Feel stupid - sent email to GP surgery re mental healtj

[concernedabc]

GP surgery have a system where anything that’s wrong with you, you have to write it down on an email/provide photos etc .

I’ve been hugely struggling my mental health for years, GP used to review me four weekly however with covid I’ve only spoken to someone twice since February . I’m struggling even more these last few months, having constant thoughts that I or my family, will die or fall seriously ill . To the point I’m scared to sleep or just go for a walk or have a shower . Everywhere I go I can see danger and disaster .

My mum nagged me to ring this afternoon, I did and they said to email ... and without thinking that the email will probably be read by a receptionist and then goodness knows who, I’ve rather poured out a bit and now feeling worse/embarrassed . Surely that’s not what they mean by explain the issue !

Well its one way to get help

Its done now the secretary probably read a few lines and sent it on to the doctor

You wont be discussed in the break room etc they have to keep stuff confidential anyway

I wouldn’t worry, the receptionists aren’t too interested in the gritty details - just read enough to know whether they can deal with it (admin issue), or if it needs forwarding to a doctor or nurse.

Our receptionists only upload and print the E consultations and they go straight into a folder for the attention of the duty GP. They don’t read them at all. But even if they did they won’t judge or talk about it, and will have seen it all before.

Well done - it will help the GP that you have added some detail, and it is not the receptionists job to read it, just pass it to GP

They won’t be that interested. I work in a hospital (as a health professional) and the admin staff are boringly disinterested in patients. In your case, all they’ll care about is who they can forward the email to for triaging. It will be one of hundreds of emails. They will have glanced over it, got the gist that it’s a mental health problem and forwarded it on.

The only time I’ve ever heard the admin staff discuss a patient is when the patient is rude to them or have some kind of red alert next to their name highlighting something. And even then the opinions are completely ambivalent.

I was in the admin office behind the front desk when I heard “Ok so we’ve got a man here who has a penis injury from trying to make his cat perform fellatio on him. Should we make sure the nurse has a chaperone?” Nobody reacted to the cat/fellatio bit, they just literally discussing whether this man could pose a risk to (human) staff. Not so much as a snigger!! (Unlike me who spent the entire afternoon wondering why on earth any man would even attempt that!)

The thing is, they get patients telling them their problems about 200 times a day. It doesn’t take many months of working before you have simply seen and heard it all.

Don’t worry. Mental illness will be very low down on their gossip radar.

I hope you get the help you need xxx

Don't be embarrassed, it's great you got it put in the email. I'm sure the receptionists are very discreet and have dealt with kinds of issues.

I agree, they've probably just forwarded to the Dr without even reading it.

It’s really good that you emailed.

Good you emailed. You’ve taken the first step. Hope you get the support you need.

Do not worry. Even if anyone reads it, don't worry. You need help and they have to respect confidentiality. I would imagine they're getting a lot of very similar emails right now.

I'd feel proud that you sent it 💐

That sounds like a good idea to me. It’s all there in writing for your GP so you can both get straight to the point at your consultation. I don’t know about you, but I totally forget what I want to say, which makes me feel like a right idiot afterwards.

Hope you feel better soon. I found counselling very helpful when I felt like you do (triggered by an actual traumatic event, but similarly incapacitating).

Even if they read the details they won't remember who sent it. They get so many communications that it all becomes a formless mass in the memory.