Oh just for reference, I'm refusing any type of anti-depressants if he so prescribes.

Last time I was on them, I was a completely different person (not happier either mind you), I couldn't think straight, I was slower and felt like I was walking underwater.

Please don't shoot yourself in the foot. There is an anti-depressant that will work for you; you just have to find it. The first three blood pressure meds my doctor prescribed for me didn't work or made me sick. The fourth one works like a charm. It took about six months to find the one that works. The same is true of anti-depressants. What works for you might not work for me.

But then, maybe he won't think you need one.

Be sure to ask him about weekly counseling sessions with him or someone else. Maybe the counseling will be enough, and you won't need meds too.

Thing is, most anti-depressants don't treat depression per se, they treat symptons like insomnia for one. I'm not suffering from any really bad symptom that needs addressing (I suffered from insomnia for a while and that's why I took some anti-depressants before).

I think he won't perscribe any but I don't see myself taking them if he does so and will probably try to reach an agreement about extra counseling or something along those lines.

Then, as a responsible client, you have the duty to tell him you will not take the prescribed pills. Why add lying to the mix?

P.S. You're incorrect about anti-depressants and what they do. I spent three years in grad school and a hunk of money to find out how they work.

That's actually what I said I would do "I'd try to reach an agreement over more conselling".

Psychiatrist called me a few days ago cause a patient of his died apparently and asked me if I want to take up his weekly timeslot which is Tuesdays at 17.00 .

So, I did visit him today and it turns out he doesn't want to prescribe anything for now but has pointed out something's for me to do.

He wants me to find an outlet for rage and stress and also wants me to double the amount of physical exercise or just add a 30 min run everyday around the block.

While he hasn't reached a complete assessment, he says I show signs of a really light case of bipolar disorder (apparently, most people's moods fluctuate but mine just fluctuate more apparently but not to the point of full blown bipolar disorder) and thinks he can treat it without the intervention of medication.

He mentioned signs of depression but isn't concerned with it for now, he wants to tackle one issue at a time and hopefully by the time he reaches depression, he'll have fixed the things that caused it.

So first off, his plan is to fix any underlying rage and stress issues.

Thought Wondergirl would have liked to know this.

WG is delighted to hear that you seriously are beginning to work on yourself!

The added exercise is good. What outlets for rage and stress might there be?

He didn't tell me to just do this or that.

Told me to try and figure out something, if I couldn't he would suggest something next week.

For now, I'm thinking of a boxing bag.

Or a big box of kittens (to pet obviously).

Is there an anger management course offered nearby at a community college or high school or park district?

As far as I know they're not very common. I'll ask around for it though.

What I'm thinkin' is, in an anger management class you would figure out WHY you are angry and learn how to mentally think yourself out of it. Getting a punching bag only encourages the anger and acting out, but doesn't allow you to learn how to redirect your energies.

Here's a bit from an anger management site --

What Individuals Can Do:

The first step in dealing with anger is to become aware of it. Learn how anger affects you, how you deal with it, and what triggers it in you. There are many ways to handle anger once you learn to recognize it and catch it early on. The American Psychological Association suggests the following:

Relaxation -- As simple as it sounds, basic relaxation exercises can be powerful tools in overcoming one's anger. Among these simple techniques are deep breathing; slowly repeating a relaxing phrase, such as "relax" or "take it easy"; using peaceful imagery to imagine a relaxing situation; and relaxing exercise, like yoga or tai-chi.

Cognitive Restructuring -- Cognitive restructuring is basically changing the way you think about things. This involves thinking more positively about a situation; avoiding terms like "always" and "never," which can be used to justify your anger; using logic on yourself to prevent irrational behavior; and learning to change your approach -- requesting rather than demanding, for example.

Problem Solving -- Not all anger is inappropriate. When there is a very real root to your anger, approaching the situation from the perspective of a problem solver can help to diffuse your strong feelings. Make a plan for how you can fix the situation and approach it with good intentions.

Better Communication -- Angry people tend to jump to conclusions and overreact. By slowing down and thinking about what you say, this problem can be avoided. Also, make sure you understand what other people are saying before responding to them. Listen to the reasons for others' anger and try not to be overly critical. Listening is as important to communication as speaking is.

Using Humor -- By refusing to take yourself too seriously, you can defuse your anger. Try using humorous imagery to lighten your mood or to make fun of yourself. However, you should avoid using sarcastic and harsh humor, which is simply another expression of anger. You should also avoid simply "laughing off" your problems, which ignores the issue at hand. Instead use humor to approach the problem more constructively.

Change Your Environment -- Oftentimes our environment contributes to our anger by causing irritation and fury. Make a point to take a break. Schedule personal time. When stress becomes too intense, simply get away for 15 minutes to regroup and refresh.

We have them all over the place around Chicagoland! What about taking a yoga or tai chi class? (Tai chi is basically karate -- the katas.)

Try Talking to a counselor. Or talking to a parent or an adult!! Does that help any?

Well I was like that when I was in the 6th grade I had no friends I was anti-social then I join'd wood shop and basket ball and that help mii out with self-esteem issues, anti-socialness, and laziness so that's what I say try to pla sports um tlk to people that seem to lik your stuff look at funny stuff laugh have fun and your life should get better.. comment one of my question thanks

And yha talk to a counselor that works for me. Parents are confuseing

2nd visit to my psychiatrist and he seems to think that I place far too much pressure on myself and set unrealistic goals for myself as well.

He also argues that it is due to these 2 factors that I can't be happy, he thinks that I lose self-esteem every single time I fail at a goal set by myself, consciously or unconsciously. He also tried to get me to find a way to allow myself to take the pressure off but is still unsure of the root of the issue. He wants me to think about the possible roots to this and to take it back to him next week.

He's also pretty pleased with the 30 min relaxation time I've been taking for myself after each hot shower but still wants me to get more than 30 minutes of relaxation in.

He conceded tackling stress right away at my request since I'm in my exam period so I suggested that perhaps my stress is higher than usual so it wouldn't be accurate to pinpoint my stress level at this time.

Anyway, that's the summary of my 2nd visit to a psychiatrist. Hope you have fun analysing it Wondergirl. :)