Talking to a doctor about your mental health can be hard, but you can use this practical guide to know what to expect and get the care you need. Mental health should be taken as seriously as your physical health, so you should be able to approach your doctor with confidence.
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Finding The Best Doctor For You
You can change doctors whenever you want. You might think about changing to a new doctor for a few reasons:
- It might be more convenient to find a practice that offers specialized services, such as for postnatal depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia. Phone the practice to ask what they offer.
- If you feel that you have a bad relationship with your practice or do not get along with your doctor, you might want to look for another practice in your area which offers better or more friendly service. You can look for reviews online to find a practice who might suit you better.
You can ask the receptionist at the practice if there is a doctor with a specialist interest in mental health, and ask to see them instead of your usual doctor. It might also be possible to ask to see a male or female doctor if that makes you more comfortable. You don’t need to tell the receptionist why you want the appointment. If they ask, tell them you would prefer not to say.
How long you will have to wait for your appointment will vary, and will depend on how busy the practice is. If you need to see someone urgently, then you might be able to arrange an emergency appointment through the reception. If you want to see a particular doctor, then you may have to be prepared to wait until that person is available.
Preparing For Your Appointment
Before your appointment, it might be helpful to write down what you want to talk about to make sure don’t forget anything that you want to bring up. Take a few minutes before your appointment to write down a quick list of the things you want to bring up.
Write down any symptoms of how you have been feeling, and how your mood is affecting your daily life. Make a note of any key personal information that might be useful for your doctor to know, such as upsetting events from your past or current stressful events.
Make a list of your medical information, including any other physical or mental health conditions that you have, and the names and amounts of medications, herbal remedies, or supplements that you take. You can take a friend or family member with you for support if this would make you feel more comfortable.
Write down some questions you want to ask, such as:
- What type of mental health problem might I have?
- Why can’t I get over this problem on my own?
- How is this illness treated?
- Will counseling or psychotherapy help?
- Are there medications that could help?
- How long will treatment take?
- What can I do myself?
- Do you have any printed material that I can have?
- What websites do you recommend?
As well as the questions that you have prepared, don’t be afraid to ask more questions if there is anything that you don’t understand.
During Your Appointment
A typical doctor’s appointment is around ten minutes long, which a lot of patients (and even doctors) feel is not enough time to communicate everything that you need to. You can ask to book a double appointment if you feel you will need more time to discuss what is worrying you.
Try to be as open and honest with your doctor as you can. They will ask questions to get a clear picture of your health, so give them all the details about your symptoms. Use the notes that you have prepared to help you if you need them.
Opening up about your feelings can be hard to do, especially with someone that you don’t know. However, remember that doctors are trained to deal with sensitive issues in a professional and supportive way, so there is no need to feel awkward or embarrassed. Everything that you tell them is confidential unless you are worried that you might be a danger to yourself or others.
Your doctor might make a diagnosis and can suggest some treatment options that might help you, such as a prescription for medication, making a referral to a talking therapy service, referring you to a specialist mental health service, or giving advice on maintaining your own wellbeing.
