How to Prepare for Your Doctor’s Appointment
How to prepare for your doctor’s appointment:
Do you find when you go to your doctor’s appointment, the direction of the conversation often moves away from the area of concern you booked the appointment for in the first place? Women tell us this happens a lot.
Here are some easy ideas and tips on how to make the most of your future doctor’s appointments:
Make an appointment for a specific concern. If you are taking the kids for their needles or other kid concerns, it won’t be possible to tackle a mental health concern that you may have for yourself. Generally speaking, doctors book their patients for one issue and they want you to keep to one concern.
Make a list of your concerns and questions ahead of time. It’s too easy to get sidetracked during an appointment and leave only to realize you never asked the questions you wanted to ask! Take the time in the days before the appointment to write out your list.
Make notes while you are in the appointment. You may find it most helpful to use your phone for this task. When you leave, you’ll have a record of the major points of discussion covered in your appointment.
Don’t be shy about raising the issue of mental health, your mood, or struggles with anxiety or depression. If you are struggling with thoughts of self-harm then say so. Your doctor will be able to support your mental health if they know exactly what you’re struggling with. Your family doctor may not be equipped to treat more serious mental health issues, but they can refer you to supports that are suited to your situation.
