Going to doctors

[Mrs_Panda]

Hi, I'm new here so hope this is the right place for this. If not please let me know and I'll move it.

I'm planning to do to the doctors tomorrow afternoon because my mental health is not good at the moment - I'm not happy, feeling very anxious all the time and have been for a couple of months.

I'm near the end of my PGCE and it's got to the point where I cannot do my work as well as I need to. The course is so much work and I feel it's impossible to do well when my mind is so fuzzy and fixated on how I've let everyone down by not doing as well as I could have.

Anyway, does anybody have any advice on what to say to the doctor? I've been several times since I was 15 (I'm 23 now) and have left feeling like I'm just wasting their time. I don't want to feel this way when I go tomorrow. Basically, it's ruining my planned career I've wanted to do forever and I don't feel like I can cope with the rest of the term how I'm feeling now.

[Diesel]

Hello and welcome, I'm quite new as well.

First of all, well done on realising and wanting to address your problems, it's not easy to do that.
I hear where you're coming from because I started going down in the last year of my degree. The work, everything around me just became too much and I slowly crumbled. I made it through but didn't do as well as I should have.
As for what to say? Be honest and say what's going on, say what you would say to one of us. They will only know what to do from there if you tell them what is going on.
I'm getting more and more honest, not only with docs but with people around me too (slowly). It feels like some weight has been lifted when I open up. I hope you can do something similar, whatever you're ready for.
Take care in the meantime and drop in and keep us up to date on your PROGRESS!

[wr3ck3d]

I would tell the doctor what you have said here, that you have been experiencing anxiety and feeling down all the time to the point it's effecting your work and are struggling to cope.

Your GP can prescribe anti-anxiety medication and anti-depressants when it's appropriate and may suggest some kind of talk therapy or councilling. It might be worth looking into what councilling services are accessible to you in your area as talking about your feelings can help.

It sounds like you are getting the work done, so don't be too hard on yourself. You can get through this. There is help available.

[tiptoes]

There is a site called doc-ready.org which is designed to help you prepare for a mental health based doctors appointment and come up with a list of things to mention to your doctor which can be quite helpful.

I would generally start with how I am at the moment and how long I have been feeling like this/has it gotten worse. Then usually let the doctor take it from there.

You won't be wasting their time, it sounds like you are going through a hard time at the moment. Trying to manage mental illnesses alongside a demanding course can be difficult. Best of luck with the appointment.

I'm not entirely sure how the PGCE course works, would you be able to ask your universities student support? I'm doing a postgraduate course and they have been helpful in helping me find the strategies that allow me to continue my course.

[Mrs_Panda]

Thank you for your replies.

That doc-ready.org sounds really useful, though I wasn't able to read your comment until after I'd been.

I had a lovely doctor who was very nice and didn't make me feel like an idiot. She's prescribed me citalopram so hopefully that makes a difference.