relief of opening up will be immense for both of you .Edit , I suffer with PTSD but life goes on , trust me .

Edited by fttm on Saturday 3rd December 05:28

[Rushjob]

Another one here, back injury left me in constant pain for 3 years which in turn cost me the job I loved, which then meant money was a big problem leaving me feeling an abject failure who was unable to properly support his family.
Turned out that I was suffering clinical depression and when I went to see my GP, his first comment was that he'd expected to see me about 6 months earlier and was surprised I'd lasted that long!
He arranged counselling for me with a brilliant counsellor who was most definitely not a touchy freely type, we got on really well and she provided me with the tools to cope with my then current state as well as giving me a much better self awareness of my mental state to give me early warning that I may be dipping a bit.
5 years later I'm ticking over just nicely and look back at my visit to the counsellor with thanks.
No messing about, go and see your GP
To use a motoring analogy, you've been driving far too long in a hazardous environment and your motor is well overdue a major service.

[Steve Campbell]

GP and then counselling or talking therapy as I think they now call it.

Sounds like you are "ready" for it which I think is an important step. Good luck.

[irocfan]

chilistrucker said:

You can, and I think it may be what I need? I honestly don't know?
No I haven't tried counselling as I have always deliberately avoided it, (which I now see as a mistake.) Back then it would have felt I had admitted failure and as a proud man back then I couldn't of done that. I always said to myself and those around me that throughout all of this they would never beat me. I now realize they did, but not just beat me, virtually destroy.

I had kind of walked away from it in March this year as I had EXHAUSTED every possible avenue, and my Mrs and friends were telling me it was making me ill, they were right. Things went back to some form of normality as I could deal with/hide my anger at my situation and try and carry on with some form of normality.

The ironic thing is that due to the recent ombudsmans report that has now filled me with some hope of finally getting getting some form of justice, so the mood swings have come back, but this time with much more intensity. Perhaps it's because I may now finally be so close to getting all of their wrongs put right.

I sat here the other night with the Mrs and explained to her exactly what I was feeling in detail, this was the first time I have ever done this and it was very hard for me to do. Its hard to admit to your Mrs how much of a failure you feel you have been through no real fault of your own, and when you have put so much effort in to just trying to succeed. I told her I'd stared at the floor many times wondering what the point was in carrying on, sometimes I just wanted to curl up in a dark room and hope it would all go away. Luckily for me she gets it, and I would never have got through this without her by my side and I know how lucky I am that she has stuck by me throughout. The whole thing has cost us dearly but its not so much the financial side of things that bother me anymore, they can't take what we haven't got, its what they have cost us emotionally that angers me so much. They have turned me into a nasty person of late I literally feel like I could snap at the slightest issue. I really have to bite my tongue at work on a daily basis and that has never been my style, I never used to be this way.

I deliberately avoid phone calls from friends, and going to meals, parties etc as I hate off loading my st on to them when they ask, "Hows things?" They've all heard it, why should I keep off loading it on to my friends? (Easy to do it here, no one really knows me but I really appreciate the good advice.)
My closest mate phoned the other day and I answered as it had been a while, chatted about random st and he asked what was happening? I just said I was plodding along, didn't tell him about the recent chauffeur job interview or the latest developments on the whole DVLA/DMG story. I just wanted him to think everything was normal. It hasn't been normal for 2 and a half years. I've been invited to London on Sunday. My old tour friends are in town on the Chili Peppers tour so they want me to pop up for a drink and I should be able to blag a free ticket for the show, which is handy because I can;t afford to buy one After all this is my favorite band so I should really go.
The sad thing is, again I'm a bit apprehensive about going as in the back of my head it will just remind me of the good old days when life was normal and I had a job I was quite good at and loved.
Funny the cards we are dealt at times and the path it can lead us down and the way these things can affect you as a person.

If I might add my t'upenceworth...
1 - kudos to you for even talking about it. IMO it's a good step
2 - while a friend might listen, a GOOD friend will always listen (how would you react if your issues were resolved/had never arisen and your best friend needed someone to talk to?)
3 - going to counselling can be a great idea. Make sure YOU are happy with with the one you see if you're not try another until you feel completely comfortable
4 - above all... good luck

[chilistrucker]

Thanks all.

I am at the quacks Tuesday to get the DVLA forms sorted, £75 that surprisingly the DVLA say they "may" pay if I get a receipt. Hmmmm, how odd that they are offering to be so helpful for a change.

My Mrs is insisting on coming with me and I will have a chat with the doctor about where my head is at the reasons behind it and see what they say? Thanks again for the advice, much appreciated.

[Willy Nilly]

Didnt you have a bad injury? PTSD?

[popeyewhite]

Generally counsellors listen to one person per session. There are reasons for this. If you're the one who wants to talk then go on your own. You will not talk in the same way with her present.

[Dr Jekyll]

chilistrucker said:

I'd prefer any form of natural remedy if there are any available?

Why?

[chilistrucker]

Dr Jekyll said:

chilistrucker said:

I'd prefer any form of natural remedy if there are any available?

Why?

Probably showing my ignorance here but for some reason I have this idea in my head that I don't want to become long term reliant on any form of medication. I also have concerns, (ignorance again) on if this could possibly cause yet more issues on me trying to get my LGV licences back?

I'm sure the doctor will tell me all the pros and cons.

[chilistrucker]

popeyewhite said:

Generally counsellors listen to one person per session. There are reasons for this. If you're the one who wants to talk then go on your own. You will not talk in the same way with her present.

Or get a word in

Willy Nilly, I did suffer some injuries in May 2014 after slipping over and the rear of my skull taking the initial impact. The injuries were not picked up on at first and I was released from hospital. 24 hours later I was back and after they did the tests it was discovered I had fractured my skull in 3 places and had 3 bleeds on the brain.

[popeyewhite]

chilistrucker said:

Or get a word in

When you go to counselling you are entering into a private and confidential(see the small print) 'contract' with your counsellor. Your session with the counsellor is a chance to explore emotional and relational issues in safety and privacy. Depending on the counselling model they will try to enter 'your world' in an attempt to see things the way you do. From this perspective, and as a respectful equal, they will help you talk about anything that's running through your mind, no matter how deeply embedded.

This won't work with your better half in the room I'm afraid.
I can heartily recommend the process.

[fttm]

popeyewhite said:

When you go to counselling you are entering into a private and confidential(see the small print) 'contract' with your counsellor. Your session with the counsellor is a chance to explore emotional and relational issues in safety and privacy. Depending on the counselling model they will try to enter 'your world' in an attempt to see things the way you do. From this perspective, and as a respectful equal, they will help you talk about anything that's running through your mind, no matter how deeply embedded.

This won't work with your better half in the room I'm afraid.
I can heartily recommend the process.

Without going into detail I beg to differ , it can be better with your partner fully involved , they're suffering the side effect of the crap that's going on , only right they get a chance to understand why .Maybe this works for some and not others.