What a first appointment is actually like

Nobody is sectioned for turning up. Nobody is put on medication in the first hour. Somebody asks what has been happening, for how long, what has changed, and what you have already tried. Most of the hour is you or your relative talking.

You are allowed to say that you believe this is affliction. Say it early. A good clinician will ask what you think is happening, and if they do not ask, tell them anyway, because the two of you working on different problems is the commonest way these appointments go wrong.

You are also allowed to say that recitation is part of the care and will continue. That is not a confession and it is not a negotiation. It is information about your household.