Inconsistent help

[Dysfunctional]

Ohh no... FAIL FAIL FAIL... 

Went to talk to my GP.

Turns out I am not eligible for ATAPs, because I have a job.

You need a health care card as proof of eligibility.

I asked her for referral to an after hours service,

Said she could send me to the psychologists within the same service and that they work out of hours times too.

Tried to make a time at reception, (Receptionist pretty much announced to the whole room what I was there for)

and at the end of the very loud discussion we found that "after hours" is "Starting at 8:00am" "Finishing at 6:00pm"

Is there anyone out there who works 9-5 and also sees a psychologist?

Is there any demand for after hours service other than mine?

Sometimes I feel like I quadruple my stress just trying to seek help.

[Dysfunctional]

Good thing about that previous post

I DID go to see my GP!!! 

SUCCESS!!!

[Jay-Dee]

Hey Dysfunctional,

There are def psychs who have actual outside work hours - some will stay open late 1 or 2 nights a week or open on Saturdays. Try talking to your doctor as openly as you can and get a referral to someone who can fit you in around the rest of your life, it is possible You might even try to call a few places in the area and see what their hours are - then suggest those ones to your doc, you can take control of this yourself!

JD.

[NigioC]

Hey @Dysfunctional 

Sorry to hear that the ATAPS route didn't work out. So, when you say you saw your doctor does that mean you know have a referral for a psychologist using the Better Access Scheme? If you're not sure about this you can always call and ask.

If so, that means you can use this to get a rebate on up to 10 sessions per calendar year. Not awesome, but better than nothing.  And you can use it with any psychologist you choose.

So I would think the next step, as JayDee said, might be to start calling around local services to see who will see clients outside of standard office hours.

A bit of a punish but it may be the easiest way for you to find someone who can see you outside of work.

In the meantime, to help the stress levels, you could utilise the online support services listed here and maybe even give this a go. 

Let us know how you go. You're providing such great info for anyone else in your situation.