With all due respect, I do not think that a doctor who asks "How are you doing?" in a casual, society-type way - in a way that makes the patient feel an urge to say "fine" as expected in polite society - is a good doctor. What the OP did with the suggestions of other posters is excellent, but it is also the doctor's JOB to ELICIT honest responses. I must say that when my doctor asks me this question, she does not sound casual; there is concern and even anxiety in her voice, and I just go ahead and spill it without any prepared paperwork. She asks this question expecting that I would bring up stuff, not say "fine". And on those occasions that I did feel fine, I was beaming with happiness (not manic though) and she was visibly happy with me and for me. You would understand why I am sad that she is leaving for VA.

Switching topics a bit. A couple of years ago I had a not so good doctor, well not at all a good doctor, and she, during the first consult, asked me whether I see things that are not there and have delusions. Not long ago I recited to my friend, who is a p-doc in Europe, and he had a really good laugh. He thought that she was either inexperienced or did not like her line of work. The latter must be true because she had been practicing for a long time. The thing is, hallucinations are a difficult subject and a patient cannot always report 100% correctly whether she is seeing things that are there or "are not there". With delusions, even more so, you may steadfastly believe your train of thought without realizing that it is a delusion.

Questions psychiatrists ask matter.