NHS Waiting List for therapy

I've been waiting for about a year now to get therapy and got an email the other day saying that it could be another year before i get seen....

I hate the fact that i'm just sitting and waiting for the appointment to come through and i keep asking my doctor what the heck i can do while i'm waiting cos somedays i can feel incredibly depressed and i just want to give up and hide away, but all i get is a list of books that 'might be worth reading'

I've got a book on anxiety and a relaxation cd and stuff but i find it so hard to actually read it or do the cd.. its kind of like i dont want to think i've got the problem, or maybe its because i really cant be bothered to do it.. i dont know..

i've spent a absolute fortune on hypnotherapy and that did absolutly nothing for me - except drain my savings account. now i have no money, no hope and i dont really know why i'm jabbering on!!! hmm.

Are you near Woking?

http://www.wokingmind.org.uk/

:) Hi Star :)

Poor you- the waiting is the worse bit, especially if you've already had some treatment - You feel like you're just getting somewhere then its back to square one. I know what you mean about the motivation thing too - Its hard to take advice when you're at the stage where you need someone to really set you on the right path.

Don't lose heart though; See what charitable organisations there are near you (I know; you probably don't see the point or can't be bothered right now but next time you have a second/minute/hour/day where you don't feel quite so bogged down with it all; pounce! Go & do something good for yourself while you have the energy!) & see if they can get you some more immediate help; lots of people on here seem to have those fascilities near them - Maybe start a thread asking if anyone can help you out or give you a number to call or something?

Even if there's nothing like that near you (There wasn't near me) then there are still things you can do in the meantime; like the books that guide you through a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course (I got David Burns' Feeling Good, The New Mood Therapy from Amazon for 1p + £1.00 P&P so you don't have to break the bank! And it helped LOADS) as CBT is probably the kind of therapy you will be offered anway, so its a bit like kick-starting the process while you wait for your number to be called!

It took 18 months for me to be seen but as the mist clears, the therapy will even help you to let go of the years of your life you've lost to anxiety/panic/depression while you're waiting around for help. Good luck with eveything!
Take care, CarpeDiem
xxxxxx

You could try the No Panic telephone recovery course in the meantime.

Read this thread too...

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=21566

I gave up on therapy from nhs in the end. Made me 10 times worse just waiting.

Stu

I'm on an 18 month waiting list :(

I was on a 2 year waiting list & when I first heard that I thought "I'll have killed myself before I get that far". Then a year + a half in, someone dropped out of treatment so my number was called 6 months early!
Don't lose heart - It's worth the wait & there are so many things you can do in the meantime. One of the first things you need to know is what you're hoping to get out of the therapy (besides the obvious; "to not feel like sh*t anymore") so start thinking about whats important to you for your future. Work out some goals for yourself. Also, you'll quickly realise the therapist has no intention of doing anything for you - Its all about what you put in. So you can start anytime. Why not today? You managed to go & talk to your GP + although you went there asking for help you still did something for yourself. So really you've already started the process - You don't have to wait around for a therapist before you can continue what you've alreay begun.