Slowly getting there - Any insight on what happens next in UK after GP referral?

[LucyLou]

Now I've actually taken steps and I know someone is going to get in touch soon...i'm starting to doubt myself! What if I've got it wrong and I'm wasting their time? I know the form I filled out said I had depression/PTSD but what if I don't. My mind is doing overtime right now! What if they tell me I don't need any kind of treatment?

 

[Chris-duck]

What if I've got it wrong and I'm wasting their time? I know the form I filled out said I had depression/PTSD but what if I don't

I think it's pretty normal to feel that way. And even if you don't have those diagnoses, you still appear to need support and are totally entitled to that. Just try your best to be honest with them and take it as it comes.

 

[Survivor3]

I think your worrying too much. You just have to wait and see what they say. If it turns out they won't offer anything, are you able to pay for private therapy? Some charities do it at reduced rates.

 

[Hopefully]

Now I've actually taken steps and I know someone is going to get in touch soon...i'm starting to doubt myself! What if I've got it wrong and I'm wasting their time? I know the form I filled out said I had depression/PTSD but what if I don't. My mind is doing overtime right now! What if they tell me I don't need any kind of treatment?

I think this is a really common response, it feels like it is a way of trying to feel in control and of protecting yourself.

I am sure the call with the GP will go well, let us know how you get on. Often it isn’t about what specific box you are ticking (anxiety/depression/ptsd) it is more things are difficult and you deserve support.

 

[LucyLou]

I've been feeling so nervous/scared/sick all morning knowing I was getting a call!...GP surgery has just rang to book me a phone consultation for the 14th July. I was hoping to speak to someone quicker to be honest, so I don't have the time to overthink it and get worked up waiting like I did waiting for this call!

 

[barefoot]

As others have said, it does tend to depend on where you are in the U.K. and what services they offer there.

About 8 years ago, I self-referred to the local NHS Talking Therapies service. I had a phone call with them to assess what I needed/whether I was right for the service. It included answering depression abs anxiety questionnaires on the phone with them, which are probably the same ones you’ve recently done online through your GP surgery.

I don’t know whether it’s still the same but, back then (about 8 years ago), they had an online CBT programme for anxiety for people to access independently and work through at own pace. And they had group CBT. And 1:1 CBT counselling sessions.

This was before I’d had any therapy and before PTSD was on my radar. But from that initial assessment call, which lasted about 90 mins, they decided that the 1:1 option would be best for me (I have a friend who had low-ish level anxiety and she just got given access to the online training, which she found useful) so I think their offer depended on their assessment of severity/complexity.

I didn’t end up taking it up as it was going to be at least a six month wait and I was close to crisis point, so ended up going the private route.

My area actually has an NHS Trauma Service as part of the IAPT offering. A bout 18 months ago, I asked my GP to refer me (you used to be able to self-refer but now it has to be GP referral) as wanted some more specialist input. There was then loads of frustrating and time-consuming back and forth and it turned out that the Trauma Service was so swamped that they were no longer taking people. And to try to take the pressure off that service, they had given some of their general Talking Therapy practitioners some trauma training and trained some of them to use EMDR with patients.

So, I couldn’t access the Trauma Service but I was offered 12 sessions of EMDR through their normal Talking Therapies route. They kept insisting they are the same, but they are not. The Trauma Service is a specialist service that offered different things including psycho educational groups, groups about managing shame for people who had been sexually assaulted etc. The Talking Therapies route is largely CBT based but a few of them have received some trauma training and can now do EMDR.

Anyway - I felt in two minds but did decide to go ahead with EMDR after having three initial information gathering sessions with a therapist there. However, then Covid hit, which paused things for a bit. And then I caught Covid and was too physically unwell to start diving into trauma and start EMDR! I then went on to develop long Covid and have been chronically unwell ever since, so it is all on hold for now. I’m not sure whether I’ll pick it up again.

I mostly hear about NHS offerings being very CBT focused. But it does depend on where you are. EMDR could be an option.

 

[Survivor3]

That's actually pretty quick in my experience. 2 weeks.

 

[barefoot]

Sorry @LucyLou - I’d missed that this first call was going to be with your GP, rather than with the IAPT service.

