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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to a psychiatrist. If you're in danger of committing suicide, your doctor may have you get emergency help at the hospital.
Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
Take these steps before your appointment:
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, vitamins and supplements that you're taking.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to soak up all the information provided to you during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor.
Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions ahead of time will help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. Some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Are my suicidal thoughts most likely linked to an underlying mental or physical health problem?
- Other than the most likely cause, what are other possible causes?
- Will I need any tests for possible underlying conditions?
- Do I need immediate treatment of some kind? What will that involve?
- What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?
- I have these other mental or physical health problems. How can I best manage them together?
- Is there anything special I should do to stay safe and feel better?
- Should I see a psychiatrist? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to spend more time on. Your doctor may ask:
- When did you first begin having suicidal thoughts?
- Have your suicidal thoughts been continuous or occasional?
- Have you ever tried to commit suicide?
- Do you have a plan to kill yourself now?
- If you have a plan, does it involve a specific method, place or time?
- Have you made any preparations, such as gathering pills, changing your will or writing suicide notes?
- Do you feel like you can control your impulses when you feel reckless or like killing or hurting yourself?
- Do you have friends or family members who you can talk to or go to for help?
- What are your feelings about the future? Do you have any hope that things will improve?
- Do you drink alcohol, and if so, how much and how often?
- What medications do you take?
- Do you use illegal drugs?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your suicidal thoughts?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your suicidal thoughts?
What you can do in the meantime
If you've scheduled an appointment and can't see your doctor immediately, make sure you stay safe. Contact family members, friends or other people you trust to help you. If you feel you're in any danger of hurting yourself or attempting suicide, call 911 or get emergency help immediately.
- Schreiber J, et al. Suicidal ideation and behavior in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2010.
- Kennebeck S, et al. Evaluation and management of suicidal behavior in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2010.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Understanding attempted suicide. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2005.
- Understanding suicide fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/suicide_factsheet2008.pdf. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
- Logan J, et al. Characteristics of perpetrators in homicide-followed-by-suicide incidents: National Violent Death Reporting System - 17 US States, 2003-2005. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2008;169:9.
- The risk factors for suicide. American Association of Suicidology. http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=232&name=DLFE-186.doc. Accessed Feb. 2, 2010.
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