Scared to get help because of what others will think of me
My depression has been its worse recently to the point its been affecting my job. I want to get help without it interfering with my job and other people wondering what Ive been doing. (I.E. missing training to go seek help or go to appointments)I just want it to keep it as lowkey as possible. Its hard to keep it discrete because Im in the military and during the work day people usually want to know where Im at or we get off late and the clinic would be closed by then. What should I do?
@ReMarcable It sounds like fear of other people's opinions has become a barrier to getting the help you need for your depression. It also sounds like you've been dealing with symptoms of depression for some time now and that you feel you would benefit from treatment. Consider what is likely to happen if you don't get treatment, depression does not usually go away on its own and left untreated things could get worse and potentially more difficult to hide from your colleagues. If you were to get treatment do you have to tell people why you're going to the clinic, if asked could you not keep things vague? It is not for me or anyone else to tell you what to do only you can make the right decision for you. I have zero experience of life in the military, but in general, among civilian the population, there has been a lot of work going into breaking down the stigma that in the past has served as a barrier to getting help for mental health problems.
@IrisViolet it
@ReMarcable I'm sorry it's so difficult with your work situation, prejudice from others is the last thing you need right now. Do you have to tell them why you're at the clinic though? If asked could you say something along the lines of "Oh, it'll be fine now I'm taking care of it", "I have an issue that needs regular check-ups" or something similarly evasive? You could just lie and say you're getting physio for a minor injury. Alternatively, have you considered online therapy with a qualified therapist either through 7 cups or one of the many other companies that offer similar services. That way you can schedule your appointments outside of your work hours. Some companies even offer text messaging services or telephone consultations to try to make things as easy as possible for you.
Update: Got the courage to schedule an appointment, and told my medic. It went smoother than i thought and now I just have to wait till the appointment. Thanks for the support
@ReMarcable that's good to hear. I'm glad you've managed to schedule an appointment and that things went better than expected. I know it took a lot of courage to reach out, so be proud of yourself. I hope things continue to go smoothly for you and that you find your therapy sessions helpful. You can do this, some days will be harder than others but you've got this.