Mental Health Concerns: Speaking to Your Doctor
Written By Andre Nye, MD – It is common to see your doctor annually to discuss any medical conditions or any preventative care you may need. During your doctor’s visit, there should always be a discussion about your overall mental health. We often focus on taking care of a patient’s high blood pressure and cholesterol or ensuring immunizations are up to date. However, forty percent of what I do in the office is directly related to mental health. This is about the ratio of mental health to medical problems that exist in the general population. So, how do you speak to your doctor about your emotional or mental health concerns?
Mental Health Concerns: Speaking to Your Doctor
The good news is that if you have an attentive clinician, they will likely ask you about it first. Many patients come to the doctor’s office with a history of depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders that need to be monitored.
For many people who have never spoken with a medical provider about their mental health problems, this can be a difficult discussion. In this situation, you can bring up the subject on your own, although you may find this a little awkward.
That is why your doctor should approach your emotional health with every annual visit. And, perhaps, at any visit you have with them.
Mental Health Questions From Your Doctor
When I approach the patient and want to know something about their mental health, I will start with relatively soft questions. For example, “How is everything at home, and do you enjoy your job?”
Usually, this fosters a relatively simple answer such as, “Fine, all is well.” I may ask a little later, “How is your sleep?” “Are you able to get any exercise?” or “How are your spouse and children doing?”.
Simple questions like this will open a patient up to describing their home and work life. If engaged, they will tell you more about what is good and what can be frustrating. However, what is not said usually makes me think everything is not going well.
When I sense something troubling a patient, I will stop and focus on this. I will explore how things are going in their lives. If there is trouble, it becomes apparent quickly, and this becomes something we can explore together.
Don’t Be Afraid to Speak About Mental Health Concerns
If a patient is willing to answer specific questions, they will often elaborate on a particular problem all on their own. This serves two purposes:
The first is to help me understand what is bothering them.
The second is for the patient to say out loud what is not working for them in their life.
This helps to validate the concern. Once we have defined the issue, we can move towards fixing it. Frequently, it is as simple as asking a patient, “What do you think the solution is?” If they do not know, we need to explore deeper so they can understand the problem better and find a way out.
Have you noticed I did not mention antidepressant or anxiety medicine, psychotropic medication, sleep aids, or stimulants? All these items are second-line therapy. The first order of business is to define the problem and then try to fix it without medicine.
For example, eating disorders are often treated with nutrition counseling and talk therapy. Treatment programs for substance use disorders are usually focused on therapy. Talk therapy is a powerful tool that helps you identify and change some thoughts and behaviors.
At times, medicine can be a great help when dealing with different types of mental health conditions. Take the time to talk to your doctor, or better, find a doctor who will take time to speak with you.
You might find the solution to your problem is easier than you think.
Additional Reading: Mental Illness: Warning Signs and Symptoms – National Alliance on Mental Illness
Check out our latest blog post: How To Get The Most Out of Your Doctor’s Appointment?
Additional Reading: Mental Illness: Warning Signs and Symptoms – National Alliance on Mental Illness
Check out our latest blog post: How To Get The Most Out of Your Doctor’s Appointment?
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