Psychiatrist assessment

[thesootherfairy]

Wonder what this entails please? Due to covid and because there was no one local available, it's someone 400 miles away 😫 so it will be over the phone (not zoom but phone call).

How will that work? What will be asked?

I find phone hard at the best of times.
I want to cancel as I'm not sure I can do this.

If I want my insurance co to pay for therapy then I have to have this assessment first.

Anyone have experience of doing this type of assessment and also in a similar circumstance where it was needed to access therapy from bupa/axa etc??

Really need a hand hold. Am terrified. Don't know what to do.

Honestly try not to worry. They will probably ask some background info, who you live with, whether you work and if so how that’s going. Any family history of mental health difficulties. What your current difficulties are. Probably about your mood, any worries you have, any thoughts of self harm or ending your life. What help you think you may need, what you have tried to help yourself. How long you have been struggling.
They are t there to judge, they are just there to help.
Good luck

You can let them know you find phone calls hard, lots of people do!

Thank you.
Sounds ridiculous but I am going to find to hard to tell them I find it hard to speak on the phone

I'm worried I won't be able to speak or I'll just start crying.
To make matters worse, due to a work issue and needing to drop the children off, I will have to take the call in the car. So I'll have to park somewhere and do it sitting on my car.
I couldn't go back home even if I could physically get there in time as my house is full of workmen and DH working from home.
I really want to cancel. I've no idea how I'll get to sleep tonight

Please don't cancel the appointment, it's an opportunity to get the help you need and if you cancel you may feel even worse about yourself afterwards.

Yes, it's not ideal that it's in your car and that it's by phone. I find putting the phone on speaker is easier, can you do that? And I try to help myself relax when I make the call by imagining what that person looks like...I usually have them wearing a colourful waistcoat and hair like Ronald Macdonald, it's ridiculous but it helps. Maybe you could try that? Definitely have a notepad and pen so you can doodle and relax and take notes as needed.

As for the questions. You will be asked about your circumstances and background, a little bit about what has been happening to you (e.g do you hear voices, see visions, sleep pattern changes etc) and how you feel your mental health is affecting you generally and when/how. The general aim is to get you on to the correct medication and to refer you for any other help you might need like counselling, psychotherapist etc.

It's a difficult step but you will feel better for doing it. Best of luck 🤞

@IWantAllTheDogsInTheWorld thank you for the info. Doodles sounds good. Be calming.
Hard to do in a car tho.
Thing is I don't want medication. I've already tried to explain this to the insurance company but they didn't really listen. I tried some last year. Had an allergic reaction and was advised not to try anything else. Besides it made me feel absolutely terrible for ages afterwards and the blisters from the rash on my body took a month to heal. Can't really do that again.

Ugh. I don't want to do this. It just feels like nothing good will come from it. It also so impersonal having to sit on the roadside in my car while someone passes judgement to decide over me.

I want tomorrow to be over.

@thesootherfairy How did it go? Were you able to complete the call?

Hi @IWantAllTheDogsInTheWorld thanks for asking
Yes I was able to do it. I was so nervous and it was really stressful.
He's recommended therapy and has a particular therapist in mind whom he said would be great given the circumstances (long back story).

Head is sore now. And I feel very tense.

Well done. I hope you can go and do something nice for yourself now, even if it’s just something small like relaxing with a cold drink for a few minutes.

@thesootherfairy

Hi *@IWantAllTheDogsInTheWorld* thanks for asking Yes I was able to do it. I was so nervous and it was really stressful. He's recommended therapy and has a particular therapist in mind whom he said would be great given the circumstances (long back story).

Head is sore now. And I feel very tense.

Yes, but look what you have achieved today. You were able to deal with a call that you were dreading and have been able to put in place help you need without medication. To many people who struggle with their mental health those are huge steps.

I hope you don't have a long wait to see your therapist, would be great to keep the momentum going.