Therapist on NHS?

i've suffered from depression off and on for 10 years.  i moved to the UK 2 years ago and have since been mostly okay.  but this month- it's getting longer and longer and i feel all the classic signs of needing help.  does the NHS offer therapy/counseling?  i live in the peterborough area- if that's any help. 

Yes, it does.  Go to your GP for a referral.

Ditto the above  - the NHS does provide this, make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.  Think it of as like any other ailment - you wouldn't hang around to see if a broken leg just got better! Hope you get the help you need.

Not to worry you but the wait list for an NHS psycho-therapist is quite long, like almost 2 years.  If you can afford to go privately, do it.  Your GP can provide you with anti-depressants though.  One of my dear friends has been waiting for an NHS therapist after a mental breakdown.  Still waiting...  seek help sooner rather than later and Good luck.   

Not to worry you but the wait list for an NHS psycho-therapist is quite long, like almost 2 years. 

This probably depends a lot on where she lives.  Maybe the waits are longer in London than elsewhere?

Not sure.. my friend lives in Aylesbury in Bucks. 

One of my friends has been waiting in Reading for over two years now. 

A little tip that can work,go to your GP and say you wish to see a consultant and will pay.The bride did this a few years back,she suffers with excema,nothing serious but irritating,the only relief she used to get was hospital in patient treatment.Went to the GP and was told there was an 18 month wait for admittance to the skin hospital,asked to see her own consultant privately paid him £30,and was admitted 2 days later.

Dave

I went thru the NHS last summer when I decided that I needed help with my depression. It took 3 months before I even got the evaluation appointment, and because I was suicidal at the time I sought help, the GP put me on oxactin in the meantime. I had the evaluation appointment in late September, but heard nothing for months. In January I went to the GP again, partly because of my shoulder,  and to find out what was happening with the therapy thing. My GP was surprised I hadn't heard anything yet, and made a phone call to the psychology dept, and they contacted me about an appointment. It turned out to be another evaluation appointment!  I went back to the GP again, and told her that after two evaluations, of which both councilers said I qualified for sessions, (you only get 6 total sessions btw,, after that, you are basically on your own!). She made another phone call, and they scheduled me to see the last counciler I had seen. I have not seen a proper therapist, just councilers.  I have actually written off seeking therapy from the NHS now. It's just too messed up to go thru them.  If you can afford it, try to see someone on your own. RELATE is quite good, even if they do specialize in couple counseling.  Good luck, and try to keep active doing things that keep you spirits up.

tebs- thanks for the referral to relate.  there's a center within walking distance to my work- perhaps i can arrange a longer lunch time etc.  all of this stems from the fact that i'm american, moved to UK, didn't want to become attached, fell in love, and now am being transferred to hong kong or singapore.  i'm deciding between quitting work (which b/c its a family owned company is very difficult), or moving to asia.  side note, i changed brands of the pill about 7 weeks ago (from a triphasic pill to the monophasic patcH).  i think this might be a contributing factor.  i took myself off the patch this morning and went back to my good old standby pill.  see if this change in medication helps at all.

any other referrals to counsellors?  i'll search around the net and see what i can find.  thank you all.

for as much as I seem to complain about my situation, I really shouldn't be I guess.  I hear about people not being able to get an NHS dentist (I just went in and signed up) and about issues like this (I also suffer from depression)  I talked to my GP, who put me on medication, and he immediately gave me a referral to a therapist, who in turn helped me by seeing me within weeks, and over the course of a few months, did some research and referred me to a more specific support group that they had in the area.  Between the both of them, they were fantastic.   I am now off of medication and doing 'ok' (I still have my moments, but don't we all).  I still see my GP regarding the depression about every month to make sure I am alright.  By the way, this is in West Yorkshire.

I'm sure it depends on what area you live in, and maybe how severe your case is judged to be, so don't worry either way - just see your GP as soon as possible and find out what the best plan is.

Good luck!   

Many times there are also other agencies that will be able to help you out at a low cost (sliding scale) or no fee.  I know we have a bunch around London that you can self refer to as well and the waiting time is much less than some others.  Best of luck!