Suicidal Impulses and a Long Waiting List to See a Professional

Reader’s Question

I was diagnosed yesterday by a doctor as having a personality disorder because I get severe impulses wanting to kill myself! I am on a waiting list to see a psychologist who will help me try and deal with these impulses because I am always in and out of hospital.

Is there anything in the meantime that I can do that will help? There is a large waiting list to see this kind of doctor. I try to do things like swimming, talking, watching TV and so on to help take my mind off the impulses, but these never work because the strong feeling of harming myself or killing myself is so severe that it drives me up the wall.

Our Consulting Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

You can take several approaches to your problem. As an example, you can try to find help sooner. You might contact your social worker from the hospital episodes and ask for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist. Your family physician may also provide a quicker referral.

You may also try to see a psychiatrist as well as a psychologist. Suicidal impulses and thoughts are often treated with medications. I’d hate for you to wait months to see a psychologist who then refers you to a psychiatrist…waiting another three months. I’d start the process of getting appointments for both. Lastly, I would hope the doctor who made the personality disorder diagnosis could provide some guidance for you.

The key is to begin a treatment program…the sooner the better.