Too Depressed For Therapy

[purple]

That is an option...the Congressman's office. I've contacted also the state-level vet's office at the Govenor's office (did this yesterday) and am hoping someone will contact me.

Meds. They started me back on Wellbutrin (100mg x1/day) last Friday. The new lady on Tuesday asked me how it was working...LMFAO....are you kidding me? The lowest possible dose and only been on it for 5 days? Duh. I know from experience it takes weeks for these types of meds to kick in.

[Pete53]

I saw a sign in Dallas VAMC that requested any Veteran who felt suicidal to call the 888 number and promised immediate help. For Larry it was about 10 Steps South of Valet Parking Desk. I should have taken a picture of it with my cell phone I will try and do that next time.

[purple]

*sigh* still waiting on the Vet Center to get back with me....

as for calling the 1-800 "talk" number...no. did that twice before, was hung up on twice before. plus i know what happens when a vet calls that number. they have caller id. they immediately access your personal info as well as your va medical records as the people answering the phone have access to VISTA. this is so wrong. the majority of the time, cops will end up at your door when maybe all you needed was someone to talk to.

[Pete53]

You can block your number from showing up on Caller ID

[LarryJ]

As Pete and I can attest to, if you mention the "S" word any where in or within a 2 mile radius of the Dallas VAMC-------you WILL get a response (seems it has something to do with the 3 or 4 suicides AT the Dallas VAMC within a couple of months last year or year before last (my short-term memory, alas, is lost and I can't seem to remember where I......).

I told the psychologist that was performing a C&P eval on me, when he asked if I had thoughts of suicide, that yea I did..........PANIC ensued.

I kept trying to tell him that I was NOT thinking about suicide at that particular moment, but that I had in the past and probably will into the future.

He never heard me, or maybe he did.

Hours later (I lost track of time but it could be numbered in double digits) I look up to find my wife coming down the hall. What's up with this?

Come to find out, they were NOT going to let me go home, until she promised to come get me and take my home and stay with me (she, fortunately, is an RN and she pulled the proper strings in the medical department).

So, now when I go to the VAMC I appear with a smile and a "devil-may-care" attitude...............in fear, literally, of being "locked-down" in a mattress-lined room!

But, looking on the bright side..............that's one way, at the Dallas VAMC at least, of aceing a mental C&P, I guess, although I didn't plan it that way, I was just being truthful with the dude.

[Pete53]

Larry:

Actually after becoming very annoyed by the question, "Have you had thoughts of hurting yourself"? I blurted out why don't you ask me if I have had thoughts about hurting you and glared at the poor woman who asked me the question.

Sometimes I get very annoyed and try as I must I try to be nice but when your pain is a 7 or 8 and I am tired and grumpy I can be mean.

Anyway after that episode I noticed that they always asked me both questions.