Getting prepared for your first session is important because it gives you a sense of direction as to how to go about it. The first meeting is usually the one that you get to have a feel of the office and get an overview of what the sessions will be like. Below are some of the best ways to get ready for that first session.
Put the questions down.
Don’t just go in thinking that the doctor will handle every thing. Write down questions that you will like to ask. They may range from how he is going to go about the treatment to some things you will like to know about your own personal experience i.e. symptom wise. The questions could also serve as a reality check in that it will clear issues that are murky and make you understand things better. Questions like ‘for how long do I need to be on medication’ or ‘how long will it take before the drugs begin to take effect’ should not be taken for granted. Don’t think that the therapist will tell you every thing or will cover every area. So the more questions you put down the better for you.
Keep your own personal diary.
Once you know that you are going to employ the services of therapist, begin to keep your own personal diary detailing mood changes and your personal thoughts. The information will go a long way in helping the therapist to have as much background information that will help him or her in adopting the most effective treatment.
Your personal diary also helps you to focus and is even therapeutic. It should be well organized. Create columns like sleep, symptoms noticed for the day, notable events that affected your mood and enter them regularly. This puts everything in the right perspective. Take the diary along as you attend that first session and show it to your therapist. You might be advised to continue with it even as the treatment continues.
Take note of your physical symptoms.
Depression does not just stop at what goes on in the head, it is also connected to physical symptoms like muscle pains and digestion problems.
Take note of these physical signs and make sure your therapist gets to know. It is important that you do this because you might need special drugs for these symptoms.
They may have been caused by the depression but to treat them you would need to be prescribed with drugs that deal with each one.
Tap into your support group.
Your primary support groups are friends and family. You might need their help when preparing for your first session. They could tell you things that you might not be aware of thereby helping you to get better equipped for your first session. Your first session is usually the one that the therapist uses to get as much information as possible. Your support group also gives you emotional strength. They are very important in the treatment process and the more involved they are from the onset the better it is for you.
Preparing for that first session sets the tone for the whole treatment program. It gives you a sense that this whole thing about the ailment has a conclusion. It is something that will help you in the process of recovering.