Enough Professional help for S.A.D?

[028ellie81]

Hi everyone

Do you think there is enough help and awareness for S.A.D I only stumbled across it on the internet after going through a bad period of depression and bullying through work. I haven't been to my doctor because I am afraid I will be laughed at and dismissed. I am also worried about having a certified mental illness on my medical records. What do you all think?

 

[MrSunday]

Most of these professional people are clueless from my experience. I rarely meet people that say medicine actually helps. It can make things worse.

Not many people are aware of social anxiety disorder. Even those that suffer from this disorder may not be aware of it. I only discovered this disorder after exploring the Internet.

 

[kihira]

Social phobia/social anxiety disorder is a relatively common disorder that most medical professionals would be aware of these days, I suggest asking your doctor about it. In the unlikely event that they don't take you seriously, then see someone else. Your medical records should be private and having mental health problems is not something to feel ashamed about, its experienced by a large percentage of the population

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Social_phobia?open

 

[O'Killian]

You should see your doctor if you think you need to. I'm a bit cynical, but any health professional that's worth half a damn should at least be eager to take your money rather than laugh at you, and it may help in the long run. It's my understanding that the disorder is well-known and taken seriously.

As far as awareness outside the medical field, I hadn't given it much thought. There was a commercial (back in the not-so-distant past when you couldn't just TiVo through it) about social anxiety disorder. At the time I didn't actually suffer from it, but the term was stuck in my mind, and I have a very bad habit of assuming everybody knows what I know. I knew it existed, but I was (and am) reluctant to say. "Yeah. I have that. Let's talk to a professional about it," though I don't feel that it's crippling for me.