How to cure depression?

[Aractus]

You neglect to factor in the stigma many people have against mental illness, including depression.

I don't hold that stigma. From your post it seems that some GP's do however, and yes that is a problem because patients with mental health problem will see GP's, even if there's nothing the GP himself can do for them.

My last episode, which was linked to postpartum depression, I went into my GP and told him I was depressed and anxious. He told me to go to church... I explained that I wasn't religious. He basically said, well that's too bad. I muddled through the depression for another couple of months and wound up being hospitalized when I became suicidal. The GP never followed up with me and never referred me to a psychiatrist. Some people need referrals to see a psychiatrist, so their starting place is with a GP.

This is exactly why I believe the GP should be required to refer people who he is prescribing antidepressants to after a certain time. His suggestion that you go to church probably was intended as a way to have you interact with supportive people - when you're depressed you need people in your life to support you - friends, family, colleagues, neighbours, etc. If you didn't want to go to a church, you could have tried other community groups - weight watchers, etc. Some friends I have were in a support group that met once a week based on AA (but not specifically to do with alcoholism) so that whatever people's problems were - drugs, depression, anger, sex-addiction, etc, they could share and support with each other. It was a non-religious group although all the friends I had that went were Christians (although most of the others in the group weren't).

I was anxious to the point of paranoia, and wasn't comfortable going to a psychiatrist on my own. That's what we call medical negligence. People who say they need help should get it, even if they only go see their GP.

I'm sorry to hear that, and I agree with you that GP's should refer their patients whenever they see a need.