Looking into counselling - draft letter.

I'm looking into counselling since my hypothyroid/Hashi's diagnosis and wondering if this draft letter I'm planning on sending to my GP sounds/reads/looks ok:

"Dear Dr ?

I am writing to you to express some concerns I have regarding my mental health and am wondering if a referral to a counsellor would be appropriate.

My apologies for this letter being rather long, but I have a lot of issues and problems that I feel need to be addressed.

At my first endocrinologist appointment I felt very unable to voice any concerns I had to the consultant – mainly because I was trying so very hard to make her understand how ill I really felt at the time and that my symptoms are from what I believe to be resulting from my hypothyroidism, which she does not seem to suspect.

I have had and still have not got the confidence or assertiveness to talk about such issues for fear of the answer I will get or for fear of being struck off/reported to the practice/hospital manager/have my medical exemption stricken.

Also due to the fact I am unemployed and left my job through illness I have been too depressed to go back to work. I have since applied for ATOS because of this and my boyfriend has said to people I am actively looking for work. This is not the case since I have been signed off sick at your discretion. I still do not feel well enough for work.

I have also found it hard to come to terms with being hypothyroid, since I am very young and that there is no family history of thyroid disease. I understand that there is a close link between Diabetes Type 1 and hypothyroidism and I considered myself lucky not to have Diabetes after results were negative. I do not consider myself lucky to have hypothyroidism and I have not been looking after myself very well in the past since this diagnosis.

I am also concerned that since hypothyroidism is a lifelong illness, I have heard stories where patients’ medication exemption, even medication, is stopped once their TSH has normalised. This has now worried me since my illness is very changeable, making me dramatically swing from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism.

Like many other people I was bullied at school and I was sexually assaulted in 2001 - I was 15 at the time and I was on holiday with my mum in Turkey. The bartender at the hotel we stayed at did this and I did think about reporting him to the British Embassy in Turkey. No one in my family knows and I think the truth would hurt them. I did seek counselling for this back in 2010 I believe, but I was put with a male one who fired question after question at me. I did not like this approach and have delayed seeking any further professional help due to this experience. Due to recent events my depression and stress response have been through what I believe to be a snowball effect, where I feel very overwhelmed with everything at present.

I have had a lot of family problems at the moment. My granddad has been ill lately since suffering a stroke in 2009 through high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a previous stroke before 40.

Incidentally, I have not been tested for a possible risk of stroke since stroke before 40 is seen as hereditary. Is there any chance I could be tested to ensure the same thing does not happen to me?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance.

Yours Sincerely

......."

Hope this reads ok.

Thanks for your help.

Jo xxx

[Clutter]

Jo,

I'm sorry to laugh honey, but there you go, asking for a stroke profile/test when you're asking for a referral to a female counsellor.

ATOS should be ESA.

I think your Rant post better expressed your sense of being overwhelmed and struggling at the moment.

[Hidden in reply to Clutter]

Hi, thanks for your reply.

My stepdad suggested some time ago I should be tested for possibility for stroke and I thought including that in the letter would be ok.

I don't understand what I should be doing with this.

Jo xxx

[Hidden]

Hi Jo, you've put a lot of thought into this. I take Clutter's point about asking specifically for a female counsellor. It might be enough just to say at the end that on top of everything else you have been dealing with a lot of family problems. Maybe you can save your rant for the counsellor??

I would send it with the minor changes suggested.

Liz

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hi Liz, thanks for your reply.

I think I need the weekend to think it over but yes, thank you for your suggestions.

With the rant I posted it was in the heat of the moment. The letter was me being more composed and collected. So it probably didn't come off as good.

Jo xxx

[bantam12]

Well folks looks like Jo has left the forum, again.

[Hidden in reply to bantam12]

Hi hypohen,

I thought leaving the forum was the best idea but I have been wrong and have come back.

I am sorry for whatever I have done and am ready to make a difference to my health - by listening to others.

I am young and don't have a lot of patience for things at the moment as I've been too busy focusing on getting a job. I need to let things take their course. I know this now. Please see that.

Jo xxx

[tilly83]

I hope you get the counselling you require. Please ensure they are BACUP qualified and accredited plus lots of experience. Far too many people getting trained who are not particularly good. Professional counselling, expertly given is not an easy challenge to take on but it can make a world of difference to the rest of you life and mental well being x

[HarryE in reply to tilly83]

I second that. It is not easy, you will need to work hard, but you will benefit from it I am sure