basically the past few years i have been in a pretty bad depression. lately its gotten worse as i am beginning to resent myself and everyone around me. i feel like i need help from someone and i’m not sure who to turn to.

arguement for psychologist- i feel like more than anything i need to talk to someone, there has never been anyone in my life who i felt comfortable with expressing my true emotions and feelings. being that my family has a history of depression on both sides, i was tempted to see a psychiatrist, get medication and be done with it. but i also believe things like this can’t be solved by taking a pill.

arguement for psychiatrist- on the other hand, earlier this year i went to the doctor and got a prescription for adderall. i used it everyday for a few months, and then just stopped taking it. i rarely use it now; i feel like adderall helped me learn how to really focus on a certain task. i was thinking maybe i could do the same thing with different meds, teach myself how to be upbeat and happy and wane myself off the meds.

does anyone share my feelings or have advice?
Psychiatrist. They can help you sort out your issues and also give you meds if they think it will help. I don’t know you so I’m not sure if the one before was right in prescribing you adderall…but I’d say find a new psychiatrist and see what they have to say about your depression.

Most people here in the Asylum can tell you from experience you have to try out therapists a few times until you find one that you like that seems to understand you and communicate in a way you prefer.
Start with a psychologist. If things don’t go well for you there, then move to a psychiatrist. A lot of anti-depression meds have bad side effects and long term effects that you don’t want to be with you, then again: depression is the worst long term side effect.

See if you can work it out by talking it out and approaching it yourself. Then decide if you need 3rd party help.
I’d go with the therapist. Behavioural and cognitive therapists can really help you get your thoughts under your own control. Its much more satisfying to get those things down on your own. The effects are also longer lasting because the skills they can teach you will be applicable for the rest of your life.

The chemical side of things can be much more cheaply (and IMO more effectively, with less side effects) done with better diet and excersize. Odds are the therapist will point you towards a psychiatrist to get meds anyway though.

If you can only choose one, talking to a trained CBT professional is much more productive in the long run than brooding over things on your own while hopped up on meds. The meds won’t change your way of thinking, they *might* simply improve your mood so your thoughts won’t affect you so much, but the thought processes that help lead to depression remain basically the same. I have done both CBT and meds, and I would highly recommend CBT but am very strongy against any mood altering drugs unless you are so far gone you can’t even make your CBT appointments.
See a psychologist first, he/she can better determine if medication is what is needed.

I don’t know if this changes your response at all, but i have lost ~80 lbs over the past 15 months. i feel sometimes the only thing keeping me sane is me striving to be fit.

Whats kinda excersize do you do and whats your diet like? If you’re losing weight from not eating enough thats not necessarily good either.
Agreed with the above. For the vast majority of people a psychologist or even a really good therapist with just a bachelors is enough. Most people don’t need the medication they are given and just need to rewire thier thinking or come to an understanding.

I know 2 psychiatrists pretty well and both would be superior I think if you had a medical condition that is more clinical in nature if that makes sense (Schizophrenia). What they lack is the people skills that I’ve seen in some psychologists and social workers. I chalk it up to different training, they are basically medical doctors.
Always see a psychologist first. If you can get over your issues just by communicating with another person and strengthening yourself without having to resort to meds, it is preferred.

If the psychologist thinks you won’t be able to do just that for whatever reason, they will point you in the direction to a good psychiatrist.

Start with the lesser option first and work towards more serious things if needed.
Do both. They work best in combination. Considering your depression is "pretty bad", there is no reason you should not treat the symptoms while also going after the root cause. Use RateMD.com to find a high quality psychiatrist. They’ll only treat you if they think you need it based on the clinical and objective presentations they observe through testing and or conversation. A good one won’t just throw meds at you, so do your homework by finding a few names and then looking them up on google.

Do the same for the Psychologist, or Social Worker. If you need further information, just ask.
^ Agreed. Both do different things, handle and treat different parts of depreession.
You must always try the psychological approach first. Never, ever take a pill unless your brain simply doesn’t work right. If you can learn to think differently, then that is what you should do.

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