Seeing a doctor for the first time

[Haystack]

Hi all this is my first post I'm 53 and suffering from what I believe is OCD. I have had this condition all of my life I believe from birth. I have to get on top of this before it takes me. I am seeing a doctor in about 4 hours for help. Can anyone give me some advice on how to pull this appointment off because I'm really nervous and I need to be taken seriously 

[Sophie_M]

Hi Haystack, 
 
Welcome to the forums and thank you for having the strength to share your situation. It takes a lot of bravery to acknowledge when we need help and it's natural to feel a bit nervous when speaking to a health professional about these issues. Please rest assured that GP's see individuals who may be struggling with their mental health often and they are trained in directing you to the right support.
 
It may help to write down how you are feeling to give yourself some talking points in the appointment if you find yourself getting stuck. I'm sure our community will chime in with some helpful tips but in the meantime, you may wish to access the following resources that can support you with preparing for a session with your health professional: 
 
I know I need support, but how do I ask for it? 
Questions to ask your health professional   

Depending on how you are feeling, your GP may also talk about creating a safety plan. To prepare for this, you may wish to have a look at the Beyond Now suicide safety planning app. 
 
We hope the above resources provide some different perspectives on how to start often what are challenging conversations. Keep checking in to let us know how you’re going and good luck. Be kind to yourself and remember the strength you've had in sharing here.  

Kind regards,   

Sophie M 

[Haystack]

Thank you Sophie for you kind words and advice.I didn't receive your reply until early this morning. But I did make my appointment yesterday and spoke to my GP and laid it all on the table. I have to go back in a week and see him. He has suggested going threw the Medicare program.I stressed to him I needed to see someone who specialises in this disorder but he couldn't help me. I'm feeling better that I spoke up about it but it feels like this is going to be a long drag to finally getting diagnosed and getting the correct treatment. It is my biggest fear not getting the correct diagnosis. I also explained to him I was willing to pay to see a specialist in this field but he said it doesn't just happen like that.Im nervous about what is ahead and who I will be seeing using the system he is going to provide but I think it's my only option.

[Eagle Ray]

Dear Haystack,

 I just thought I’d mention that you can research psychologists yourself to look for someone who specialises in OCD and then request your GP to do a referral to that psychologist. This is how I ended up with my current psychologist. I’d tried some others who weren’t the right fit where I’d relied on referrals from others. I wanted to try a particular trauma treatment approach, researched online to find practitioners of that approach, found a list of them, looked at their profiles and websites if they had one, and found one who felt like the right fit for me. It has worked out well.

You can certainly try who your GP refers you to and hopefully that works well, but if the person doesn’t seem like the right fit you can see someone else. Even if you have already used some of your Medicare rebate sessions, you can still use the remainder of the sessions with somebody else which I have done.

If you specifically wanted to see a psychiatrist rather than a psychologist, I have not done this before and I’m not familiar with how they fit in the Medicare rebate system. I think it would be the same but hopefully someone else here with experience in this area can comment.

I am seeing a clinical psychologist and if you have dealings with Centrelink in the future and need supporting documentation, Centrelink specify they need input from a clinical psychologist, not just a psychologist. I have had my psychologist write a report for me to support me being with a disability employment agency. If I end up applying for a disability support pension she will also be doing a report which can only be done by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist with regard to mental health issues. However, if you are not dealing with Centrelink that may not be relevant.

It does help to find a practitioner you feel comfortable with, someone who can genuinely respond to the challenges you are experiencing and help you with strategies and approaches that benefit you. It is a brave thing to reach out for support so good on you for doing it. Please take care and feel free to post anytime if it helps to debrief and say how you’re going.

Best wishes,

Eagle Ray

[Haystack]

Thank you so much for your input and information Eagle ray. I may have dove a bit deep into diagnosing myself but I definitely need answers to why I feel this way and have as long as I can remember.I have been doing a lot of research on introvert personality's and I'm definitely fitting right in on that. It explains so much about who I am and why I feel the way I do in every way. But it doesn't explain why I can't control my thoughts and feelings of having everything in life under control to the point of exhaustion. I am so happy to hear my options you have given me and will certainly source the right person if I don't feel happy with who they provide. Thank you very much 

[Eagle Ray]

You are welcome Haystack. You are so courageous working to face these things. I am 48 and still very much on a learning curve with many things in life and working through lifelong struggles. I can relate to being on the introverted side.
 

I really hope you get a kind therapist who is able to support you with the thoughts and feelings you are dealing with.
 

All the best and I hope you find some really good help. Feel free to post here anytime too if it helps to do so.

Eagle Ray

[Haystack]

Oh wow thank you so much 🙏

[Eagle Ray]

No worries. I just thought whether OCD turns out to be the right diagnosis or not, the info there might help you get a sense of that and if you see someone who specialises in OCD they will be qualified to diagnose correctly and should be able to help you in any case with the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing. Take care and all the best!

[Haystack]

Thank you 

[Eagle Ray]

Hi Haystack,

Just to explain why the above info on OCD support websites I gave disappeared from my second last post, the moderators have emailed to advise me we cannot provide the websites of external organisations. I thought you may wonder why they are suddenly not there now.

Best wishes,

ER