I have my first psychiatric appointment for next thursday - PETRIFIED

[Suzanne]

Oh dear, the anxiety is rearing its ugly head. As soon as I got the letter and saw the date was next week, immediately, I went into panic zone and thought: noooo, too soon; have to cancel; can't cope. It is all going to go disasterously wrong etc etc. And, YET, I want this

I was bemoaning that the one given before, was for October of this year.

Contradictions, contradictions galore!

 

[kay]

I know you are a religious person, and while I am not I still have a sense of what is meant to be will be. Fairly sure most religious minded people feel that way, believing that everything is part of God's plan. Keep that in mind, that it is not too early, it's exactly right time no matter the outcome. Hope it all goes well for you!

 

[Streetwise]

pray prepare for it -if they speak in French and they're French words you find hard to understand ask them to translate.
if you need to stop tell them you need to stop ,don't try masking the fact that it's too hard to continue , if at this very moment you are safe enough stop and just listen to your breath , you will stop thinking when you do that .
do some Crosstitch ,do something repetitive!
try to remember what you do when you're panicking that gets you feeling calm

 

[Streetwise]

go to counsellinginfrance.com it's English language and it tells you a list of counsellors therapists in each department in France.

 

[Progster]

I remember when I went for my diagnostic assessment, I was extremely nervous and I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to go through with it, but when I got there, he was calm, friendly and made me feel at ease. I had thought that it might be like a kind of interrogation, but it wasn't like that at all, it was more like a normal conversation with questions about my life and development. The only thing that made me slightly uncomfortable was being seated directly facing him across the table, but I sat facing the side, and he didn't seem to mind that.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Suzanne, I grew up in a family of 5 psychiatrists in the immediate and extended (grandparents and uncle) family. I am totally sane. If I can survive that, you can survive your appointment. It won't be bad, trust me.
You can always leave if you have too but just think of the sense of accomplishment you'll get if you make it through ok. Keep us posted.

 

[Gritches]

I guess it wouldn't help much to tell you not to worry. I'm sure it'll go fine, and I'm sure you know that too, but that doesn't stop anxiety. So in that particular instance, here are a couple things you can do that will help reduce your anxiety:

1. Write down what you want to talk about with the therapist. Whether you write it as a big essay or just writing down some key talking points so you don't forget, it'll make you feel much more confident going in with a game plan. I get anxiety about my therapy appointments with a therapist I've seen for a long time, and I keep a small pad of paper with me to write down things I want to talk to the therapist about whenever I think of them.

2. Find out as much as you can about the therapist beforehand. Even something as inconsequential as where they got their degree can make them less of a stranger before you meet them for the first time, is the point.

3. Don't know if you already plan to, but bringing someone close along with you to the first appointment can make it a little less scary. If that person knows you and knows what to do if things do start going wrong, they'll be able to step in and nothing catastrophic will happen. So just planning to bring someone can reduce pre-therapy jitters.

4. If you're afraid something about how ASD expresses itself in you is going to cause something catastrophic, write that down and give it to the therapist right away. This is the kind of stuff they'll want to know anyway.

Hope that helps some, I guess the common theme among those four items is replacing the anxiety-causing uncertainty with some amount/degree/type of certainty, which is anxiety's natural enemy.

 

[LucyPurrs]

I guess it wouldn't help much to tell you not to worry. I'm sure it'll go fine, and I'm sure you know that too, but that doesn't stop anxiety. So in that particular instance, here are a couple things you can do that will help reduce your anxiety:

1. Write down what you want to talk about with the therapist. Whether you write it as a big essay or just writing down some key talking points so you don't forget, it'll make you feel much more confident going in with a game plan. I get anxiety about my therapy appointments with a therapist I've seen for a long time, and I keep a small pad of paper with me to write down things I want to talk to the therapist about whenever I think of them.

2. Find out as much as you can about the therapist beforehand. Even something as inconsequential as where they got their degree can make them less of a stranger before you meet them for the first time, is the point.

3. Don't know if you already plan to, but bringing someone close along with you to the first appointment can make it a little less scary. If that person knows you and knows what to do if things do start going wrong, they'll be able to step in and nothing catastrophic will happen. So just planning to bring someone can reduce pre-therapy jitters.

4. If you're afraid something about how ASD expresses itself in you is going to cause something catastrophic, write that down and give it to the therapist right away. This is the kind of stuff they'll want to know anyway.

Hope that helps some, I guess the common theme among those four items is replacing the anxiety-causing uncertainty with some amount/degree/type of certainty, which is anxiety's natural enemy.

Best advice ever!

 

[Suzanne]

I know you are a religious person, and while I am not I still have a sense of what is meant to be will be. Fairly sure most religious minded people feel that way, believing that everything is part of God's plan. Keep that in mind, that it is not too early, it's exactly right time no matter the outcome. Hope it all goes well for you!

Just to say, that religious means what one holds dear to them, so that means even non believers are religious

A bit confused, because if you do not believe, why do you say: everything is a part of God's plan? Doesn't that mean you do believe?

As it happens, no, I do not believe that about my Creator. What I do believe is that when I pray for Him help me, He answers. But I did not pray for this; however, I am praying to Him to help me deal with it all, because I hate scrutiny and this is scrutiny at its "finest", which is frightening.

