Title: Talking to Your Doctor About Your Mental Health - familydoctor.org
Headings: Talking to Your Doctor About Your Mental Health
Talking to Your Doctor About Your Mental Health
Do I need to see a doctor?
What will my doctor do for me?
Path to improved health
Things to consider
Questions to ask your doctor
Resources

Content: That’s why it’s important to write things down beforehand. If you use the notes you’ve prepared ahead of time, you won’t have to worry about forgetting important details. Understand the diagnosis process. There is no simple blood test or scan that can tell you if you have depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or another mental illness. Sometimes it can be challenging for your doctor to be able to name the specific condition you have. Plus, you may have a combination of conditions that are causing your symptoms. For example, depression and anxiety often occur together. Bipolar disorder shares some symptoms with depression. And depressive illnesses often occur with physical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Your doctor may ask you questions that seem unrelated to mental illness.