Zaphod Beeblebrox
13-11-08, 09:57
I am a woman of forty-something, who has struggled to cope with life for a long time. I have interpreteted my main trouble as depression, and have been medicated for depression by my GP. This summer we decided it would be wise to get me to a psychologist for an assessment. The theory at the time was that I might suffer from bipolar disorder.
I have been seeing the psychologist for a few weeks now, and yesterday she said that she was ready to conclude and to give a diagnosis. I am going back in two weeks for more details, but she spilt the beans yesterday, on my request. She does not believe I am bipolar, but that I have an anxiety disorder, and that it is the cause of my depressions.
It is clear to me that I have a streak of agoraphobia that can at times lead to panic attacks. This, however, I have not interpreted as important or debilitating enough to be the cause of my long depressions. My psychologist will no doubt say more about the nature of my anxiety disorder when I see her again in two weeks, but I suspect she might suggest that i suffer from generalised anxiety disorder and/or agoraphobia.
For me, the next step is to accept and understand this, and then to find out how to treat this "new" disorder in the best possible way. I am now on 20 mg. of citalopram (Cipralex) daily for the depression, but the psychologist believes that this may not be the best treatment for me in the future. There are self help groups in my area, and I guess I will be offered to start treatment sessions with the same psychologist that has assessed me.
Other things to say about me? I am married, have no children, and enjoy sailing and gardening in my spare time. I work full time, though I have been off on a long sick leave earlier because of depression. I have found this autumn stressful, and have had to call in sick more days than I want to, but have managed to stay clear of long term abscence.
Those of you who know your "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" will know that Zaphod Beeblebrox is the president of the galaxy. He has two heads and three arms, and has sectioned off a part of his brain to protect his grand scheme. This part of the brain is no longer accessible to anybody, so he is driven by a scheme that is a secret even to himself... And according to Douglas Adams: "He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which".
I have been seeing the psychologist for a few weeks now, and yesterday she said that she was ready to conclude and to give a diagnosis. I am going back in two weeks for more details, but she spilt the beans yesterday, on my request. She does not believe I am bipolar, but that I have an anxiety disorder, and that it is the cause of my depressions.
It is clear to me that I have a streak of agoraphobia that can at times lead to panic attacks. This, however, I have not interpreted as important or debilitating enough to be the cause of my long depressions. My psychologist will no doubt say more about the nature of my anxiety disorder when I see her again in two weeks, but I suspect she might suggest that i suffer from generalised anxiety disorder and/or agoraphobia.
For me, the next step is to accept and understand this, and then to find out how to treat this "new" disorder in the best possible way. I am now on 20 mg. of citalopram (Cipralex) daily for the depression, but the psychologist believes that this may not be the best treatment for me in the future. There are self help groups in my area, and I guess I will be offered to start treatment sessions with the same psychologist that has assessed me.
Other things to say about me? I am married, have no children, and enjoy sailing and gardening in my spare time. I work full time, though I have been off on a long sick leave earlier because of depression. I have found this autumn stressful, and have had to call in sick more days than I want to, but have managed to stay clear of long term abscence.
Those of you who know your "Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" will know that Zaphod Beeblebrox is the president of the galaxy. He has two heads and three arms, and has sectioned off a part of his brain to protect his grand scheme. This part of the brain is no longer accessible to anybody, so he is driven by a scheme that is a secret even to himself... And according to Douglas Adams: "He attacked everything in life with a mix of extraordinary genius and naive incompetence, and it was often difficult to tell which was which".