"Attending G.P for Mental Health Help"

 I visited my local GP for the first time in months regarding my mental health. It has been almost 2 years since I've been 'in the system' for my mental health and I have never received a formal diagnosis. I have only done that myself. I've felt palmed off in the past but feel that yesterday was truly awful.

I took my friend along for support and she was equally shocked at the way I was spoken to. I was given the doctor's own opinions regarding mental health instead of the facts. They appeared to distrust what specialists know surrounding things such as personality disorders and I was told probably shouldn't seek out anything around that sort of diagnosis because those with personality disorders are 'cold and calculating'.

I'm not sure if this was meant to comfort me in some way. but it came across at completely ignorant. I was also repeatedly told 'it was all in my head' and that I should basically think myself out of my illness and that external factors can't affect me because I can just control how I feel. There is a lot more to what was said, but overall I left feeling upset and angry at being patronised. I didn't feel that the doctor was working in my best (or anyone else's) interests and I wasn't even certain they'd try to refer me to a specialist. I have self referred to Wellbeing Soutside in the past and they provided me with an excellent low mood class, but unfortunately don't have the capabilities for diagnosis and said I would have to go back to my GP. I feel like I'm going round and round in circles and I do not wish to return to that particular GP surgery because it was an incredibly negative and upsetting experience.