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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou may decide to schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor to talk about mental health concerns. Or your doctor may ask about your mood, thoughts or behavior during a routine medical appointment.
Because mental illness often requires specialized care, your primary care doctor may refer you to a mental health provider, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health provider.
What you can do
Being an active participant in your care is an important part of managing your mental illness. One way to do this is by preparing for your appointment. Write down a list of questions to ask. These may include:
- What type of mental illness might I have?
- Why can't I get over mental illness on my own?
- How do you treat my type of mental illness?
- Will counseling or psychotherapy help?
- Are there medications that might help?
- How long will treatment take?
- What can I do to help myself?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me?
- What websites do you recommend?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment if you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
During your appointment, your doctor or mental health provider is likely to ask you a number of questions about your mood, thoughts and behavior. You may be asked such questions as:
- When did you first notice symptoms?
- How is your daily life affected by your symptoms?
- What treatment, if any, have you had for mental illness?
- What have you tried on your own to feel better or control your symptoms?
- What things make you feel worse?
- Have family members or friends commented on your mood or behavior?
- Do you have biological relatives with a mental illness?
- What do you hope to gain from treatment?
- What medications or over-the-counter herbs and supplements do you take?
- Do you drink alcohol or use illegal drugs?
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- Mental illness and the family: Recognizing warning signs and how to cope. Mental Health America. http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/mi-and-the-family/recognizing-warning-signs-and-how-to-cope.Accessed June 25, 2010.
- Introduction. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- What are the early signs of mental disorders? World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/features/qa/38/en. Accessed June 25, 2010.
- Warning signs of major mental illness. Healthy Minds. http://www.healthyminds.org/Document-Library/Brochure-Library/Lets-Talk-Facts-Warning-Signs-of-Major-Mental-Illnesses.aspx. Accessed June 25, 2010.
- Mind/body connection: How your emotions affect your health. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/mental/782.printerview.html. Accessed June 25, 2010.
- Kung S (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 22, 2010.
- The numbers count: Mental disorders in America. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/statistics/index.shtml. Accessed June 25, 2010.
- Kiraly B, et al. Primary care issues in patients with mental illness. American Family Physician. 2008;1:355.
- Overview of mental illness. Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter2/sec2.html. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Mental illness: Taking care of yourself. American Family Physician. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2008/0801/p363.html. Accessed June 25, 2010.
- Martinez M, et al. Psychopharmacology. In: Hales RE. Textbook of Psychiatry. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008.
- Donker T, et al. Psychoeducation for depression, anxiety and psychological distress: A meta-analysis. BMC Medicine. 2009;7:79.
- Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/depression/index.shtml. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Lee RA. Anxiety disorders. In: Rakel D. Integrative Medicine. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/154207005-3/0/1494/57.html?tocnode=54111716&fromURL=57.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2954-0..50014-4_229. Accessed June 28, 2010.
- Saeed SA, et al. Herbal and dietary supplements for treatment of anxiety disorders. American Family Physician. 2007;76:549.
- Wahner-Roedler D. Treating 20 common conditions. In: Bauer B. Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: Time Inc.; 2010:166.
- Staying well when you have a mental health condition. Mental Health America. http://www.nmha.org/go/mental-health-month/staying-well-when-you-have-a-mental-illness. Accessed June 28, 2010.
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