How to reach out to your GP for mental health support

General Practitioners are a great first point of contact to identify the help you need when you are having difficulty maintaining positive mental health.

You may already have a GP that you have a good relationship with, or you may be reaching out for the first time to a doctor you have only just met.

How to bring up  a mental health concern

We know it is often hard to make the first step; making an appointment, not knowing how or where to begin, and putting into words how you have been feeling. Most GPs have a wealth of experience with assessing and dealing with a lot of different mental health issues so are a good first port of call. They will be able to get started with an assessment, or plan to get you back for a more detailed assessment to ensure all the relevant areas are covered.

If you are booking an appointment ahead of time and know there is a lot to cover, please consider booking a longer double appointment so there is enough time to understand what issues are concerning you.

If you are unsure which of the doctors at the clinic would be best to book with for a particular issue, browsing the GP clinic website may show that some of the doctors have special training or interest in mental health.

If you are anxious about the appointment, you are always welcome to bring in a support person with you. The doctor may also want to spend some time with just you in the room to go through any other sensitive issues that are harder to talk about with support people or family present.

Assessment

Your GP will conduct an assessment, which is similar to Clearhead's Wellbeing Check Up. Don’t forget you can bring your Clearhead’s Wellbeing Check up results and show it to your GP too, it may help you if you don’t know how to start the conversation. Click here to start your Clearhead Wellbeing Check Up.

Your GP may ask you to describe your symptoms, which are essentially your feelings, such as emotions and physical sensations; your thoughts; and relevant aspects of what you've been doing. This discussion may provide some insight into your concerns. Your GP may also ask about the history of your concerns, but may not be able to go in depth into your past experiences.

Finally, they may ask you to complete clinical questionnaires to help them make a decision about the diagnosis.

It's tempting to look up diagnoses online but it's best not to do this as many patients find their anxiety increases when using “Dr Google”. However if you are worried about a certain diagnosis or something that may be running in your family, please do let your GP know so they can discuss your thoughts and fears.

Making a diagnosis is tricky because it's not just about looking for symptoms that you are experiencing; it's about ruling out symptoms that are not affecting you and knowing all the possibilities, so the most fitting diagnosis can be made. This is so the best treatment for your mental health can be identified.

Treatment

Your GP may offer medication to treat your symptoms, recommend lifestyle changes to improve your wellbeing, or suggest pathways to mental health specialists. For example, talk therapy with a therapist (e.g., a psychologist) or a psychiatrist (i.e., medical expert in mental health).

Funded support available through your GP

Each General practice, even in the same city or town, may have different mental health funding or support programmes that they offer. It is best to discuss what may be available at the time of the appointment.

Medication

Some patients may need medication in combination with other therapies like counselling and stress reduction/wellbeing plans. Medication will likely improve your mood or reduce your anxiety. There could be minor side-effects which differ for everyone. Some possible side-effects are nausea, weight gain, dry mouth, low sex-drive, and sleeping problems. However if any particular medication does not suit you, you can always talk to your prescribing doctor to discuss your concerns.

Many medications used will work slowly over several weeks to improve your symptoms, so it is normal to not notice big changes straight away. Once the appropriate time period your doctor has told you has passed, it's important to schedule another appointment to check on your progress. This is particularly important if the medication has not been effective or you are finding the side-effects distressing. Sometimes other medication brands or dosages need to be tried to find the combination that works best for you, so do let your medical professional know what you are experiencing so they can trial alternative medications if needed.

Sometimes medication can help support your recovery faster. For example, anti-depressant medication may improve your mood and reduce your anxiety, so you can more easily connect with people and reach your goals.

Non-pharmacological therapies

It's important to keep in mind that a mental health diagnosis is quite different to a physical illness. Diagnoses like Major Depressive Disorder or Generalised Anxiety Disorder are not saying there is something wrong with your brain. How you are feeling, thinking, and behaving does affect the chemicals in your brain and can be a result of you experiencing a negative life event.

You can therefore also positively affect the chemicals in your brain through positive lifestyle changes. Making simple changes such as adding physical exercise, healthy eating and getting enough sleep will help support your recovery.

It is important to remember that you need to try to resolve the underlying issues in order to improve your mental health in the long-term. Sometimes you will need the support of talking therapy to resolve underlying trauma from the past, as well as learning to think and do things in ways that will improve your wellbeing.

Learn more about the different types of therapists

Final words

We hope your journey in seeking help for your mental health concerns goes smoothly.

However if the first attempt did not go as well as it could, it is important not to give up hope. There are many medical professionals including nursing staff who you can start the conversations with. They will often be able to point you to the right path, make appointments for you with another doctor or be able to troubleshoot your concerns.

It's all about finding the best pathway for you. The most important thing is that you are taking that first step. Kia kaha!

Written by Dr. Dilushi De Silva, General Practitioner and Clinical Advisory Board Member at Clearhead.