Are you suffering from depression caused by different situations in your life? You are then we are your depression therapists in Portland. We know how flustered you can be for the first time when meeting one of our therapists. Perhaps you have questions you want answered, but when entering the office, you hit a blank.
Be prepared and decide what you would like to discuss with your therapist before your appointment. Think what you want to achieve from the treatment and go armed with the following information and questions.
How to Prepare Yourself
Write down all the questions you would like to ask. The counselors are good, but they cannot read your mind readers. The likeliness is they will not be able to tell you everything you want to know.
Questions to ask your doctor:
- Will I need to take medicine for my depression?
- What type of medication is available and what are the risks?
- Are there side effects related to depression medicine?
- How efficient and quick will the drug work?
- Will it clash with other supplements and medication I am taking?
Questions to ask your therapist:
If you come in for depression counseling with one of our psychiatrists, you can ask them the following:
- What type of approach do you use and what will the goals be?
- What do you expect and will you be giving assignments to complete?
- How often will we have to meet?
- Will the counseling be short- or long-term?
- If you are seeing a separate doctor for medical treatment, will you be collaborating with him or her?
- Do you have policies related to canceled sessions and what does each course cost?
Keep a Journal
With depression, you go through mood changes and best to log the information in a journal. The truth is it helps the therapists to see what is happening in your life on a daily basis. Here is what you can include in your entry:
- What your current symptoms are
- How you are feeling on a specific day
- What events affected your mood to make you feel depressed on that day
- Did you sleep well and how much sleep did you get
- What dosage of the drug have you taken that day and if you missed your medication make a record of it
When visiting your therapist bring your journal for us to read. Keep a diary for a couple of weeks or even a month as you might also see a pattern on how your mood changes. Do not forget about your physical symptoms they are relevant and signs of depression.
Make sure to discuss them with your health practitioner if you have pain, sleep problems, and more. Ask family and friends if they noted any changes in your behavior. The likeliness is, they have noticed symptoms you might have missed. If you are nervous about your appointment, you can always bring along a family member or friend.