If you’re considering seeking help from a mental health professional / psychiatrist, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve realised there’s help out there that can assist you with whatever concern you have on your mind. Your mind may be in disarray, but remind yourself that whatever stigma against seeking mental help may exist in your mind, it’s there because of your lived experiences – created by the culture you live within. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to get better, or better yourself, and to feel constrained by some vague idea of what it means to be “a man” or “a strong woman” is unwarranted.
If you’re fearful of revealing your innermost thoughts and feelings to a stranger (by virtue of it being your first visit), keep in mind that your psychiatrist is first and foremost a doctor, bound by the Hippocratic oath, and second, believes in the value of offering a non-judgmental listening ear through their training and moral code. If that doesn’t comfort you, you should be aware of legal constraints that exist in your favour to protect the information that you share with them. Notwithstanding of course, if there is reason to believe you intend to injuriously harm yourself or another.
Because of the anxiety that may roil your thoughts, it may do you well the night before to sit in silent contemplation and pen down the reasons or thoughts you intend to divulge. Having a concrete list to bring into your psychiatrist’s office will help you ground yourself and serve as a reminder that you’re there for good reason – to get help. Nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to hide, nothing to unconsciously lose behind a preponderance of mistrust or other self-serving attitudes. Your psychiatrist’s office is a safe space.
If you feel that all this is a hard ask, consider bringing along someone whom you trust and knows you well, with your best interests in mind. They can serve as a calming influence that soothes your inner turmoil. Furthermore, they might be able to helpfully point out if there are discrepancies between what you tell your psychiatrist and the truth of the matter.
When you step into your psychiatrist’s office for the first time, you will most likely be greeted with an open-ended question such as “How may I help you today?”, or “What’s been bothering you?”. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by the variegated ways you can choose to answer their greeting, especially if you have issues with how you are perceived by others. But remember, this is their way of getting to know you, especially since they have nary a clue of why you may have decided to make good on your appointment.
Because of the time constraints on your visit (your psychiatrist’s office is a place of business after all), you can expect them to try their best to elicit responses through a line of inquiry that their best judgment will allow them to evaluate and cohere into an accurate as possible diagnosis of your mental condition, if you are indeed suffering from one. No psychiatrist is a soothsayer or mind-reader, and you should be aware that the help you receive will very much be preponderant both the truthfulness of your responses and the skill of your psychiatrist, who is also trained in reading cues and tells that they feel will help them make a diagnosis.
As your visit comes to a close, based on the personal proclivities of your psychiatrist, you can expect a number of permutations to happen. They may prescribe you medication, if they feel confident in their diagnosis. They may point you towards psychotherapy or counselling (the difference between the two we will delve into in another post), they may prescribe both the former and the latter, or they may hold off on either if they feel that they cannot in good conscience do so.
Of course, it is very much your right to evaluate for yourself if the synergy between your initial choice for a psychiatrist is optimal for you. If you feel comfortable with them, do feel encouraged to continue on course, or if not, seek out another psychiatrist per a trusted friend’s recommendation, or look online for one that seems more promising in terms of a potential therapeutic alliance.
Ultimately, don’t forget that your psychiatrist has your best interests in mind. They are committed to formulate a treatment plan for you that runs parallel to your values and is in line with your goals.
Promises Healthcare is committed to providing mental health services to those in need, and has realigned how we provide these services in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Not only do we practice strict social distancing in the clinic, we have a new teleconsultation service up and running. This may be a blessing for those who are not yet comfortable with in person visits. Simply visit our main website and visit our teleconsultations page.
Alternate services of help are also provided by the Ministry of Health & National Council of Social Services in the public health and non-profit sector respectively. The Minister for Health has also written in response to a question regarding the use of Medisave for mental health therapy and counselling treatment: “No Singaporean will be denied access to necessary and appropriate healthcare because of an inability to pay.”