Trouble with anxiety and looking for tips onself introspection.

[failedmantra]

Hello,

I guess you could say im new to the mental health discussion when it comes to myself. Up until recently ive always been a subscriber to the belief that I should just deal with it in quiet. I pretty much have a nonexistent support network and I dont feel comfortable sharing with the people that do care. I am having trouble communicating to my doctor on how im feeling.

I was wondering if any of you have some tips or practices that you went through when you first started to open up to a doctor about what you were feeling. Ive gone through various medications with my doctor and none have worked and I feel that it might be partly to do with how ive been explaining to him what ive been feeling. I have a hard time putting my feelings into words and when I do begin to open up its hard for me to stay composed and focused on what im saying.

In short, does anyone have tips on how to 1)feel more comfortable opening up and 2) more effectively "look deeper inside myself" if you will and put into words what's bothering me and how i feel.

Thanks

[Auror.]

To be honest, it almost sounds more like what you are wanting is therapy, as it can help you learn how to feel comfortable opening up and looking inside yourself.

That said, the few things currently coming to my mind are thinking about what you want to get out of the discussion with your doctor and starting from there. If you are wanting to try something different/new, then you might need to actually say that explicitly. You might then work backwards to think of reasons why you want to try something different. You can also just straight up say that you don't think you are communicating what is going on effectively. With regards to how you are feeling, if you are unsure what to say, you could also talk about the impact that things are having in your life, for example you are having trouble sleeping, or having trouble focusing which is making it difficult to do your job, or function at home. Whatever the situation may be.

It might also help to think about how you best communicate. For me that tends to be writing, so I write things out versus trying to speak. If it is hard in the moment to speak honestly, maybe you can try writing out a script in advance, either to read from, or even to just give to them if you have to. It's always better to communicate openly and honestly about how you are doing, even if it might not always be able to be done verbally.

But yea, to be honest, therapy is a really good tool for working on exploring what's going on within yourself and learning how to trust and open up to someone in a safe and controlled environment.

[shadow-light]

what i've tended to do in the past is write a note and hand it to the doctor, I find otherwise I either forget to or actively avoid telling them some things. LIke I will know logically and rationally that they need to know X but once it comes time to say it I will panic and freeze and say something else, or sometimes i'd just basically lose the ability to speak (very frustrating).



bit harder now everything is by phone though... written communication with doctors is basically out






I fully agree with Auror on therapy too, soudns like to would be useful to you, not only as they will be able to help you explore your mind and put things into words, but also as sometimes it's easier to open up to them than a doctor

[Scottmm]

Have a good day! Usually, rehabs are like hospitals with everyday therapy for drug/alcohol addicted people.

[Pi.R^2]

Closing due to age. OP, feel free to get in touch if you want the thread reopened at any time.