Should I put off treatment for a few weeks? Posted: 10-12-06 17:52pm
I am active duty military stationed
onboard a ship. We are currently at sea
and will be pulling into port in a few
weeks. I have asked to see a mental
health professional because I suspect I
may be suffering from depression and/or
personality disorders. I can't tell you
what the cause is but I think I may be
from a number of things, including my
past.
Since we will not be pulling into our
homeport, I asked to go to a hospital that
I do not normally go to. We will only be
here for 3 weeks so any long term care I
receive will not begin here. This is
something I want to get looked at right
away because my symptoms keep getting
worse. I am afraid they are going to ask
me to wait until we get home 3 weeks after
we pull in. The 3 weeks we are pulling in
will most likely be the most stressful 3
weeks of the year. It is not something I
am looking forward to and will most likely
make me feel much worse.
My question is...does putting off
treatment for depression for a few weeks a
bad idea? I just don't want my symptoms
to get any worse.
|
DoctorAnswer
Doctor Answer
Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 16777211
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Depression Answer A1644 Posted: 10-17-06 08:25am
You haven’t mentioned any mental
symptoms other than a suspicion that you
may be suffering from depression. You can
go to this new hospital, at least to be
examined by a psychiatrist. If you are
diagnosed with any depressive disorder you
probably won’t need to stay in the
hospital but may be prescribed medication
(antidepressants). Severe cases of
endogenous (psychotic) depression where
there is possibility of suicide require
hospitalization. In your case, it
doesn’t seem likely that you suffer from
such a form of depression. Nonetheless,
it seems best to follow your instincts and
ask for help. It sounds as if you are
ready for it.
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