Does feeling sad or anxious for 1 day warrant a visit with a psychiatrist? What about a few days? Or how about feeling like this ALL the time? Lots of people struggle with the question of if/when they should seek a consultation with a psychiatrist. Here are a few items to consider when facing this question:
Ask your doctor.
Ideally, we are all seeing a primary care physician or pediatrician on a yearly basis. If you are struggling at all with your mood, discussing this with your main doctor is a good first step. They might be able to help. If it is beyond their scope of practice they will refer you to a specialist such as a psychiatrist.
Ask your therapist.
People who have been struggling with things may already be engaged with therapy. Your therapist should also be able to guide you in terms of when it might be appropriate to meet with a psychiatrist, so make sure to include them in this conversation.
Take a look inward.
How are you functioning? Are you able to go to work? To school? Do you tend to arrive late or miss things because you’re not feeling up to it? Are you unable to complete or even start other responsibilities? If you are struggling on a day to day basis to get things done, consulting with your primary doctor or going straight to a psychiatrist might be a good step to take.
This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list. There are obviously other consultative options that could be added to this list, but this should give you a good sense of where to start. Of course, if you or a loved one is really struggling, and you want/need to get help quickly, going to the nearest ER or calling the national suicide hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) is the way to go.