Have you googled your area’s IAPT service? It should say online what the referral routes are. You may be able to refer yourself directly and bypass your GP, which could speed things up.

If you definitely need to speak to your GP first, I guess it could be worth a call to your surgery to see if you’re able to expediate things. Or, are you able to get emergency on the day appointments? Last time I spoke to IAPT they said that if I phoned my GP and told them I was currently experiencing a negative change with my mental health, they had to offer me an appt that day (I’m not sure now but suspect that could have meant an appt with any GP, not necessarily my named GP or the GP of my choice) They had a name for it - something like a GP mental health pledge but it wasn’t that! But it was something that made it sound like a thing - a commitment the surgery had made to support patients’ mental health when needed. And the IAPT were telling everyone about it to raise awareness. I’m not sure if that’s a local or national thing.

There’s quite a lot of stuff online to help prepare for talking about your mental health with a GP and what to expect etc, which may be helpful if you haven’t already seen it. Things like this:

How to talk to your GP about your mental health

Talking to a GP about your own mental health can be difficult, so we have produced a practical guide with details on what to expect from your appointment and what your GP can do for you.

www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Try not to worry about the call (easier said than done, I know!)

Perhaps make a note of things you really want them to know (perhaps a list of symptoms, when you noticed them, how you’re feeling now, what you think has changed etc) And make a note of anything you want to ask them. But otherwise just leave it to them. The IAPT call will be very structured - they have lots of questions to ask so although there will likely be some open questions eg tell me how you’ve been feeling or tell me what’s made you get in touch with us, a lot of is is very structured, them basically working their way down their set list of questions and capturing your answers. They are not just free-flowing conversations ( in my experience anyway)

The chat with your GP may be less structured but they will still have questions to ask in order for them to decide next steps. Most of them are used to talking to their patients about mental health. Especially, I imagine, through Covid!

 

[Hopefully]

I've been feeling so nervous/scared/sick all morning knowing I was getting a call!...GP surgery has just rang to book me a phone consultation for the 14th July. I was hoping to speak to someone quicker to be honest, so I don't have the time to overthink it and get worked up waiting like I did waiting for this call!

May well be worth researching your local Talking Therapies option and self refer. It is most likely this is what the GP would do or suggest you do.

You could do that and still keep the GP appointment but it could save you some more weeks waiting.

As @barefoot says see what resources they offer online. I very much know it is not the same thing but it can take the edge off while you are waiting. Also chat to people here so you feel connected and maybe try a diary on here (or personally) as well so you are starting to make more connection and understanding with your thoughts and feelings.

 

[LucyLou]

I had it in my mind whatI was going to do already, like I was going to see my GP, maybe see of anything could be prescribed to help with my mood and then move one to talking therapy when I feel I can. I'd already been in contact with the IAPT people but I just couldn't follow it through at the time.

 

[barefoot]

Ah, ok. So, for now at least, you are solely looking to speak to your GP and perhaps get some medication rather than going down the local IAPT route?

In that case, to go back to your original post, in terms of what happens next, I guess all that will happen is that you’ll have this GP appt, they will want to know about how you’re feeling/your symptoms and you want to discuss medication.

Up to you whether you go on medication.

And up to you if you want your GP to refer you (I imagine they will suggest talking therapy services but it’s up to you whether you pursue that) It could still be worth getting the referral to IAPT if your thinking is to take medication for a while to stabilise/improve and then maybe go down counselling route, just to get the ball rolling and get you on the waiting list. Otherwise, if you wait til you’re ready to start and then you get the referral you may end up waiting 6months, a year, or longer before any therapy can start.

If you leave the GP appt with a prescription, I imagine the GP will want to see you again in a few weeks to see how you’re doing and to review the medication.

 

[LucyLou]

Appt with GP isn't until 14th but I can't stop thinking about it. I'm googling what they're likely to ask me, if I'll get a diagnosis after first appt, what treatment I might get....thinking about what I need to say to them and filling in MH questionnaires online, just to make sure I'm not wasting anybody's time etc etc Does this sound silly? I need to come up with some kind of distractions for myself....can't carry on this way another 2 weeks :/