Daughter going to psychiatrist

Hello,
I'm not very good at talking to my mother about things relating to my mental health - I just can't get the words out. I have scheduled my first ever psychiatrist appointment at the end of the week and I still haven't told her about it.

I need to write her a letter, but have no idea how to form the sentences
As parents, if you were in this situation what would you like reading?
I feel so anxious!

Any thoughts are welcome.
Thank you

Just tell her how you feel, be honest. Express to her in the letter both why you think you need help; and why you feel you need help. While how you think and feel appear to be the same thing, they are not, let me explain. What you think, at least how I define it, is the progression of logic that brought you to you decision. Stuff such as “I read…..”, “I saw…..” or “I heard…..” fall into this category. But they are all based on facts.

How you feel is just as it sounds. How you feel on a personal level about life, love, and the world. Feelings can be hard to put into words, or it is hard to get the words to match the emotion you are trying to express. Be very specific with your words, don’t lever her guessing. Don’t just say,“it makes me sad” because that could have so many meanings. Say instead, “when you …………………………. I do not even want to get out of bed because I am so sad” or “when he……………………………….it destroys me because…………….”. Communicate your exact feelings, when you assume she will understand things you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Hi Lily99,

I'm sorry that you're feeling so much anxiety about seeing a psychiatrist.

Just a quick question to you: Why do you feel that it's necessary to tell your mother about the appointment? Are you paying for it, or is it affecting her pocketbook?

If the appointment is to be covered by her, then your anxiousness about how she may respond makes a little more sense to me. I would recommend being open about you're struggling with ___. You've tried other techniques to work through the issue/s. But it's time for you to see if medication and/or counseling would you help make a significant difference in your world. Keep it brief though. Don't go into specific issues, saying *Jane did this and that, and on and on. That's when it gets messy, imo.

If, however, you are paying for it, then I'd recommend bringing up your anxiety with your doctor. He/she could really help you change your perspective with some counseling. You shouldn't feel obligated to share this information with anyone really. If you're paying to see a psychiatrist or counselor, who to share this information with is entirely up to you and the doctor. You are entitled to feel anxious, ashamed, or whatever about needing to see a psychiatrist. But, realistically, almost everyone on Earth goes through a time or two in their lives when they need professional help working through their lives. Maybe not everyone your age, or in your town, but sooner or later they will receive some type of emotional assistance. And that's because we are all human.

We all struggle from time to time. Some more than others, yes, but everyone is vulnerable to some type of emotional trouble. Sometimes, it's a disease in the brain. No one is to blame in situations like those, but they do occur. Other times, the brain has physically changed and needs medication/s to re-boot it back to normal. Depression is one of those illnesses. And then, there are those who're struggling with the effects of abuse: emotional, physical, and/or sexual.

I hope that this helps you feel a little better about your upcoming appointment. Very best wishes to you!