Feeling Anxious About Seeing My Psychiatrist

[HermioneGranger]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share something that’s been weighing on me. Lately, I’ve been feeling really anxious about seeing my psychiatrist. She asks a lot of questions, and I know it’s part of the process, but I struggle with it—especially because my answers are written down. Knowing that makes me uncomfortable, and I feel like I can’t share what is really bothering me.

Has anyone else felt this way? How do you manage these fears and build trust with your psychiatrist? Any advice or reassurance would be really appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

[tyme]

Welcome to the forums. Thank you for posting @HermioneGranger 

Feeling anxious about a psych appointment can be quite common. However, if you feel the anxiety stems from them asking a lot of questions, I wonder if this is something you can bring up?

Remember, it is YOUR session. I hope you find a way to guide the session the way you want.

I used to get upset with my therapists for not understanding me. Then after a while, I had to step back and tell myself, "How can I expect them to understand if I haven't told them? They are not mind readers"

If this still continues to cause a lot of anxiety, I wonder if the psych is a right fit for you? I'm not saying they are not a 'good' psych, but people are all different so it's important to be comfortable with someone who is supporting you. 

I should also note that sometimes, it takes a few sessions before you can 'click' with a therapist too. 

Fingers crossed things get easier for you. We look forward to hearing how things go.

[SillySausage]

G'day Miss Granger,

Every mental health professional documents. It's literally one of the most important tools they have in their toolbox. Taking a specifically structured history is something that gets taught on day one of mental health professional school 😉!

The same types of questions get asked to every single client I can assure you! That information that is written down is protected by incredibly strict laws. Unless you are in imminent danger of hurting yourself or hurting someone else, anything you say to your practitioner CANNOT be used to force you to do anything that you do not agree with, and CANNOT be passed on to anybody else without your permission. That includes police, other health care professionals of any type, family members etc.

So you are very safe!

God bless.

[Flowerflesh]

Yeah I'd support definitely speaking up about your concern. Tell them you're worried about saying some stuff because of their writing everything down. If they're decent, they'll take it well and hopefully clarify what they're doing with your info. FYI u can always request to see your clinical notes, too.

[tyme]

Hey @HermioneGranger @Flowerflesh @SillySausage ,

Great to see you all here.

How are you all travelling? Hope your weekend has been okay.

@HermioneGranger , when is your next psych session? Is there anything you'd like to unpack here on the forums. I'm sure there are members who'd love to hash it out with you.

Just tag us in by typing "@" in front of your names e.g. @tyme 

[HermioneGranger]

Hey  @tyme @Flowerflesh @SillySausage 

Thank you for all your thoughtful responses. 

My next session is in a couple of days. I really appreciate the space here. It’s always helpful to know different perspectives.

[tyme]

I look forward to getting you know you a little more so perhaps we can support each other through our recovery journey. 

At least you know that everyone here is a real person with real experiences.. no robots here! @HermioneGranger 

Hope you have a good week.

[Flowerflesh]

How did it go @HermioneGranger ??

[tyme]

Hey @HermioneGranger ,

I was thinking the same thing as @Flowerflesh . How did your appointment go?

@Flowerflesh @HermioneGranger @SillySausage - how has your week been so far? I look forward to hearing from you.

[HermioneGranger]

Hey @tyme @Flowerflesh @SillySausage,

I really appreciate you checking in—it means a lot. The appointment went okay overall. I didn’t bring up my concerns about everything being written down, but thanks to the insights you all shared, I was able to speak up about something else that had been weighing on me.

Hope you all have a great week ahead!