 

[Suzanne]

pray prepare for it -if they speak in French and they're French words you find hard to understand ask them to translate.
if you need to stop tell them you need to stop ,don't try masking the fact that it's too hard to continue , if at this very moment you are safe enough stop and just listen to your breath , you will stop thinking when you do that .
do some Crosstitch ,do something repetitive!
try to remember what you do when you're panicking that gets you feeling calm

Thanks so much for the tips, Streetwise.

In fact, my husband is hoping to be in there with me for a bit anyway. But generally, I am not too bad with understanding French and a letter has been written by a French therapist, to state that I do ok with it.

I always cry out to my God and He never fails me.

 

[Suzanne]

go to counsellinginfrance.com it's English language and it tells you a list of counsellors therapists in each department in France.

Sadly, there are no English speaking therapists in my area.

 

[Jenisautistic]

I think one of the most important things is write questions you have for your psychiatrist about your treatment or just any question you have in general.

Try to stay calm and just be yourself.

The most important thing also is to trust yourself that you’ll be able to get through this .

I wish you the best of luck and i’ve heard a lot of people say god only gives The most and hardest problems to the strongest people .

 

[Butterfly88]

If it makes you feel any better I've had mostly good experiences with psychiatrists.

 

[Chance]

Oh dear, the anxiety is rearing its ugly head. As soon as I got the letter and saw the date was next week, immediately, I went into panic zone and thought: noooo, too soon; have to cancel; can't cope. It is all going to go disasterously wrong etc etc. And, YET, I want this

I was bemoaning that the one given before, was for October of this year.

Contradictions, contradictions galore!

YOU WILL DO GREAT! This is for YOU no one else...

I know you are worried... I never got the chance to worry, I wasn't even expecting what was taking place... So my case is different. One guy I spoke with was a Jerk (me "Mr. Quiet" even told him as much), the other guy was very nice. I still talk to him every Wednesday, or we just email each other if I get all twisted up... I am basically free to stop that any time I want and probably will soon.

Being honest I feel better talking to people who are like me... We just have this "thing" that holds a common factor. I solve more here then most anywhere else, but that never means they aren't good people who are good at what they do.

This person you are going to see is just a person, nothing more. They put their clothes on just like we do.
ALSO they (just like any other human) have issues some where in their life... None of us are perfect.

Don't try and be perfect, just be the kind you that you are here and I bet you will do great! : )

 

[Suzanne]

YOU WILL DO GREAT! This is for YOU no one else...

I know you are worried... I never got the chance to worry, I wasn't even expecting what was taking place... So my case is different. One guy I spoke with was a Jerk (me "Mr. Quiet" even told him as much), the other guy was very nice. I still talk to him every Wednesday, or we just email each other if I get all twisted up... I am basically free to stop that any time I want and probably will soon.

Being honest I feel better talking to people who are like me... We just have this "thing" that holds a common factor. I solve more here then most anywhere else, but that never means they aren't good people who are good at what they do.

This person you are going to see is just a person, nothing more. They put their clothes on just like we do.
ALSO they (just like any other human) have issues some where in their life... None of us are perfect.

Don't try and be perfect, just be the kind you that you are here and I bet you will do great! : )

Thanks Chance. I think that on the day, I will come here and read all these answers from you all and sort of draw all the positive vibes, because the mind has a nasty habit of being unkind and I even imagine myself being forced on the floor and hands tied and taken away.

Just scared that he or she ( I so hope it is a she, due to my childhood), will talk me down. But my husband is going to insist on being with me to begin with, so that is ok, accept it is just nasty crying in front of two unemotional people. I also hate being offered a hankie, despite knowing the practical element, I want to be seen as strong, but I know that is counterproductive.

I refuse to take my natural anti anxiety tablets, because I feel he or she NEEDS to see me as authentic as possible.

 

[LucyPurrs]

That's a great idea Suzanne, we're all sending you positive vibes and confidence that you will do just fine. You could take some Kleenex if you don't want a hankie Try not to let your imagination run wild-catastrophic things usually don't happen, especially in this situation. More likely is that you may end up liking the doctor! So focus on the potential positive outcomes rather than the negative ones if you can.

 

[Yes I am]

Suzanne ca va très bien se passer j'en suis certaine.


Je t'accompagne en pensée.

Bonne chance a toi

 

[Judge]

"The only thing you have to fear, is fear itself."

-Franklin Roosevelt.

 

[paloftoon]

Most people you visit, even if it doesn't work out, you can tell they mean well. This upcoming experience is probably not connected to your prior bad experiences besides that they are all related to you.

 

[OlLiE]

it's is important to manage expectations:

i have been seeing a psychologist for years, she listens wel, and tries to get to the why of things. In belgium psychologists are not doctors.

When i was told that i needed to see a psychiatrist. Psychiatrist are accredited doctors. However their approach is totally different from that of a psychologist. They have a matrix of symptoms, from that they derive a medical label and prescribe medication. They treat the symptoms, not so much the underlying cause. So there's no reason to feel upset, its just a more clinical approach.

That is belgium though, not necessarily where you live, it could be totally different where you live.

Good luck!