Asking Therapist For An Assessment?

[digger]

I then posted this, asking advice - not wishing to be questioned about my posts .

Apologies, if I'm not clear on something I ask questions first before offering advice or opinion. My advice for speaking to a doctor about it might have been different than my advice for speaking to a therapist about it, given the length of time you get with each at an appointment and how well they might, or might not, know you.

 

[Deleted member 26314]

Apologies, if I'm not clear on something I ask questions first before offering advice or opinion.

I guess, I didn't think of it that way. Sorry. :(

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Try not to get defensive when people ask questions. Many of us are on alert when contradictory things are said. Some people come here and flat out lie and others have really bad memory problems and can't see the truth until it's pointed out to them. People can't help unless they know the reality of the situation and that's why people ask, as to avoid confusion.

I'm not trying to be rude, rather say that we want to help but need a clear picture first. Well, and that not everyone is honest here on the forums so that's why we ask. (Not saying you are, rather reflecting on another recent situation where the lying was blatant yet the person denied it to high heaven.)

 

[Deleted member 26314]

- I wrote out a whole load about how I didn't want to give more information than I felt nessecary. But after re-reading all of your posts I'm just going to leave it and accept that I do understand what you're saying and I'm sorry if I sounded defensive or anything of the sort.

Thank you for giving your two cents on the matter, I do appreciate the post.

I also want to say that I'm not adverse to questions, however, I do not like to feel questioned. Just that, I just don't like it, it makes me feel vulnerable and strikes up a mixed batch of anxiety and paranoia in me which I don't like. But after calming down, I see clearly and hence the reason why I have edited my post.

Still, thanks for your comments.

 

[Meadowsweet]

If you are with the NHS adolescent mental health service, wouldn't your GP know about this?

The other question (and I am sorry for the questions, but it's the best way to gather information with which to try and help), is does your mental health practitioner know about the trauma that you've experienced?

 

[Deleted member 26314]

Meadowsweet @ She doesn't know everything, she knows generally what happened but no details or anything like that.

I have no idea what my GP knows. I'm 16 and my mum books most of my doctors appointments and 9 times out of 10 they are with different people each time. I don't even know who my GP is. So, I have no idea, what so ever, about what my GP knows or doesn't know.

 

[digger]

Is it okay to ask what you were referred to CAMHS for - feel free not to answer that, but if your therapist has some idea of your trauma background ie. If that's what you were referred there for, then hopefully it might make the conversation a bit easier. If you were referred for something else then it might be less 'on her radar' as you said, but being a mental health nurse I hope it would be something she would consider anyway.
Was your previous therapist also nhs, with the same service? If so your current therapist may have notes from her, could be a good way into the conversation, you could ask if she knew what your previous therapist thought.

 

[digger]

Is it okay to ask what you were referred to CAMHS for -

By the way not asking that for details - just if you were referred for the trauma or for another reason.

 

[Deleted member 26314]

I don't mind giving a bit of background in this case as it makes it a bit easier to understand - my history of traumatic events is complicated, I still get confused about it.

Putting it in as little words as I can, my traumatic event consisted of living for two months with two abusive people (one was physically abusive and the second was both physically and sexually abusive). Then, last year, I moved back there, and re-encountered those people and left after a second two months. (don't ask why I made the decision to move back, I was impulsive and a bit insane at the time).

Anyway, I don't know if I was referred due to the traumatic event as I never really classed it as traumatic until I met with my boyfriend who showed me it was. And that was only a couple of months ago. All I remember, from two years ago, was whilst in hospital for attempted suicide, I was referred to CAMHS. Then in the appointments I went to, I saw a Clinical Psychologist who mentioned a few things I remember including me having emotional difficulties and depressive episodes, as well as mentioning (once) that PTSD fit some of my symptoms. She never really brought up what happened or anything related to it and simply talked to me about the weather and how my school life and friends were going. I thought it was useless, she wasn't asking me anything other than how I was doing, and when I answered 'not good' she moved onto a different topic, so I stopped going for about 3 months.

I then revisited the place of my traumatic experience which heightened my symptoms and made them severely worse.. resulting in where I am now. I revisited that place about 8 or 9 months ago and for the last 7 months I've been seeing a Clinical Nurse who was the one who referred me to a psychiatrist for depression. That is the only mental health disorder which has been mentioned to me, nothing else seems to be on their radar.

I haven't really spoken about what happened to anyone other than my boyfriend, I tried mentioning it to the psychiatrist I saw but she seemed to be only concerned about my apparent depressive symptoms rather than any history of anything. She told my therapist I wanted to talk more about what happened but I could never find the words, so I assumed my therapist would try and coax me to say things or gently ease me into the topic of it, but I've been seeing her for 5 months since that and like my first therapist, she's mentioned nothing but school and family and how that's going.

- Sorry if I wrote a lot of detail there, I just thought it might make my situation easier to understand.. at least a little easier anyway. I started writing then it all just came pouring out, so sorry if it is a lot. I haven't explained the last three years like that for a very, very, very long time.

Also, I'd hoped she had considered PTSD too, since I thought she might be considering everything. Which is why I thought about simply writing down all the symptoms I have been experiencing (PTSD related or not) and giving them to her.. But I'm not sure on that. I tried writing a couple down earlier but my hands wouldn't stop shaking so I couldn't physically write it.

 

[digger]

Take your time. You don't have to write down everything you want to explain to her in one go. I think it probably is worth mentioning that PTSD was suggested before. I know you said you've been avoiding appointments more recently, but how regularly were you seeing her before that? Weekly? Just trying to get a picture of how well you've gotten to know her. It may be as you said she was easing you in gently before looking at the harder stuff and building up trust.

 

[Deleted member 26314]

I had been seeing her very infrequently, for a month it would be weekly, then she would wait two weeks. If I missed an appointment, I would wait about 3 or 4 weeks until I saw her again. More often than not it was every two weeks, I asked for it to be weekly, but she said that she was fitting me in whenever she could and that she was busy a lot of the time. That didn't make me feel too good about seeing her!

 

[digger]

That didn't make me feel too good about seeing her!

No I don't imagine it would!

I'd say make the appointment with her so you know what timeframe you're working to and then work on writing some stuff down. Do you make your appointments by email? If so you could maybe add when you make it that there are some things you want to discuss with her about your referral/diagnosis.

Regarding the GP, to be honest if live already been referred to mental health services then he/she is unlikely to intervene and refer you for a specific assessment. So I do think your best bet is the therapist, but it doesn't sound like an ideal set-up for support for you.