In a bad place but too scared to go to the doctors!

[loui425]

I have always suffered from low level anxiety but over the last 18 months or so it has got a lot worse and would go as far as saying i have depression. (late nights, random crying, constantly feeling sad, down and upset). The stress of university i believe has played a major part in this combined with the fact over the last 14 months my hair has been rapidly falling out. This has massively affected my confidence and self esteem and feel a fraction of the personality i used to be. knowing that at this rate ill be completely bald within 18 months kills me inside and has broken me. im really not a vein person at all and know i shouldnt care what people think but i do and i cant help it. my 5 year relationship has broken down due to my insecurities and i am in a hole as to what to do. I want to get help but my anxiety is stopping me moving forward.

I want to go to the doctor and get help but i know as soon as i sit in the room with her my mind will go blank and i will be so anxious and nervous that i wont be able to stress my case and true feelings strong enough and will be told "theres nothing i can do to help you". I believe the key to solving this is about dealing with the cause of the problem which i believe to be my hairloss, which i believe to be caused from deep depression and anxiety for a sustained peroid of time (2 yrs) at uni. (hairloss due to stress and shock = telogen effluvium).

I am scared that the doctor may think im just being shallow and wont take my concerns seriously, i do honestly believe i need some support but if they do believe this i dont have the confidence to fight my corner and believe in the heat of the oment i will just accept what they are saying.

Im reluctant to get help because im scared there is nothing anyone can do to help me and then deep down i will know there are no options left for me. How can i regain my confidence to go and get help and truthfully speak my mind without bottling it and not fighting my cause/giving up?

thanks

[KeeKee]

Your doctor will not think you are shallow. I have BDD and often cry to my GP because I hate my overall appearance (face, hair, body, everything) and they are very sympathetic. I'm never made to feel shallow or like I'm wasting their time. Hair falling out can be vitamin deficiencies too, not just stress so going to the doctors could help with this.

Is there no way you could write it all down? Or perhaps request a telephone appointment?

[loui425]

Its just because obviously anything to do with hair these days gets palmed off all male pattern baldness. I tried to explain my case to the doctor 12 months ago and he was so unsympathetic and just dismissed me and was told its just part of life dont worry about it. I have a different doctor now but still feel that i need someone to empathise and really understand my situation and want to help rather than patronise me and be ignorant to the situation.

I have written down everything and would like to show the doctor what ive written down as i feel that would get across my feelings an symptoms a lot better but do you know if i can email her or send a letter as opposed to talking in person? thanks

[KeeKee]

I'm really not sure I guess it would be worth asking the receptionist. You could take your list in and show them I did that once, my GP even took the list from me and read it themselves. They will understand the difficulty you'll have speaking to them.

[Buster70]

Hi , if you don't feel comfortable talking to one doctor just keep trying some of mine are absolute dicks one even stood holding the door handle while I was talking I just walked out and won't see him again another was a foreign chap who's English was a bit hard to understand turned out to be the nicest and most understanding he even told me he'd had problems of his own , just stick with it until you feel ok with one , they are not there to judge you and they will have heard a lot worse , ps I'm a lot older but when my lovely locks started going I just shaved it off it was that or a comb over once it's gone it's quite liberating and you don't have to worry about it anymore and you won't spend your time trying to hide it , take care .

[KeeKee]

Hi , if you don't feel comfortable talking to one doctor just keep trying some of mine are absolute dicks one even stood holding the door handle while I was talking I just walked out and won't see him again another was a foreign chap who's English was a bit hard to understand turned out to be the nicest and most understanding he even told me he'd had problems of his own , just stick with it until you feel ok with one , they are not there to judge you and they will have heard a lot worse , ps I'm a lot older but when my lovely locks started going I just shaved it off it was that or a comb over once it's gone it's quite liberating and you don't have to worry about it anymore and you won't spend your time trying to hide it , take care .

I had a miscarriage many years ago and the foreign doctors always seemed to be the nicest and most thorough.

[Buster70]

This doctor had lost his daughter when he came here and still won't drive on motorways because it reminds him of the day she went , losing your hair seems like the end of the world but it's not and it might even grow back mine has its just it now in my ears and back , hope you don't think I'm making light of your problem but you have to laugh or you'd cry .