Worried about first psychologist visit

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So, I told my mother that I am worried about whether I am mentally normal. I told her that I am fairly certain that I have OCD, but I didn't mention autism, because of what happened
when I asked my father about it. My brother has autism so my parents are familiar with it, and in 2009 I asked my father if he thought I might have it, too and his response was "what do want? A diagnosis? Is that going to make your life better?" I always took that as him saying he had thought the same thing, but that he doesn't support me looking into it further. Because of this, I don't feel like I can mention the A word to my parents, so this was the best I can do.

My mom made me an appointment with some sort of psychological professional, but I don't go until January. My worry is that this woman seems mostly to do regular therapy, and won't be able to help with more abnormal problems. I also tried looking up informationabout this woman online and couldn't find any, but I found some very negative reviews of the man whose practice she works in. I am very worried, but I want to give the woman a chance.

What I was looking for is any advice on how to help her help me. Also maybe if anyone could tell me what to expect when seeing a psychotherapist, that would help ease my anxiety.

Be relaxed and be yourself when you see a mental heath worker. Thats what enables them to help you.

Its not like a job interview, or applying to a college, in which you have to impress someone.

And tell her these concerns. She might even refer to someone who specializes in what she diagnoses you as having, or not.

Just "go with the flow", and the two of you will work out what the next step is.

Keep in mind that you won't be stuck with this person if she isn't suitable. She can refer you to a specialist if necessary.

As for what to expect, first psychiatrist/psychologist/therapist visit is always the same no matter what your specific issues. She will ask about your current concerns. Then will ask you about your history, how long, how bad, have you tried anything in the past to help, if so what, etc. etc. Are you currently on any medication? What is your family history? What is your family medical history? She will want to know about your brother. If your brother is on any medications, it would be helpful to bring that information along with you.

It's just a lot of questions along these lines. Interview is typically 60-90 minutes or so. She will discuss with you what you hope to achieve in terms of goals for therapy and goals for meds (if you want to take them). If neuropsychological testing is warranted she can refer you for that, or she can refer to a doctor who can in turn put in the referral... that depends on which country you live in.

Last edited by MrStewart on 11 Dec 2012, 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Firstly, I think it's completely normal to be worried and I've been right there with you, very nervous before each appointment - even if it was someone I liked and had seen before. If it makes you feel any better and might help you convey your problems better, I think it wouldn't be inappropriate for you to type of some of the issues and then hand them to her at the beginning of the appointment...not necessarily so she can go over them immediately but after the appointment (since they're quite time-constrained) for more information on your problems. Perhaps I'm lucky but the four psychologists and one psychiatrist I have met with over the years have been incredibly kindhearted and open minded. Only one seemed a bit inept but was still a very nice woman so the odds are in your favor. The most important thing to remember is that this is for you; if you're not happy with her or the practice or if she's not receptive to your concerns and doesn't seem interested in the potential autism spectrum disorder that causes you grief, you have every right to walk out and find someone else. Best of luck in January and I guarantee it'll go substantially better than whatever dreadful scenarios are playing out in your brain .

Yes. It is never as bad as you think it will be.

Thanks for replying, guys. I will keep in mind some of those things she might ask. I like the idea of making a list of everything I want to address, not so much for her, though if she wants it, she is welcome to a copy, but for myself. Otherwise, I can easily see myself just blanking when she asks why I came, because I wouldn't be able to decide where to start lol.

And yeah, I have been imagining some pretty crazy scenarios: either I can't communicate with this woman at all, or some sort of Bell Jar scenario, where I'm hauled off somewhere against my will to get shock therapy for the rest of my life.

I can kinda relate here. My 13 year old niece (sister's daughter) has non-verbal autism. My brother speaks but is completely shut in my mom's house at 32 and has never worked. I am more "normal" but definitely not typical. I am just starting to be able to drive but only routes I know, which are only 4 or 5 I talked at a normal age, but could never ride a bike and didn't tie my shoes till age 13. I have to try really hard to be social but I do ok since about 9th grade. People think I'm weird, and I get a lot of laughs about things I can't do, like the driving thing but because I am a woman I "get away" with it mostly. I'm afraid of my mom's reaction if I tried to get answers. She's embarassed of my brother. My older sister is just like me, and I have a 19 year old sister who is definitely NT.

Damn, so that's what I've been doing wrong this whole time. Instead of being honest I should have been bullshitting the interviewers. I think I'm one step closer to being NT now.

I think that's one of the worst things about autism. When parents are more worried about what the neighbors and friends will think of them (the parent not the child) rather than saying "this is how my kid is, if you have a problem with it go f**k yourself". My mother is still ashamed of me because I somehow affect her social standing by merely standing in her driveway. The sad thing is they don't know how obvious it is. So they're embarrassed by you and they think you're stupid.

Sadly most NT's think non-verbal is synonymous with stupid.

ha! yeah, I was worried about things like that too before I went to my doctor for help. I know you're joking here but just for your information and anyone else reading the thread in similar position to you:

The cardinal rule of involuntary psych admission is as follows: a patient may be involuntarily admitted to psych ward if, and only if, they demonstrate an immediate threat of harm to themselves or to others. This means immediate suicide risk and/or immediate violence risk to others. Keep in mind that suicidal ideation does not equal "immediate suicide risk", not unless you go in there saying you have a specific plan and timeline in place with intent to carry it out. And even in this case, the hold time can be as short of 24 hours depending on the patient.

So don't worry about that.