Dealing with mental health conditions are hard enough on their own, aside from having to remember and report on your symptoms to get a proper assessment. It's challenging to describe symptoms when you aren't even sure which are your symptoms and which are your personal characteristics. And where is the line dividing them?
I didn't really realize how mental health conditions had been affecting me, until having done some research and learning that a lot of what I thought were parts of my personality were actually symptoms of mood disorders and mental illness. This isn't the most pleasant of discoveries I assure you, but it plays an integral role in the development of self-acceptance and understanding how to effectively advocate for yourself.
Researching your particular condition will give you some clarity on the symptoms you may be experiencing. If you haven't been diagnosed but suspect that you may be suffering from a mental illness or disorder, the information included in this article will offer valuable insight and tips to getting a diagnosis.
Advocating for yourself gives the medical practitioner a more thorough understanding of how to create an appropriate plan of action best suited for your needs. Many times people are recommended medication to help alleviate the less favorable aspects of these conditions. Any medications should be taken as directed, and regularly monitored by the prescribing doctor.
In my own experiences, I have found it important to learn as much about the prescribed medication as I can, before starting the prescription. That way I am fully aware of the possible side effects, and if there are other drugs that cannot be ingested alongside it. Some herbal supplements and pain killers shouldn't be mixed with medication, so make sure to do your research first.
Medication can be incredibly important in maintaining positive brain function. Especially if your brain doesn't create the chemical compounds, or not enough, that we require to feel happy and satisfied with life. With saying that, I want to interject the fact that taking medication for mental health most commonly includes manipulating your brain function. Through the use of chemicals which are also naturally produced in the brain, just perhaps not at the levels that we require, causing us to need a chemical supplement of sorts. This is also why it is important to take medications exactly as directed, and to ensure that you provide the doctor with enough information to make a decision on the type and dosage. Though they will always start you on a low dose and make contact with you at intervals to see how you are responding to it. They may adjust the dose gradually until you find a good level for you.
I am going to share a cautionary tale before jumping into the tips. It's something that was quite detrimental to my personal well being and state of mind at the time. Please take it as that, a cautionary tale, it gives you a peek into what can happen if you are on the wrong medication and not being monitored;
'It was 2021 I believe, my mental health was terrible and I didn't have a family doctor. I had gone to the hospital emergency for my declining mental health. They had referred me to a case worker who would provide me with information and resources, but I had to stay in contact with him in order to get an appointment with a psychiatrist. I was given 3 sessions with the psychiatrist over a 3 month period. After our first meeting the doctor prescribed me an antipsychotic medication. Then, each time we met he raised the dosage without really taking note of the symptoms I was having, aside from depression. I was becoming increasingly paranoid and anxious, none the less, he raised my dose to the maximum and gave me a year refill, knowing I had no doctor to prescribe for me, and sent me on my way. I continued taking the medication, but was
becoming scared of everything. I had acquired a fixation on death and dying. I would see possibilities of death everywhere. Things that I wasn't previously scared of became huge fears.
I became frightened of my own dog, thinking that he was going to sense my fear and attack me. I was scared of riding in a car. I was afraid to go outside or be around other people. I felt hollow, empty aside from fear. My mind became the scariest place I had ever been. I wanted out. It is a very awful feeling being scared of your own mind. I would have anxiety attacks regularly. I was unable to stop the incessant downward spiraling that had become my everyday. It made going through the motions of daily life even more challenging than it had previously been. Working my fulltime job was exceptionally difficult and I missed a lot of time due to the inability to keep up the facade day after day. I finally realized that something was wrong. It was such a gradual change that I hadn't associated it with the medication at first, as sometimes symptoms get worse before they get better when starting a new pharmaceutical drug. When the realization smacked me in the face, I began weening myself off of the medication slowly, gradually. Being without medication was preferable to being on that medication.'
Though this experience was obviously not the desired outcome the doctor had hoped for me, it made me realize how easily you can end up with the wrong medication, especially when you don't have a monitoring family doctor or nurse practitioner. Be sure to look out for yourself in all aspects of life.
Since that eye-opening experience, I was able to connect with a doctor, and was put onto appropriate prescriptions for my conditions. The prescriptions I am currently on have drastically changed the quality of my life. Though I still have rough patches, it is somewhat more manageable.
Preparing for your appointment
In preparation for your appointment, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that you are making the most of your time with the doctor.
Ask a partner, friend or family member to accompany you into the appointment to help remember any important information the doctor shares, or to help relay symptoms. We don't always recognize all of the symptoms we are exhibiting. Two symptoms I deal with are executive dysfunction and memory issues, making it difficult to express myself and retain the information the doctor provides. Having my partner along allows me to be a bit more at ease, knowing I don't have to try to remember everything that is said. Alternately, you could record your appointment if you also suffer from a faulty memory.
Write down the issues/symptoms you wish to discuss, be specific and in depth. I have even written the entire symptomology of what I was dealing with prior to the appointment, and then handed it to him and just let him read it. That way I could feel the vulnerable emotions that so often go along with relating details about my mental health, within the confines of my own home and be at a distance from it during the appointment. In this way, I am more alert and present throughout. This can be helpful in obtaining a diagnosis as well. Doctors tend to be extremely busy humans, and anything that we can do to make things easier on both parties is a win-win.
Bring a copy of your medication history, and/or any prescriptions you are currently on, with dosage. It is easy to obtain a printed copy from your local pharmacy. Or write a list of the medication that you have been prescribed previously. Let the doctor know which medications worked, or didn't work for you in the past.
Have an idea about your families medical history. Make yourself aware of the potential hereditary conditions that you may be genetically predisposed to. If possible, quiz your matriarch for your families medical background. Much information can be gleaned from DNA tests, which may also shed light on susceptibility to genetic health conditions. Let your doctor know if you have a family background of mental health conditions, or any familial medical conditions that may be passed down.
Don't be afraid to ask the doctor questions or let them know if a medication doesn't feel right. Antidepressant and mood disorder medications aren't supposed to change who you are, they are there to augment our satisfaction with life. Practicing mindfulness, self-awareness and regularly moving your body through yoga, hiking, walking, swimming, really anything that gets you up and moving, will increase the feel good chemicals in your brain naturally. Share affection with a pet. Take a hot shower. Make sure you get enough rest and good nutrition.
Take good care. Love yourself, love each other.
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