Hello everyone!   Welcome to tonight's Getting Real session!!! Tonight myself and Ruenhonx will be cofaciliating. Tonight we are discussing VOLUNTEERING.   Why do some volunteer and others don't? How do you find volunteering opportunities? And what do you gain from volunteering? If you have never volunteered before, come along and learn about what it is like to be a volunteer and if you have volunteered, come share your experiences!!!   It should be a really fantastic night, so look forward to hearing from you all!!   As per usual, normal forum guidelines are still important, so have a read if you are not sure what you are allowed to post on these forums!   To start us off tonight:   Have you done volunteer work? What type? Do any of your friends volunteer?   ... View more

@DD, yep 2007! I wrote about the essence of life. I do remember being quite freaked out when I read the topic. Considering the years before had "time" or "discovery" or something... essence seemed so much harder!!! I really enjoyed short response and multiple choice though! I loved that we couldn't study for QCS though... Although my school did try to make us by giving us practice tests and all these weird experiences. QCS is overrated though. ... View more

3. Again, whether you did it this year or not, what was the most challenging thing about the HSC? Dealing with depression. I was SO lucky to have a supportive school counsellor and teachers though. I spent a LOT of time in my school counsellor's office during year 11 and 12. And all of my teachers knew how unwell I was and most were EXTREMELY understanding. Time management was also a problem. I had NO idea how to manage my time. Before year 11 and 12, I NEVER did homework because I always did my assignments in class and never needed to study because I could understand things really quickly. Then when I got to year 11, the workload increased massively and I couldn't just hear things once and get them instantly! I actually had to study which was such a foreign concept to me. ... View more

@DD, that's true... But I think in some ways it's more pressure for us because we have to do consistently well all throughout year 11 and 12! QCS is a loads of codswallop anyway. I did enjoy the QCS test though. :) Apart from my writing task which was "essence"!? It scared me when I walked out and some girls were saying they wrote about vanilla essence.. ... View more

Hey guys. 1. What was the best thing about your schooling years? I really loved my high school. It had really lovely values - I did a fair bit of volunteer work and we were always having special events on to raise money for different charities. So it really sparked my passion for giving back to the community. I also adored the teachers at my high school - they were such genuine people who REALLY cared for you. I didn't like my grade very much though. I went to an all-girls school. Girls can be very bitchy!!! I wouldn't have chosen to go anywhere else though as I think it did teach me some valuable lessons about how to get along with other people. 2. If you did it this year or years ago, what did you most enjoy about the HSC? QLD doesn't have the HSC as such... It's quite different. I struggled a lot with my subjects in year 11 and 12. When I chose my subjects I instantly went for the "hardest" subjects because I kind of wanted to prove to everyone that I could do them. But that backfired massively. I did straight maths and science in year 11 and 12 (2 lots of maths, biology, chemistry, physics) + religion & english (which were compulsory). Funnily enough the subjects I chose were nicknamed the "suicidal 5" and I became suicidal during year 11 and 12! I guess I should have paid more attention to the rumours. :p I didn't really know what I wanted to do though for subjects in year 11 and 12 and everyone was telling me how fantastic I was at maths and science (which I was and still am) but I kind of didn't realize there were other options available. So my grades weren't as great as I would have liked as I was too overwhelmed by the workload and dealing with severe depression and my parents breaking up (messy, messy, messy break up!) halfway through year 12 impacted on me a lot! So I guess I didn't really answer your question - but honestly, think about your subject choices more in depthly than I did! Don't listen to what others tell you to do... Try something different!! ... View more

