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Accessing therapy: Things to think about

Using existing mental health tests

Often it is difficult to explain what you and we are going through, especially when there is ongoing abuse. You and we might want a way of checking your mental health before approaching a professional.
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There are some questions that are used by doctors and mental health professionals to get a better idea of what you are experiencing. We’ve included two of these that are commonly used in some countries to understand if someone has symptoms of depression and anxiety. You might want to look at the questions asked below and think about how you would reply to them.  
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Keep in mind, these tests only reflect the state of mind the person is the moment the test is taken and are not a replacement for receiving a diagnosis from a mental health professional or a clinical psychiatrist.

You can find online copies of two questionnaires that are often used here and here. You can fill it in and screenshot a copy to share with a professional.

You do not have to work at this alone, if you so choose. Feel free to give yourself permission to ask for support!

Medication - Helping the body in getting better

Treating mental health difficulties is often done by the patient taking medication to make them feel calmer, more relaxed and less depressed. Usually, the medication will be prescribed by a medical professional, never by a therapist. Most likely, this will be your general practitioner or a medical doctor at a hospital.
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Medication has been shown to help many people suffering from depression and anxiety and is an additional way to manage your mental health problems. After starting medication, especially antidepressants, it will take a couple of weeks to start feeling better and your doctor should regularly check in with you about how you are doing, adjusting your dose and checking for possible side effects.

Disclaimer: This guide has not been put together by mental health professionals. It is not intended to be medical advice. It has been crowdsourced by survivors and volunteers of Chayn. Care has been taken in reflecting the experiences and knowledge of people around the world, including therapists but information in this guide should be taken instead of certified medical advice. Please seek professional support.

Getting better & moving on: A guide for mental healing after abuse and trauma by CHAYN is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.