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When I interviewed over 4,000 people who had come back for depression, bipolar or
an anxiety disorder, the biggest regret was they didn't get
a rigorous diagnosis early enough and a holistic treatment plan.
The other thing to consider is that, in today's world,
over 26 percent visits to GP's
are related to depression and anxiety disorders;
and yet when a medical student trains to become a doctor,
less than one percent of their formal lectures are related to this area.
This is why it's so important to find a mental health savvy GP,
and these are my Top Three Tips: the first thing
is to ask family and friends if they've had a positive experience
with a mental health issue seeing a doctor
that's a great place to start. The second
thing that can help is to go to a website that has this information.
For example, in Australia there is beyond blue
and you can put in your postcode and find out
GPs and psychologists that have a special interest
in depression or bipolar that live close to you.
In the US there is also the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, who have a
similar service.
And the third thing is to
ask people that you know that could know this
primary physician. For example, if you have a great psychologist,
ask them if they know a general practitioner
that is skilled in the area of mental health. These are my Top Three
Tips to finding the right help. It is essential