Prior to Your First Appointment
Before your first appointment, it would be helpful for you (perhaps with the help of a family member) to make some notes about what you would like to share with your doctor. A list of your symptoms will be helpful, as well as how those symptoms have impacted your life. This advanced preparation will help you make the most use of your time with your doctor and ensure that you have covered the issues that have led you to seek help.
Upon meeting with your MD/psychiatrist, feel free to ask them about their training and experience in treating the types of symptoms you have been feeling. These types of questions are reasonable to ask of any professional with whom you are seeking to establish a relationship.
Because you will be sharing very personal feelings, it is important that you feel safe, comfortable, and understood. If you do not feel comfortable, continue to search for a doctor or therapist that you do feel good about. Finding the best care for yourself is important, and it is worth taking the time to establish the right fit.
When you meet with the psychiatrist:
Sources:
*Adapted from The Anxiety Resource Center: http://www.anxietytreatmentexperts.com/how_to_find_a_pyshiatrist.asp
Upon meeting with your MD/psychiatrist, feel free to ask them about their training and experience in treating the types of symptoms you have been feeling. These types of questions are reasonable to ask of any professional with whom you are seeking to establish a relationship.
Because you will be sharing very personal feelings, it is important that you feel safe, comfortable, and understood. If you do not feel comfortable, continue to search for a doctor or therapist that you do feel good about. Finding the best care for yourself is important, and it is worth taking the time to establish the right fit.
When you meet with the psychiatrist:
- Begin with the symptoms that are the most distressing and that have had the most significant impact on your life.
- Describe how those symptoms are affecting your relationships, educational endeavors, employment, and general functioning in daily life.
- Be sure to mention any interruption in sleep, appetite, energy level, etc. This information will help your psychiatrist to better understand the level of difficulty you are experiencing.
- Share with your doctor any current or past medications you have been prescribed, as well as who prescribed them.
- If you have already seen another therapist for your symptoms, tell your doctor about your previous experience, including the outcome (such as diagnosis and suggested treatment).
- After your evaluation, your doctor will suggest a schedule for follow-up appointments and may provide you with adjunctive resources. If your doctor believes medication will help address your symptoms, he or she will give you a prescription, explain to you how the medication is expected to help your symptoms, and discuss any possible side effects of the medication.
Sources:
*Adapted from The Anxiety Resource Center: http://www.anxietytreatmentexperts.com/how_to_find_a_pyshiatrist.asp