The question most people actually have is not what anxiety is. It is who to call, in what order, and what it will cost.
Route one: your GP or polyclinic
This is the route most people should take first. A GP can assess, treat straightforward presentations, and refer onward. The referral is the important part: a referral from a polyclinic, or from a CHAS clinic if you hold a CHAS card, is what opens subsidised access to public specialist services. Walking into a public specialist clinic without one generally means paying unsubsidised rates.
The trade-off is time. Public specialist care is subsidised and involves a wait.
Route two: private psychiatry or psychology
Faster, and unsubsidised. A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who can prescribe. A psychologist provides psychological therapy and cannot prescribe. For most anxiety disorders psychological therapy is a first-line treatment, so a psychologist is often the right first call rather than a compromise.
Be aware that psychologists and counsellors are not currently subject to mandatory registration in Singapore, though the Ministry of Health has confirmed that registration for five psychology subdisciplines is coming under the Allied Health Professions Act. Until it arrives, ask directly about qualifications, training and supervision.
Route three: talk to someone first
If you are not ready to book anything, national mindline 1771 operates 24 hours and exists partly to help people work out what they need. Call 1771, WhatsApp 6669 1771, or use the webchat at mindline.sg.
What to bring to the first appointment
- When it started, and what was happening then.
- What you have stopped doing because of it. This is often more diagnostic than the symptom list.
- Sleep, appetite and concentration, which are the fastest indicators of severity.
- Any medication, supplements, caffeine and alcohol.
- Family history, if you know it.
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