Hello all.

My partner and I are both relatively new to the NHS and healthcare system in the UK and need some advice.

My partner has been experiencing some mood regulation issues that are becoming quite distressing for them, and they suspect something is wrong, but neither of us have a general guess about the cause and are hesitant to try to label anything without a professional.

(I am hesitant to, for example, encourage them to speak to a depression specialist if we don't know if they are actually suffering from depression, or if it's something else.)

So, if there isn't a specific suspected issue to seek advice for, how should we start the process of finding them help? Are there specific resources we should look at?

Additionally, while they want help, they are very nervous about the whole process, so I want to do as much as I can to take the pressure off of them. How much of the process can I do for them / help them with? (For example, if they want my support during a session with a professional, am I allowed to be there with them?)

Thank you for any recommendations, its greatly appreciated.

TLDR: I want to help my partner figure out mood issues they are having, and want to know what that process should look like and how much of it I can be a part of.


4 comments

  1. You should start with your GP. They may offer to prescribe medication or refer them on to a specialist or both. If they need to see a specialist on the NHS the waits can be really long, so if you are able to access private care mention it to the GP in the appointment and they can give you a referral letter you can pass to an insurer or direct to a practitioner if self funding.

  2. Honestly? The NHS mental health care systems are underfunded and not a good fit for a lot of people. I’d research around GPs to see if you can find one more geared around mental health if a private therapist isn’t an option.

  3. I’d probably request a blood test from the GP, there are lots of deficiency’s etc that can contribute to mood changes

  4. Anyone can self-refer to NHS talking therapies as a first step. You don’t need a diagnosis to access that base level of therapeutic support and it’s variable in quality, but some people find it very helpful. Just Google NHS talking therapies.

    As other have said, the other first step is for your partner to speak to their GP. Many GP practices have a mental health practitioner in the team and a social prescriber who can support in different days. Most low mood is managed in primary care (the GP) in the first instance and only severe mental health difficulties are referred on to community mental health. At that point a patient might see a mental health nurse, clinical psychologist or psychiatrist – they would assess over time and diagnose if needed. You don’t need to ask for a particular specialist or know how to label the type of difficulty.

    Yiubaortner might which to give your local MIND a call. They can explain the system and advise about all the support available in your area.

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