Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

3 WEEKS? my finals will be over by then :/

Well, yeah, that's why it's not a good idea to wait until the last minute. Especially now when they're much busier due to exams. That's a ridiculously short wait compared to outside of the university though. You would be waiting for months.

I'd recommend seeing a doctor, if you don't want to wait a few weeks to see a counselor, but you might as well try calling anyways - they might have a last-minute cancellation or something and be able to fit you in.

Originally Posted by starfish

Well, yeah, that's why it's not a good idea to wait until the last minute. Especially now when they're much busier due to exams. That's a ridiculously short wait compared to outside of the university though. You would be waiting for months.

I'd recommend seeing a doctor, if you don't want to wait a few weeks to see a counselor, but you might as well try calling anyways - they might have a last-minute cancellation or something and be able to fit you in.

I will call in and see what they say, but how is a doctor gonna help?I mean thats for medical reasons isn't it?

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

I will call in and see what they say, but how is a doctor gonna help?I mean thats for medical reasons isn't it?

It sounds like you have depression. Even if that isn't the case, some doctors are more than happy to sit with you to talk about things, and they can help find options and stuff. Also, if you're having trouble academically because of your problems, the doctor is the one who will be able to offer the most help.

I would definitely recommend going in. All of the doctors I have seen there have been wonderful, understanding, and extremely easy to talk to. Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon.

hmm..... So i too have been wanting to go and talk to them about something, but i keep convincing myself that its just in my head and im making excuses for not doing so well lately. And for some reason I keep assuming that if i do go in they will tell me the same thing, that its all in my head, which would be worse than there actually being something wrong for me. I also dont know who i would talk to about this; a psychiatrist or a doctor... so i keep second guessing my decision to talk to someone. (i know im being vague but i rather not divulge whats wrong on a forum)
,,,

... so what im getting at is... are the doctors really ok with someone coming in and talking to them about something they might not be responsible for? and do you suppose they will just push it aside as something minor/ in my head (the reason i worry about this the most is because its happened in the past with something physical and it got pushed aside as nothing for some time before they took it seriously - but it wasn't here, it was in Toronto)

EDIT; this isn't anythign to do with exams, more like a persistent issue for over a year, not sure if its gotten worse or not, but yea, im not stressing over exams

Sounds like you are unprepared for your exams and in a mode of panic. You should just try your best to study for the remaining finals and do your best in those, and learn from this year.

If something was actually wrong, you would have done action to find the best help in order to prevent further damage, but in your post, you said you forgot. You don't forget important stuff.

Originally Posted by wesiscool

Sounds like you are unprepared for your exams and in a mode of panic. You should just try your best to study for the remaining finals and do your best in those, and learn from this year.

If something was actually wrong, you would have done action to find the best help in order to prevent further damage, but in your post, you said you forgot. You don't forget important stuff.

I find this a little bit offensive. Sometimes, even though seeking help is the most important thing to do, it's the hardest thing to do. Action can feel next to impossible.

I'm sure you didn't mean to sound offensive, but it is the "buck up" comments like these that belittle people's problems and make it even harder for people to seek help.

Originally Posted by Chevalier

hmm..... So i too have been wanting to go and talk to them about something, but i keep convincing myself that its just in my head and im making excuses for not doing so well lately. And for some reason I keep assuming that if i do go in they will tell me the same thing, that its all in my head, which would be worse than there actually being something wrong for me. I also dont know who i would talk to about this; a psychiatrist or a doctor... so i keep second guessing my decision to talk to someone. (i know im being vague but i rather not divulge whats wrong on a forum)
,,,

... so what im getting at is... are the doctors really ok with someone coming in and talking to them about something they might not be responsible for? and do you suppose they will just push it aside as something minor/ in my head (the reason i worry about this the most is because its happened in the past with something physical and it got pushed aside as nothing for some time before they took it seriously - but it wasn't here, it was in Toronto)

EDIT; this isn't anythign to do with exams, more like a persistent issue for over a year, not sure if its gotten worse or not, but yea, im not stressing over exams

Well, a psychiatrist is a doctor, and you need to see a GP first to get a referral to the psychiatrist, so there's not really a choice to make in terms of who to see.

If the doctor doesn't feel like they're the right person to deal with your problem then they'll be able to refer you to someone who can. They're a good place to start, though.

Originally Posted by HiddenTruth

3 WEEKS? my finals will be over by then :/

You initially posted in February that you're feeling lost. We all put things off/forget, but you probably should have sought out help earlier knowing that you have a stressful time ahead of you. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.

Re: being annoyed that you aren't being seen ASAP: Mental health resources are scarce. The wait list to see a counselor is long because they're not covered outside of the school and there are tons of people who require emergent appointments (e.g. suicidal, debilitating traumatic events). You can't expect someone to drop everything they're doing to respond to you in 24 hours because although you're going through a difficult time it doesn't sound like an emergency. If it is (e.g. you're going to kill yourself, kill another person) then you can go to the ER to be seen the same day.

I mean thats for medical reasons isn't it?

If the physician believes that you're depressed, then yes it is a medical issue. Medications can help you get through a difficult time until you're able to see a psychologist for counselling. Often they're able to see you faster and get you in to counseling faster ...

Edit:

In the meantime, you might find https://moodgym.anu.edu.au useful. CBT is a common technique that is used for people with mental health disorders.

There's a MSS McMaster peer support meeting on the 23rd. Topic may not be relevant to you, but discussions tend to just go where they may; there are usually a lot of people who are going through or have gone through the exact same thing as you are in attendance and may have advice, or tips.