Scared and worried

My mental health assessment is going to be on Friday. I received a letter today. I need to phone them on Monday to confirm a time. 

So my question is, should I get Dave to come along with me? He has offered to so that he can be there to support me. I am unsure. Part of me would be grateful. Another part of me is concerned I won’t be totally honest if Dave is there. He knows that I feel suicidal but is unaware of how bad it can be. I have a massive fear that I will be sectioned under the Mental Health Act as a result of opening up about my suicidal ideations. 

If anyone has had a mental health assessment, I would really appreciate it if you could let me know what to expect. 

I am exhausted today. I spent the morning in the gym after another shit night’s sleep. I think I am going to take a sleeping tablet tonight. A proper night’s sleep might improve my mood. Dave and I took Walter for a walk earlier this afternoon. I felt anxious at times and I couldn’t pinpoint why. 

I’ve not got any other plans this weekend which is probably a good thing. It has been all go recently with Emma being here so I could do with time to chill out. I have a CBT session on Monday afternoon. My last session was a few weeks ago due to the Bank Holiday and Emma being here. 

25 thoughts on “Scared and worried”

  1. oceanoffear says:

    You can always take him with you for support whilst waiting and then make him stay outside when you are actually talking to the person

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  5. That’s exactly what I would suggest, too. You need him there, but you need to be completely honest with your doctor, too–talk about your thoughts of suicide quite candidly! Good luck–we’ll all be waiting to hear, my friend!

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  6. Hi there, it’s nothing to worry about! I promise. The questions they will ask, depending on the reason you’re going for (which is assume is depression?), will be like “how often do you think about suicide, to what extent do you think about it, do you have a plan, do you self harm etc.,”

    If they sectioned you for suicidal thoughts, it’d be if you had an actual plan (as in you’ve set a date and are sure you’ll attempt). Hopefully you don’t, but be honest if you do. They’ll talk to you about being sectioned before admitting you, but let’s cross that bridge if we come to it!

    I agree with all the comments above, as well. Also, if you have any more questions about the assessment or are going for another reason than depression, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer! Xxx

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      • You’re over 18, right? Well, you should either be offered further therapy or medication, or both. There are hundreds of counselling services, and someone struggling with something that could become a danger to their life is rarely turned away.
        As for what you’ll do in the sessions, depends on the type of therapy. If you’re doing CBT (or is that with another service…?), you should be given about 6 sessions to work with your anxiety and depression. But remember, therapists like it if you lead the conversations as they aren’t mind readers and only ask standard questions unless you hint at something else. So, bring up anything that you think is of importance; they’ll only offer you the support that they think will benefit the issues that YOU raise. You really don’t want to end up doing the wrong kind of therapy because you didn’t mention something crucial. Be clear and firm if they misunderstand something. Good luck xx

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      • Oh right, do you know what kind of therapy you’ll be doing there? I guess you’ll find out after the assessment? Just be honest and they’ll recommend what’s best, whether they think talking or psychotherapy etc.. What are you focusing on in CBT? Anxiety or???

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      • No idea. My GP referred me on to them as I have suicidal thoughts a lot of the time and I am struggling massively with my depression. At the moment I am looking at my thought processes in CBT x

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      • Ahh I see. Well the NHS should offer regular appointments, probably to check up on you. I guess the CBT is for helping you deal with your problems, and the NHS for making sure you’re doing okay. Not 100% sure, but I think this could be the approach. They’ll probably ask you to call if you’re having a crisis. They’ll also try and see if you have any other issues. If you don’t mind me asking, do you have any other problems or suspect you have a mental illness other than anxiety and depression?

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  7. Hi Gemma,

    I agree with all of the advice above, particularly on two points. Firstly, Dave is such a support for you that it would make loads of sense to have him there, so that you know he is waiting for you when it has finished and, if things go terribly badly, you can ask him to come into the assessment with you. But that isn’t going to happen, is it!

    Secondly, on your worries about saying you have had some suicidal thoughts. As someone has said, you won’t be sectioned just for admitting that you have had these, so please don’t worry about that. But it is vitally important that you can pluck up the courage to be honest about this. If you don’t, the care package they put together for you won’t be treating the whole of your illness, and this raises the possibility of future problems for you if it isn’t addressed now, alongside everything else you want to tell them about. I hope you can do this – it will be best for you in the long run. Easy for me to say, I know, but it is very important!

    Another blindingly obvious observation is that this should be discussed in your CBT session tomorrow. Your counsellor should be able to give you some reassurance about the assessment, and help you build a coping strategy for it, if that’s what you want.

    Above all, good luck! Your extended family and support network is here for you, wishing you all the very nest! Take care xx

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    • Thanks Clive. I think I will take Dave with me as I know I will be incredibly anxious beforehand. I will definitely discuss my assessment during my CBT session tomorrow. I think it is important that my counsellor is aware of it x

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  8. Vicky Louise says:

    Hi there! I was extremely grateful for a hand to hold when I came out of the assessments, I went through the NHS as well, the woman I saw was extremely calm and attentive and she was really nice to me but not OTT which helped with my tendencies to freak out when left alone with strangers! I’m always about for a chat if you need, but your fella sounds like an absolute rock star! (wafflingsofanopenbook@gmail.com)

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