Professional Support 👨‍⚕️

Everybody feels down, sad, negative, frustrated, stressed or anxious at times, but it’s important to be able to recognise when a mood or behavioural change has become more than a temporary thing and it is effecting your everyday living.

When should I be seeking help

Generally, you should seek professional help if you are noticing one or more of these signs and they are:

• constant or noticeable most of the time;
• persisting for a period of about two weeks or more;
• affecting your daily life in a negative way.

However, if you are feeling any concerns for your personal mental health and wellbeing at all, there is never a wrong time to seek help. You are encouraged to seek help at any time.

Getting professional help

The best place to start is book an appointment with your GP or General Practitioner. It is recommended that you book a longer appointment for your consultation. During your consultation with your GP – be open and share with them how you have been feeling, so they can best help you. They may do an assessment for you, including a survey/ assessment for a care plan, which may entitle you to free sessions with a mental health professional. To see a Psychologist or Psychiatrist you will first need a referral from your GP.

What to expect at the consultation

During this consult, GP may conduct an initial general check-up and then move onto some specific assessments.
There are a number of recommendations that your GP might make based on their assessment of the situation, which can include:

• referral to a mental health professional, like a psychiatrist or psychologist ( we have a list below of Christian Psychologists you can ask to see)
• prescription of medication
• lifestyle recommendations, like increased exercise or better sleep practices
• information sheets and documents

You can choose to not go with the recommendations of your GP depending on how comfortable you feel about them.