Three ways to get the best from office visits:
1. Ask for the first appointment of the morning whenever possible. This guarantees that you won’t spend a half hour in the waiting room!
2. Take someone with you to ask questions if you feel too overwhelmed to ask them on your own. Whether you’re alone or with someone, it’s always a good idea to write down your specific questions before you see your HCP. I even tell people to hand the list to their HCP as it saves time.
3. Have a goal before you go. Is it to get new meds? Find a support group? Ask a specific question about bipolar disorder? Often we get to appointments and forget what we need from the HCP. I have often come out of the office and said- darn! I forgot to ask ….… and that was one of the main reasons I wanted to see him!


