I have told my parents about my self harm and to help me, we are seeing the doctor next friday, i'm nervous and was wondering if anyone can tell me what they will ask? whats it like? someone help me please?
Keep your chin up, and we might just get though this together.
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on telling your parents. :) That is an amazing and brave thing to do and hopefully you now can get the help you need.
When my parents took me to the doctors for self harm, they first of all asked questions like where do you do it, what do you use, etc. They will probably ask to see the SH also. You can say no, they cannot force you to do anything or answer any question. (unless you are in serious danger.) However, this will help greatly and they will be able to make sure the wounds are not infected and will heal okay. Then she'll ask you why you do it. If you're like me, and aren't good with answering questions like that, then she might break it down in to questions like "Has anything happened thats been stressing you out recently?" or "Have you been feeling down a lot?" In the end, she might offer some distractions, some tips, or ask if you think a counsellor/therapist/psychologist would be helpful.
I was very very scared when I first went, and was very reluctant to talk about anything. But they should be friendly, non-judgemental and have a good understanding of why people SH. They can offer you some help and options and I have never regretted going. :)
Talking to your parents about SI is such a hard thing to do- that's wonderful! You are very, very strong for being able to do that :)
When I've gone to therapy for self-harm, they usually ask where, why, how long, and how I do it. They ask about family situations, siblings, anything stressful going on, etc to get an idea of what's going on. They've also asked about interests or hobbies that could replace SI.
The doctor has been pretty much the same, except they also look into medications.
And I'm still so happy to hear you're opening up :) Wow... stay strong!
*hugs and love*
"God take me, because I hate me" -Underoath
We are male and female. We are artists, athletes, and students. We have depression, PTSD, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, or maybe no diagnosis at all. Some of us were abused, some not. We come from all walks of life and can be any age. We are every race or religion that you can think of. Our common link is this: We are in pain. We self-injure. And we are not freaks.
Like the others have said, Congratulations on telling your parents, that's a brave and sometimes a hard step to take. I too was asked similar questions that have been mentioned above, but I was also asked how is my eating (under or over eating), sleep pattern and had I gone as far planning to kill myself. But all consultations will be different. I think all I can say now is that don't be scared, doctors are there to help and offer the best form of treatment weather it be through medication or therapy. I think also be honest with them.
Good luck with everything in terms of your recovery and try not to feel discouraged if you don't get the "answers" you were looking for.
Everyone seems to have covered what will happen inthe doctors, just wanted to say well done on taking the first massive step :D try and relax at the doctor, and make sure you're happy with the outcome of the appointment. And if you'd find it easier to talk without your parents in the room, ask them to wait outside :)
Let the Force be with you
I'm not short, I'm space efficient
thank you all so much for the posts I'm grateful of your help, the doctors appointment wasn't so bad, just went weird when he said he thought i was being dramatic but what does he know? anyways thank you all again and if you need advice or someone to talk to just PM me anytime xxxxx
Keep your chin up, and we might just get though this together.
I'm glad the appointment was alright :) It sounds like you had a pretty good attitude about it, which makes things even better. I sure hope all this works out for you! *hugs*
"God take me, because I hate me" -Underoath
We are male and female. We are artists, athletes, and students. We have depression, PTSD, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, or maybe no diagnosis at all. Some of us were abused, some not. We come from all walks of life and can be any age. We are every race or religion that you can think of. Our common link is this: We are in pain. We self-injure. And we are not freaks.
Seeing the GP is seriously nothing to worry about. They have training in mental health problems as well as physiological problems. If your parents go in with you to start with for support the doctor might ask them to leave and wait in the waiting room at some point. They will then evaluate the situation by asking about your history, the severity of your symptoms etc... They might even give you a small questionaire to fill out. They might refer you to a psychiatrist or they might refer you to your local EWB team. They might talk to you about medication. Just remember to be completely honest as lies at this stage can be annoying to rectify in the future.