Thanks for attending tonight guys.   This is a bit of a summary of tonight's discussion!!!     To start off we discussed which health professionals are the most scary! Seems dentists took that crown! Next we talked about how we choose a health professional - low cost/bulk billing; waiting list; public transport; open to circumstances (e.g. LGBTIQ, Mental health problems); gender and age of the health professionals. Recommendations from others are also important! It can be made more difficult in rural areas where options are limited.  We also talked a bit about trust - it's important to be aware that trust can take time to develop.  Then we discussed the first appointment. Often the first appointment is very much a "getting to know you appointment". It's important to remember that if you don't' click with the health professional it's okay to not go back again! To prepare for appointments, we discussed how making a list can be helpful - think about what do you want from the appointment and what do you need to discuss at the appointment… as well as trying to find out a bit about them - google them (though use caution!). It's also important to have a chat to friends and family if you are feeling nervous. Also go in with an open mind.  Most importantly, having a reward in place afterwards can be helpful too.  Some of our rights as a health consumer/patient include confidentiality, to not be abused, to bring someone you trust along with you and making a complaint if necessary.  We heard some really scary horror stories about first appointments! Things that are NOT on and which turn us off from health professionals is if the staff are bitching about other patients in the waiting room, the health professional not understanding what we are trying to say or jumping to conclusions and overreacting.  Things we look for that make us want to return include feeling as though we are welcomed, if the professional is friendly, doesn't judge and seems as though they want to help. But sometimes we don't "click" and that's totally okay. Thanks so much for joining tonight guys! It's been so insightful and I hope this acts as a great resource for when you have your next "first appointment"!  ... View more

What great advice you all have!   If a younger friend of yours was seeing a health professional on their own for the first time, what would your best piece of advice for them be?? I'd tell them to stay calm - it's barely ever as bad as you imagine it to be and there are always other options if it doesn't work out this time round!!  ... View more

For our final question tonight... Thanks SO much for your contributions tonight! It's been so insightful!   If a younger friend of yours was seeing a health professional on their own for the first time, what would your best piece of advice for them be?? ... View more

Great signs Chonty and Bubblez - totally agree.   What kind of signs do you get from first appointments that this person might be worth seeing a second time? Sometimes it is very much a matter of whether or not you "click". It's totally okay not to click with a person... But it's also important to not give up if that happens! I like it when they set out a plan and make it seem as though they are excited to be working with you! So important to be made to feel as though you are their number one priority during the appointment! ... View more

I know a few of us have touched on this already...   What kind of signs do you get from first appointments that this person might be worth seeing a second time? ... View more

Dreamcatcher - I TOTALLY had the same situation with my GP when I was younger. That's why I stopped seeing her. Mum was her patient too and when mum got home from an appointment with her she'd know all this stuff that I had told the GP at my appointment! Really wasn't on! Totally agree with the bitching and unprofessional behaviour! Great thoughts guys! ... View more

What are some of the things that a professional might do that will make you turns you off instantly? I don't like it if they act as if they know it all and won't really listen to what you have to say. Yes they may be the health PROFESSIONAL but I'm the professional on me. So I expect them to listen to what I have to say without jumping to conclusions.   I also hate it if they rush me! I booked an appointment so I don't expect to be rushed even if they are running extremely late! Funnily enough I would normally say running late would be a turn off but my psychaitrist consistently runs 30 minutes late - sometimes I think I should just rock up 30 minutes late every time I go (but knowing my luck the day I do that is the day he was running on time!).    ... View more

Welcome Chonty, That sounds awful!!! It concerns me the number of GPs who seem to be quite clueless on mental health issues!! They DO get training in this area but some are really, really clueless! ... View more

I'm looking forward to hearing your responses to this one!   What are some of the things that a professional might do that will make you turns you off instantly? ... View more

Wow. We both forgot confidentiality, DD! Thanks Sophie! ... View more

Great tips dd! Love the tip about going in with an open mind!! :)   s ometimes we forget that we have rights as a patient/health consumer and that we don’t have to accept everything that the professional does/tells us. What are some of those rights that you can think of?   You are entitled to a second opinion! You are the professional on your own body and mind so if something they say doesn't seem to make sense to you then ask for clarification. They should be willing to explain whatever you need to know. ... View more

