Primary care doctor
A general practitioner. You can start here: they will listen, assess your general health, check for physical causes and refer you to the appropriate specialist if needed.
Approaches
Methods and approaches
Asking for help is not always easy: it's unclear who to go to, what to say, and whether the problem will be dismissed as imagined. In this section we explain in general terms what different specialists do, how to prepare for a first appointment and how to support someone close to you who is having a hard time.
Asking for help is as sensible as putting on a warm jacket in the cold. No one has to cope alone.
How this section works: we describe in general terms how help is usually organized, without reference to specific institutions. We do not recommend individual specialists, treatments or techniques to use on your own.
Who to turn to
The specialists who help with difficulties in mood, sleep and anxiety differ in their training and in what their work involves.
Psychotherapist
In Russia this usually means a doctor who has trained in psychotherapy and helps through conversation and specific methods. Specialists with other backgrounds also use this title, so it is worth asking about a person's education and qualifications.
Psychiatrist
A doctor who diagnoses and treats mental disorders. A psychiatrist is the one who makes a diagnosis and prescribes treatment if needed. Seeing a psychiatrist does not mean something is "seriously wrong" with you: it is simply the doctor for this range of questions.
Clinical psychologist
A specialist with training in psychology rather than medicine. They carry out psychological assessment and counseling and work alongside doctors, but do not make medical diagnoses or write prescriptions.
How to prepare for a visit
An appointment goes more smoothly if you have thought in advance about what you want to say.
Write down what's bothering you
What has changed, roughly since when, and how it affects your sleep, work and relationships. Nerves make you forget things, and notes help you not to miss anything.
Mention any treatment you're already receiving
If you see other doctors or take anything, be sure to say so: it makes it easier for the specialist to look after your safety.
Prepare your questions
What might be going on with me, what kinds of help are available, what to do if I get worse. Ask them even if they seem simple.
How to support someone close
When someone close to you is struggling, you want to help right away and with everything. Sometimes the best thing you can do is be there and not rush them.
Listen without judging
Don't rush to give advice or make comparisons. Phrases like "pull yourself together" or "others have it worse" usually don't help; it is better to say that you're there and ready to listen.
Help with the first step
Help them find where to make an appointment, offer to go together. The decision stays with them, but support makes it easier to begin.
Take care of yourself too
Supporting someone else is hard. Your sleep, rest and personal boundaries matter too, and you can also ask for help yourself.
What's better not to do
- Diagnosing someone close to you based on articles online
- Promising to keep secret something that threatens their life
- Demanding that they "pull themselves together"
- Making decisions for an adult without asking them
- Trying to take the place of a specialist
Related sections
- Topics
Topics by group: stress and tension, sleep and rest, anxious thoughts, professional help, checking claims; plus the article catalogue.
- Ask a specialist
Questions about sleep, anxiety, mood and treatment that you can discuss with your own doctor or psychotherapist.
- Glossary
Words from conversations about mental health in plain language, from stress and anxiety to sleep hygiene and helplines.
- Stress (in Russian)
Archived page: how to notice tension, what helps in everyday life and when it is time to see a specialist.
Sources
- WHO: Depression fact sheet
This guide draws on the WHO guidelines on physical activity, the WHO fact sheet on depression and the recommendations on sleep duration for adults as they were available at the time of writing. Recommendations are refined over time, so questions about your own health are best discussed with a doctor.