[Stephanie]

- How did you get help?

After lots of trying. Firstly, I told my parent's I thought I was depressed, they laughed it off for a couple of years but then they eventually gave in and took me to see someone. First, I saw my school counsellor who told me to see my doctor, who referred me to a counsellor, who then referred me to CAMHS. It took quite a while

- What happened on your first appointment?

I'll go for the CAMHS appointment. They asked me lots of questions about different things. It was hard, but we worked through them. We talked about family background, self harm, sucidal ideation, how I feel in certain situations. We also went through many simple 'yes/no' questions.

- How often are / were your appointments?

N/A

- How long did they last?

Approximately one hour.

- What advice can you give to anybody that is anxious about visiting a counsellor / their first appointment?

It's not as bad as you think. I work myself up all day before the appointment, cry and make a fuss, rehearsing what i'm going to say in my head, then I go in and I realise the that I shouldn't have bothered.
You have to think about it logically, what's the worst that could happen? Nothing to bad, eh? Think of it that way. Remember that you are in control. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to and the counsellor/psychologist/psychiatrist/doctor will understand that you're going to be worried, they will not rush you and will want you to feel as comfortable as possible. Tell them how you're feeling, it may make you feel better to actually tell them that you're scared, I know that helped me a little bit. Like most things, you'll worry about it because it's something new and unknown but by the end, you should realise it's not that bad. You're going there to get help and support. It's a positive thing that you're there.