It is natural to want answers when something does not feel quite right.
Before an appointment, you may have searched your symptoms, read about a diagnosis, watched a video, seen an advertisement for a medication, or talked with someone whose experience sounded similar to your own.
You may arrive at your consultation thinking, “Maybe this is what I have,” or “I wonder if this medication could help me.”
Curiosity is welcome.
Research suggests that looking for health information can help patients become more involved in conversations about their care. A systematic review examining 53 studies found that online health information can “enhance the communication ability and decision-making ability of patients.” The researchers also found that patients continued to regard physicians as their primary source of health information.
Being informed can be helpful. The conversation becomes especially important when information creates an expectation that a particular diagnosis, medication, or treatment will be the outcome of the appointment.
Bring What You Learned Into the Conversation
Your consultation is the place to talk about it.
Tell your doctor what you have read. Ask about the medication you heard about. Share the symptoms that led you to wonder about a particular diagnosis. Ask about side effects that concern you.
And if the recommendation is different from what you expected, ask why.
“Can you help me understand why you recommend this treatment for me?”
Sometimes the most valuable part of a consultation is understanding something differently than you did before you arrived.
Your Experience Matters
No article, advertisement, search result, or another person's experience knows your complete story.
That is what the consultation is for.
Medical care for mental health begins with a conversation.