Talking with your doctor can be very beneficial to you. Not only do you get to discuss the sensitive topics of life and your mental illness, but you also get to tell your doctor what you want from the visit. Talking with your doctor effectively can allow you to lead a life that you want. Today let’s talk about a few things you should do when talking to your doctor.
Be Prepared
Talking with your doctor can be intimidating to some people. So, to make it less intimidating, I prepare what I am going to say so that way I can shape how my visit is going to be like. I remember my first hospitalization, I prepared everything that I ever was going to talk about (except for when they randomly pulled me aside to ask me some more questions). I wanted to be in control of the situation and of course I behaved my best while in the hospital so I could leverage that over them.
The key when being in a hospital is to behave accordingly. The same concept applies to when you’re talking with your doctor. What I do is I prove to my doctor that I have been rehabilitated or recovered and are looking for ways to get better so I can get on with my life. Doctors want to see that I have improved and that my situation has improved since the last time I saw him.
I show that I am capable of living on my own
If I have anger management problems, then I will take anger management classes to show that I truly want to change. I want to show the doctor that I can be a productive, clean, member of society. If I’ve been prescribed medicine, then I’ll take it. If I feel like I can stop, then I’ll tell my doctor. I will not be afraid to talk things out with my doctor. However, if I start acting out, then I will not be alarmed when the doctor prescribes me more medicine. Here is a lesson that I have learned. Everyone goes through bad times, whether the things that they went through are worse than yours is irrelevant. What I need to do is to control those emotions and stabilize myself. In the heat of the battle, it’s important for me that I remember, it’s not worth getting angry over that person.
Pick up a job or hobby
If I get a job, then the doctor will see that I want to do something with my life. Life can treat you well; it is just a matter of working hard and doing the right thing. Hobbies can get my mind off things. Working out at the gym will prevent all sorts of diseases and contribute to my psychological development. Playing an instrument teaches me how to focus on a subject. Overall, hobbies will give me a past time to grow myself as a person. This will enable my doctor to see how far I have come in my recovery progress. If I am just sitting at home doing nothing, then the doctor will see that and he will decide what to do next based on what I do.
Your doctor is there to help you, never forget that. So, it’s important to develop a good solid working relationship with your doctor. If I communicate effectively with my doctor, then I will be one step closer to having the life that I want. This has been German Gonzalez, signing out.