One of the ways we can support our friends or family members struggling with mental health is to encourage them to speak to their GP. Jo Rose, one of our members shares what you might expect from your GP.
What you might expect if you see a GP about mental health problems? The most obvious to me is that you'll get someone who deals with this all the time and will therefore be experienced at asking the questions and gently teasing out the story and how it is affecting the person. People perceive that there is still a stigma attached to owning up to this sort of thing, but this is just not true in general practice. Your GP really has heard it all before (we're hard to shock!). We're very happy to cried on, and the box of tissues is probably the piece of equipment I use most often.
So why might you recommend to a friend that it would be worth seeing a GP? Christians particularly often feel that we 'should' be able to deal with stress, depression and anxiety within the framework of our faith and church supports. What about the worry that our GP will tackle the issues from a very secular position? While this may be true, it is also true that there is real value in what a GP can offer that complements and runs alongside the more specifically 'Christian' support. It's a bit more complicated than the analogy that 'of course you'd see someone about a broken leg', but there is some truth in here in that there is value in a medical approach to a medical problem. Of course, all this is also relevant to non-Christian friends who you are supporting and also seeking to introduce concepts of gospel hope. There are also a lot of Christian GPs, and if you mention that you have a faith you may find that they do too!
As a definite cut-off, if low mood, stress or anxiety are affecting function you should see a GP – if your friend is struggling to concentrate at work, not sleeping, eating dramatically more or less than usual, cutting themselves off from friends and family or expressing suicidal thoughts it would really be worth them seeing someone professional who is in a position to help.
What could your GP offer?
Time off work – this can be all it takes to get through a period of acute stress, just 'removing work from the equation' can give people space to reflect and recharge. I always encourage people I am signing off for this reason that they are not 'off sick' and that they should be out and about, taking exercise, meeting friends etc. Maybe you could help by providing companionship here?
Signposting to helpful resources, often online, telephone or group resources looking at coping with stress, relaxation strategies and anxiety control techniques. One to one counselling is almost impossible to obtain on the NHS, but if someone has very specialist issues they may be able to see a psychologist after a very long wait.
Medication – while this is not something that everyone thinks is right for them, there are a definite group in whom anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medication can be really helpful. The criticism has been made that we have 'medicalised' normal stress and sadness, and this may well be true, as a prescription is quicker and easier to give than a good long listening consultation. However, when sadness, stress and anxiety start to last for a long time (more than 6 weeks) and to interfere with normal function the time to consider medication has arrived. Modern anti-depression and anti-anxiety medications are not addictive, although they may bring unwanted side effects such as weight gain. They tend to remove the extremes of emotion, and I describe them to patients as 'helping you feel a bit more steady while you come to terms with what has happened. They don't fix anything but help you cope'. They give people a more level platform, from which they can work on simple mood techniques and focus on getting better.
From a GP's perspective, what can you offer your friends who are feeling like this?
Encourage them to make an appointment and then to talk about what is really bothering them. I often meet people who have come in once or twice already and spoken about minor physical problems and then on the third time say 'well what is really bothering me is I feel sad all the time...'
Offer to go along with them. The first consultation is often the hardest as much of the background story will be told. A supportive friend who will sit with you is great (maybe even staying in the waiting room rather than in with the GP if they'd prefer). People are often quite upset after they've told the story, so being together quietly after is useful too.
Find out what the GP recommended and offer support with any decisions, for example whether to start medication.
Just be with them – offer to go for a short walk, sit together, cook some easy food together.
Of course pray for them, and with them if that is appropriate.If you have any questions about this blog or are affected by any of these issues, please do email womenatcharlotte@gmail.com
