Seeing a doctor for the first time

[Flip]

hey so not sure if this topic has been talked about a million times but if so could anyone direct me to a thread about it?

anyway i was just wondering if anyone could tell me about what i should expect from going to see my doctor about my anxiety and depression for the first time.
i'm worried on how to phrase it to them and also what kinds of questions and suggestions should i expect on the first visit?
will they just talk to me for awhile then tell me to come back in a few weeks?
i'm also expecting them to just tell me about changing diets and exercise which i understand can help and have been doing for the past 6 months but nothings helped
also what sorted of treatments would they suggest first?
is there anything i can be doing in the lead up?

thanks for any help

[Snow White.]

I wish you all the very best with your appointment.

You may find this link helpful, I know I did as I recently saw a psychiatrist about my anxiety.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gen...ur-appointment

It has a list on there about questions your doctor may ask so it is worth considering those. Generally,t hey want to know about the experience for you and how you are affected, how long it has been going on and if it is triggered by anything.

There's also a list of things to consider in the lead up to the appointment.

What they suggest will vary so I can't comment on that but if you feel you've been trying diet/exercise and it hasn't alleviated your symptoms you should let them know what (and anything else you have already tried, for that matter).

As for phrasing it, take a deep breath, and just talk about what you're concerned about. I sat down with my psychiatrist and said something like 'I'm experiencing a lot of anxiety and it's getting very difficult to deal with', and from there we explored it some more.

[Darkest before the dawn]

When i went to the doctors for the first time he could see it on my face that something was up.i just came out and said hey i think i have anxiety. i told him everything that was happening like not sleeping not eating and being a prisoner of my own emotions. he prescribed me a very low dose of zoloft and said i needed to make an appointment with psychiatrist. Their number btw was on the back of my health insurance card. info i wish somebody would have told me sooner lol.

[Flip]

thanks so much guys. just hearing about peoples first visit has eased the knot in my stomach a little.
also snow white - that link is very helpful thank you so much :)

[Wonderland.]

I do hope it goes well, thats a great step forward reaching out for support!

Let us know how it goes!

[random.swirls]

Are you talking about a visit to a GP or an assessment with your mental health team.

If its a visit to your GP it will be brief as they don't have long appointments. I can imagine they will ask you if anything has happened to cause this, ask whether your a risk to yourself e.g. suicide, do you want to go on medication or would you prefer a referral to the mental health team.

You may find they prescribe you medications and ask for you to make an appointment in a few weeks and if things aren't any better than at that point they may refer you regardless.

I know when I went I was given a form to fill in that asked how I had found things over the last few weeks.

If you think your going to struggle to talk then write things down and hand it over to the GP but really they will lead the consultation and ask you a few quick question!

[Flip]

yeah it would be to go see my GP. thanks for the advice :)
i've been thinking that the GP will just think i'm talking crap and try hurry me along. i know they wont do this but for some reason i've got it stuck in my head i'll be wasting their time.
i think i'm going to have to write a few things down and use it like reminders because i'm worried i'll miss something out etc
in terms of medication or being referred what will make more sense?
i dont think seeing a mental health team right now is that convenient for me as i've just started a new job but i dont want to say medication straight away in case they think i'm just trying to find an easy way out. i know meds aren't easy but i don't want them thinking i just want a prescription and then be on my way.
maybe i'm over thinking this haha

[random.swirls]

I think your over thinking it!!

Chances are they will believe you and unless you go in demanding a prescription for drugs that can be abused they aren't going to make any judgements

Depending on your gp and depending on you together you will come up with something that works for you! For me initially it was medication and then a referral so yeah!

[Flip]

ah ok thanks!
yeah i was defiantly over thinking! haha

[x-Silvermist-x]

I've nothing more to add but I wanted to wish you well with your GP appointment.

[Epicene]

I just wanted to say that there are a huge range of possibilities for seeing a GP about anxiety. If you don't get the response you hope for, then don't hesitate to see somebody else.

As others have said, there are typically a range of options. In my area GPs tend to:
- Refer to counselling within GP practice
- Recommend charities such as Mind
- Prescribe self-help books
- Refer to CMHT for a more detailed assessment
- Prescribe medication
- Monitor things themselves over the course of a few months
- Sign you off work for a couple of weeks
- Recommend validated websites (e.g. mindfulness sites)

It might be worth thinking about which YOU would find ideal, at this point in your life. Try not to worry about what the GP thinks; they should ask enough questions to guide you in the right direction, but ultimately need to respond to your needs and desires.

[Flip]

thanks guys all of this advice is really helping me out.
i'll let you know how things go