@dd - interesting point about googling the health professional... I totally googled all the GPs I was tossing up between. Great tip about talking to family and friends! I have a friend who is seeing a new GP tomorrow so we had a quick chat the other night about that! It will be good to hear how her appointment went in preparation for my own (hopefully amazingly, so it gives me more confidence. ;) ). ... View more

Great conversation so far guys! It's great to hear your thoughts.   How do you prepare for a first appointment? What tips would you give to others who are just about to attend first appointments? Breathe. It seems obvious but breathing can help a lot! I remember when I saw a GP for the first time a few years ago, a friend text me the whole time - while I was driving there, while I was in the waiting room, afterwards. It helped to know that someone was making sure I was keeping calm and helping me through!    To prepare, I often make lists and just so some thinking - what are the things I need from this appointment? What do I need to tell them? It helps to just think about the appointment and what your expectationss are from it - but be realistic!   Also... have a reward in place afterwards! Any tough appointments (first or other wise) deserve a reward - mine is often a nice hot chocolate and a piece of banana bread afterwards! ... View more

Welcome @dreamcatcher - what a valid point about rural areas! Definitely something to be aware of. Thankfully, a lot of psychiatrists and psychologists are opening their clinics to skype sessions now! Which I think is great!   We'll move on to the next question but keep those answers coming!!!   How do you prepare for a first appointment? What tips would you give to others who are just about to attend first appointments? ... View more

What kind of stuff would you expect to happen in the first appointment? Have you ever had something totally unexpected happen? Thankfully nothing unexpected has happened to me! But I have heard horror stories from people.   I think the first appointment is very much a bit of an overview and history. Most first appointments I've been to get you to fill out a form asking you about your general medical history. It's very much an appointment for you to get to know the health professional and them to get to know you. I remember at my first appointment with my current psychiatrist, at the end he told me a bit of a plan for what we would be doing if I wanted to see him again and he made it clear that if I didn't want to see him again, he was totally fine with that - he realized you don't always "click" with everyone and he said he would give me some names of other psychiatrists to try. I thought that was really great! Made me feel so much more comfortable! :) ... View more

Next Question!!! We are running a bit late. Oops!   What kind of stuff would you expect to happen in the first appointment? Have you ever had something totally unexpected happen? ... View more

How do you go about choosing a new health professional? What kind of stuff do you normally look for? Definitely agree with the ones Sophie & DD suggested. Recommendations are so important. I also am a bit picky with age... I don't like anyone too old (that probably makes me seem super discriminative), I just find it hard to relate to anyone who is too old! For some strange reason (apart from GP), I prefer males over females. I would also REALLY like to find professionals who are mental healthy savvy - not always possible though. DD - about the "they do it everyday", that's totally the way I think about it! They've seen EVERY body shape and size, so why would mine be any different! Though still nerve-wrecking, especially when seeing GPs for "female stuff"! ... View more

Welcome Bubblez and maddybee! Great to have you here!!   @Bubblez - It is great you have an amazing group of health professionals! Trust is definitely an area many of people struggle with... I remember when I first saw my current psychiatrist I was SO nervous about what he might ask me in the first appointment but thankfully it was pretty straightforward for the first appointment - and he respected my wishes to not talk about something if I didn't want to! I've been seeing him for 3 years now and only recently have I trusted him enough to tell him some things! So it can take a very long time!!! I guess it is important to be open though and give them the benefit of the doubt (if you can!). But trust does take time, and it's unrealistic to think that you would trust them with everything in the first appointment. It's the same with my GP appointment on Wednesday, I'm not going to tell her everything straight up... Just keep it simple and "need to know"... Trust develops over time. I'm really keen to hear what others think about this trust issue!   @maddybee18 - welcome!! Seeing a counsellor for the first time is HUGE so well done on getting through it! They are totally common fears and I'd be keen to hear how you got through it! Did you end up opening up to the counsellor? I find taking notes along can be helpful, then I don't forget anything important. :)     ... View more