Share your story of your first visit to GP to seek help

[flyonthewall]

I am yet to find the courage to seek help, and would like to hear of anyones stories regarding their first GP visit. E.g How you started the conversation? How long was your appointment? Did you see a new GP or one you see regularly, how did they make you feel?
Thank you in advance.

[blondguy]

Hi Flyonthewall

Great topic!

Most GP's have better training in mental health the various disorders nowadays.

I went to see mine years ago and they were really understanding as anxiety, depression is so very common.

Making a double appointment is usually a good idea so they can make a more accurate diagnosis.

I still see my usual GP. There is no judgement towards you, they will try to treat the symptoms and offer some general advice. If required they may suggest medication or sometimes a referreal to a counselor depending on what issue (and its severity) you have.

Just for me seeing my dentist is approx 100 harder than discussing my anxiety with a GP.

You have everything to gain and nothing to lose fly 🙂

I hope you can let us know how you go when its convenient of course

my kind thoughts

Paul

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi,

Great thread, and so important to start the conversation. Thank you.

With me personally - I found it relatively easy. I've struggled with health conditions over the years so I've had a regular GP. I moved to the city a few years ago and rebuilt a new relationship. I was nervous at first but over-time I got more comfortable in seeing them and eventually just said "I'm struggling." I think the irony of having health conditions over the years helped me because I've learned to be an advocate for my health in pushing for things and asking questions.

I've responded to a fair few other posts about seeing their GP for the first time though and this is what I've suggested:

- Bring a friend/support person

- Write it down (I actually always write things down because I have a terrible memory).

- Remember why you are going and made the appointment in the first place. It might be uncomfortable, but then you can get the support you need.

- Go see another GP if the one you like isn't helpful. I think that if a person sees a GP for the first time they should be informed of all their options (therapy or medications - and if medications then side effects/what to expect etc). If they aren't truly informed - ask further questions or go see another. No two GP's are the same.

- Remind yourself that your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Also - you don't need to be in a quote "terrible place" to get therapy. Therapy is about improving your quality of life; and you deserve that.

[Shred1106]

Dear flyonthewall

I had only being seeing my current GP for about six months (they had come highly recommended) when it all came crashing down.However, they were aware that due to major surgery I had been readmitted (after the surgery) to hospital with Seratonin Syndrome (Side effect from antidepressants) and had to change meds then as a result.

This time, I walked in, said nothing was working for me, and that I hated how I was feeling and that I couldn't stand it anymore.I also had an incident at work which brought it all to a head.

It was tough, but I had booked a long appointment and we started there. We discussed what had happened at work, how I was feeling, did a depression/anxiety test and realised that everything was off the scale with a bit of PTSD chucked in for good measure.

From there we discussed options, meds, support and planned psychologist and psychiatrist (when I needed to change meds again due to side effects) visits and then mapped out a where to from here.

We still meet very regularly to makes changes, assessments and general support - and everything is written down for me to take with me when I leave.

It works well and, most importantly I am listened to and every decision is mine with their advice...

I hope you find it as helpful as I did - because even when things are really bad for me, I can walk in and let some of it go, be heard and make plans from there!

Good luck with it and let us know how you go if you would like to and when the time is right

[flyonthewall]

Thank you all for the replies.

romantic_thi3f- I often see that writing things down help, I started that last week and was amazed to see how big the list of my feelings/struggles was.

My partner has seen a GP in the past regarding anxiety and has offered to come, but i'm not sure how i feel about that.

I think my main fear is i don't know what to expect and fear being judged.

I guess when they say the first step is the hardest, they are right!

[CheeseSlices]

My friends made me go to a GP when I was very anxious about university and all the changes that had happened in my life.

He looked at me for all of 4 minutes, said I had a chemical imbalance, and handed me a prescription.

Psychology was not even suggested and I was not given access to it until after hospital admission (for severe side effects)

I hope they are better educated now days. His treatment resulted in chronic conditions.

[nlboujos]

My first trip to the GP was made 5 years ago. I didn't think I needed medication until a very lovely lady on the end of the phone at Lifeline told me she was a mental health nurse and that I was experiencing depression and Panic Disorder and I needed to go to my GP, so an emergency appointment was made. Unfortunately I couldn't see my regular GP and ended going to one of the others, who spent around 5 mins with me, gave me a trial pack of AD's and said come back at the end of the week. So back I went, where I told him that I was tolerating them well and out I walked with a script.

I have tried not to see that GP again because I felt he was quite dismissive. I now make sure if I need a med review (which happened this week) I go to my regular GP who knows everything about me, and doesn't make me feel bad about wanting to increase my dose. I think you need a GP that you can trust and has an interest in mental health. If you feel that yours doesn't, ring around a few surgeries and find someone that does!

[Charlie234]

Hello flyonthewall,

I'm a GP, I hope you don't mind giving some thoughts from the other side of the consult.

I would ask people who know for a recommendation, look at the practice website to see what the doctor's interests are, and when you pick a GP or a practice it's even worth letting the receptionist know that you want to see a doctor about a mental health issue. They might be able to suggest someone in the practice who they think would be good (and steer you away from GPs who don't have much interest in this area). GPs who have done their training in the last decade or so have all done some mental health training, but just because we are generalists doesn't mean we are all equally as good at everything. We might play to our strengths and see lots of babies and people with sporting injuries! That being said, mental health problems are an EVERYDAY consult in general practice. I always have a tissue box handy and am never surprised by the person I least expect bursting into tears. I am also aware that unfortunately patients have sometimes seen another doctor who didn't take them seriously, and this makes a new consult a bit scary.

So - pick a doctor, write a few dot-points, take a deep breath and just start somewhere. Don't worry if you start crying. You can always slow your breathing down and get through it. It doesn't have to be structured, you can just blurt it all out and then let your doctor try to make some sense of it. You should expect to be listened to, that the doctor asks some more detailed questions, that the doctor asks you specifically how bad things have been and if you have been feeling suicidal. The doctor might ask you to do a short questionnaire to have an objective measure of how you are that week. You should expect to be offered some short-term strategies, and have a discussion about the possible of referral to a psychologist, and possibly a discussion about medication, where appropriate. The doctor should make a plan to see you again to monitor your progress.

Whatever happens at the end of this first consult (referral to websites, help with sleep, management of alcohol probs, referral to a psychologist, starting medication) you should always feel at least a bit better having started the process of getting help. Sometimes I find that the big cry in the GPs room actually goes a long way, as long as you get the right response. If you don't get the response you want from this doctor find another one.

Good luck!