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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How do I find the right specialist for depression?

    Related Topics
    Depression Mental Health
    my sister was a functioning human being 2 months ago. now on medication up to her eyeballs, and can't talk. diagnosed major depressive disorder, she is unable to answer questions or ask questions. How do I find someone who can help her without all these drugs??
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  • Grace Gonzalez

    Counsellor, Psychotherapist

    I am a counsellor with over two decades of experience working with non-for-profit organisations, private organizations, secondary education, community health services, and private practice in … View Profile

    Hi;
    Even though your sister might be on medication, the medication is not a cure but an ongoing treatment to help with the symptoms of what is causing the depression. You say your sister was fine until two months ago but what caused her to approach a doctor for medication in the first place is of interest to me in order to answer your question in more depth.

    Nevertheless, in addition to medication it would be advantageous for your sister to experiment with psychotherapy if she has not done this already. You say she was fine and a functioning human being so maybe she did not have the need to experiment with psychotherapy in the past.

    Maybe you could accompany her, if she agrees of course, to her doctor to discuss psychotherapy or other therapies depending on what it is that is causing the depression?  For example has something happened to her in the last 2 months that might have caused it (trauma)?  Or has she been diagnosed with something else?  Eg: a physiological condition (psychiatrist condition).

     Regardless of the original cause counselling and psychotherapy can introduce your sister to new ways of approaching the problem at hand than just taking medication.

    If she agrees and her doctor supports this direction of psychotherapy, I would suggest an emotion based approach, for example Humanist or Jungian approach which looks at her life as a unique expression of her way of relating to the external world and herself.

    Good luck! and do not hesitate to ask for further information, you sister is lucky to have you to do this for her during this difficult time.

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