FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

On the therapy journey

mocha delight
Community Member
I’m starting this thread to post about anything related to my treatment & therapy ect ect ect. Which I’ll start of saying I finally got a appointment with a psychologist on the 9th of September so over 3 weeks away. But not with the one me gp referred to as that psychologist unfortunately for me was not taking on new clients so I found one off the ‘find a professional’ from beyond blue of course and I did not no where else to go look. So already feel nervous & anxious about this appointment and I only made it today besides this psychologist is not one my gp recommended & referred me to. So now I would ever be grateful if anyone give me tips/hints ect ect ect of what to expect from my first ever psychologists appointment. What do I need to know? Now that most of you all have definitely gone through that first time psychologist appointment what kind of things should I ask/tell/mention? How many appointments average until I get a diagnosis? Do psychologists make the diagnosis’s? Does a gp? Or how do I get a diagnosis if a gp’s/psychologists don’t make the diagnosis? Ok yes I’m a complete newbie to trying to get a diagnosis but I just want to be completely prepared of how it works before my appointment. Did I mention I’m nervous and anxious?
82 Replies 82

Good morning mocha

It sounds like anxiety is pretty much 'ruling the roost' alot in your life.

It would REALLY help to have a big notebook and write write write.
Like you could have a Session 1 heading and write ANYTHING and everything that you're thinking about session 1 down there. Any worries, any thoughts. You don't have to share this with anyone.
It's mainly to get those thoughts OUT of your head so they don't keep rumbling around and around in your head.

IME beating anxiety and depression takes A LOT of discipline.

You need to choose the most problematic time in your day and tackle that first. I think sleep is one of them for you?

This helped me immensely over the years....
In my most anxious times I put a huge scrapbook next to my bed. With a big fat crayon on top of it. Once I turned off my bedside lamp that was it - it STAYED off.
IF I thought of anything or if something woke me up (which it always did in my most anxious times) then I leaned over & scribbled a code word on the scrapbook with the crayon WITHOUT turning on the light. Said to myself 'I can deal with that tomorrow'.

You may need a number of strategies to help you sleep or stop worrying / ruminating over things, but unless you do these with discipline, nothing anyone suggests will work.

When people suggest things and we think "Oh that won't work" and don't try it then ofcourse it won't work lol, we didn't even TRY it.
And we need to give it a good month or more to begin to see a real difference.

Also if we're aiming for Mental HEALTH then doing things that are mentally HEALTHY will help.

Love EM

mocha delight
Community Member
Not being doing so well mentally yesterday and today

What's going on?

Are you okay?

Thinking of you.

xxEM

Struggling to sleep at night even with being on prescription medication to help with that and my emotions are all over the place plus thoughts going a million miles an hour around & around in my head not to mention most of the time lately I feel like I’ve had to much coffee & sugar to.

Trouble sleeping even being on prescription medication to help me with that, emotions all over the place, thoughts racing through a million miles an hour around & around in my head most of the time and feel like I’ve had way to much coffee & sugar most of the time to.

Hi mocha

Thanks for letting me / us know how you're going.

Thoughts spinning are awful. I call these intrusive thoughts if they're yuck ones and ruminating thoughts if they're going around and around.

Plus my arms feel like they're bubbling and sometimes my hands go numb.

That sounds very similar to what I feel like when I've got mid to high anxiety.
It feels impossible to sleep or stay asleep for very long. What have you tried as well as the meds to help you get to sleep?

Love EM

I haven’t tried anything else

I'm sorry if I've asked this before but are you going to school and or are you working?

I'd love to give you some tips about how I get to sleep but it depends on if you're doing daily things out of the home too. Knowing that will cut some of the strategies out lol.

Love EM

No I’m not going to school as I’m 31 and no I’m not working either. And I don’t go out as much because I’m paranoid (and still am) about going out which all I’ll say is from one of the main symptoms I had pre my coeliac disease diagnosis ☹️

CalmCat
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi mocha delight,

Really enjoyed reading your story and I'm so sorry to hear of your struggles.

Stay strong and keep seeing your mental health worker, you can do this.

Stay strong,

Doz