No two people with the same mental health condition have the same experience. We are all unique individuals. It can sometimes be difficult to track your own progress, particularly if you have been unwell for a long time. Discussing your symptoms and your functioning with a Consultant Psychiatrist can help you to “see” your condition more clearly and identify a positive way forward. I will often say to patients; “Whatever you feel on the day that you see me is okay with me”.

As human beings, we all have a tendency to tell those closest to us that we are “fine, thank you”. We don’t like to upset or burden other people. Many people find it difficult to express their true feelings or emotions. This can be related to culture, societal expectations, upbringing or other key events in people’s lives. Men, for example, often find it more difficult to express fear or sadness, believing that they need to be “in control” or “strong”. Important changes can take place when an individual says out loud that they are far from okay and when their distress is genuinely acknowledged.

It is common for people with a mental health condition to feel this way, especially where the condition has become chronic. Some conditions actually lead to negative thoughts patterns and in many cases suicidal thoughts. You are not alone. Other people have trodden this path before you and they have managed to find a way through their difficulties with the right treatment and support. Please do not despair. You owe it to yourself to access good quality care for your condition.

Psychiatrists are fully qualified doctors. They have special knowledge in all forms of mental disorder, ranging from mild anxiety to severe schizophrenia. They understand that there is a big difference between mental illness and normal human distress. A Psychiatrist will focus on understanding your set of symptoms and will arrive at a diagnosis. This is important as different conditions require different forms of treatment, some of which cannot be initiated by a GP. A Psychiatrist will help you to decide which treatments to try and in what order. Again, this is important as sometimes patients spend a lot of time having therapy from which they gain little benefit because they are too deeply depressed. They require a course of anti-depressant treatment before they commence therapy, which then proves to be much more effective.