My UK K1 Medical Experience - History of Self-Harm and Depression

[lurdino 9]

Hello all,

Last week I had my medical at Knightsbridge in London. I was extremely nervous about this due to a history of self-harm, depression, and an in-patient stay in a psychiatric ward during my teenage years. But everything went fine and I was approved with no problem, and am now waiting on my embassy interview date.

This forum was extremely helpful in preparing for the interview, particularly this thread.

This is what I did:

1. I spoke to my GP as early as possible.

There were several reasons I was nervous about this. I did not have a long-standing relationship with this GP. In fact, I had only been part of his practice for a few months and his practice has a reputation for being slow to act. After speaking with him and reviewing my medical history, he made it clear that he would be happy to sign me off as mentally healthy, but wouldn't go out of his way to put together a letter for me. So I did it for him. I went to the library next door and printed out a letter that said:

"DATE

To whom it may concern,

I, DR NAME, can confirm that [LURDINO] has been registered at my practice since [DATE].

[LURDINO] has informed me that as a teenager she engaged in self-harming behaviours and has visible scars as a result. There is no physical evidence or any evidence on her medical file to suggest that she still engages in these behaviours and nothing to contradict her statement that it has been ten years since she has harmed herself.

I have no concerns about [LURDINO] posing a threat either to herself or others.

Yours sincerely,

[DR NAME]"

He reviewed the letter, agreed that he was happy with its contents, and signed it and stamped it with his practice stamp. You'll notice that it's not exactly a glowing recommendation, or particularly detailed. It also wasn't printed on the GP's letterhead. What's important is that it's what the Dr was comfortable signing his name to considering our brief acquaintance, is factually correct, and has the extremely important phrase: not a threat to herself or others.

2. I wrote my own explanation

I wrote a short explanation of when I was depressed/self-harming, why I think I did it, what I did to stop and how I cope with stressors now.

Now, I was depressed in this way over a decade ago. I couldn't remember exact dates or names of medications. What really helped me was mostly informal support from friends and youth leaders, and I made that clear. The account was less than a single page. I tried to be brief but clear.

3. I asked for references from friends

I got a reference from a friend I've had for over ten years, a youth leader from the time I was depressed, my fiancée, and my fiancée's mother. These all included 1. how the person knows me and for how long; 2. a brief statement about me (ranging from "I knew Lurdino when she was really messed up and she's way better now" to "I understand that Lurdino was depressed when she was a teenager but she seems pretty okay these days"; 3. the all-important phase: Lurdino is not a danger to herself or to others. The letters from my fiancée and future MIL had been signed and scanned over, everything else had a wet signature.

4. What I didn't have

Ideally I would have had some kind of medical records about medications I took or therapy I went to - but things were so long ago, my GP hasn't known me that long and was unwilling to dig out medical records from 10+ years ago, and I was unable to make the trip to the GP office in my hometown (hours away from where I live now) to find out if they'd be able to provide anything.

So what happened when I had my medical?

On the medical questionnaire it asks about three things that are relevant: if you've ever had a mental disorder including depression, if you've ever harmed yourself or others, and if you've ever been hospitalised. I ticked yes to all of these. The doctor asked about it straight away and I pulled out my sheaf of letters.

She read the letter from the doctor and the account I'd written very carefully, and speed-read the other letters too. She then asked me for a few extra details, for instance if I'd ever been on medication. I answered that I had, but I couldn't remember what or for how long. She double checked the dates I'd provided ("So you would have been how old? And how long was that?" etc.) She told me that I had everything I needed in the doctor's letter. She didn't even ask to see my arms - though of course she saw them during the medical, while I was wearing my robes.

And that was it.

I guess what I took from this experience is: be prepared and gather as much evidence as possible. What matters is having a GP confirm that you're not a danger/threat to yourself or others. It probably helped that in my case I haven't harmed myself in so long. If it was within the last few years I think it would have been doable with enough evidence from a GP, plus a counsellor. And even though she didn't read all the references I brought, I think it was useful to have a number of them with me - just as visual evidence that multiple people know about my issues and still think I'm a safe and responsible human being.

I've received a lot of help from this forum - I hope that this might be useful to someone in a similar situation. Obviously everything I've written is only my own experience and things might not go the same way for every person.

[DaisyD 12]

Glad it went so well. Hopefully your post will help someone else if they are in a similar situation.

[KiTu 38]

Mine didn't go as well as yours....  (and I had NO in-patient stay on a psych ward). I was admitted to hospital for an overdose, but not put on a psych ward.

 

I took everything you listed, PLUS a huge wadge of previous psych records and GP records. She has said I may have to go for a psych assessment because I was recently on anti-anxiety meds because I was under a LOT of pressure at work and took them to take the edge off. And because I am not under psych care now. I stopped self harming 6.5 years ago so I'm not sure why she thinks  I should be under psych care now??? Or why a psych assessment is needed but if I have to go I will, and I will be brutally honest. I just think it is a waste of the psych's time considering the outcome will be that I am perfectly stable and that is reflected in all my records and my current demeanour.

 

She said she would read through all my records which wouldn't get done that day (there were a lot) and that I would hear within a week. She said if I don't get a call, all the paperwork will have been sent over to the Embassy.

 

Sigh..

 

[anniedanielle 1]

I had my medical yesterday, I'm waiting on my GP to fax over all of my mental health history. I have previously self harmed, and had suicidal thoughts but never acted upon them. My last appointment with a phsychiatrist was in Jan of this year and I was discharged on the fact I was going to the states for 9 weeks from Feb, but also my assessment at the point clearly shows my very good improvement to how I had been. I'm absolutely fine now, so my GP can send an email stating that nothing is ongoing. I have my interview next Friday however, and I am just so worried now! I was reassured heavily to keep my interview appointment, that even if the Embassy hadn't received my medical history of my mental health etc that I can be approved however I just won't be issued the visa that day, until they receive my medical records... is this true? 😰 I'm just panicking, and would like some kind of reassurance from someone or someone's experience to get a better understanding of where I currently stand on being approved or not etc. My medical and interview are both in London. Please help!

[KiTu 38]

5 hours ago, anniedanielle said:

I had my medical yesterday, I'm waiting on my GP to fax over all of my mental health history. I have previously self harmed, and had suicidal thoughts but never acted upon them. My last appointment with a phsychiatrist was in Jan of this year and I was discharged on the fact I was going to the states for 9 weeks from Feb, but also my assessment at the point clearly shows my very good improvement to how I had been. I'm absolutely fine now, so my GP can send an email stating that nothing is ongoing. I have my interview next Friday however, and I am just so worried now! I was reassured heavily to keep my interview appointment, that even if the Embassy hadn't received my medical history of my mental health etc that I can be approved however I just won't be issued the visa that day, until they receive my medical records... is this true? 😰 I'm just panicking, and would like some kind of reassurance from someone or someone's experience to get a better understanding of where I currently stand on being approved or not etc. My medical and interview are both in London. Please help!

It is true, yes. You can still have your interview they just won't officially approve you until they get the medical info. I was sent for a psychiatric assessment at Nightingale hospital and Dr Shanahan was a lovely person to speak to. He sees you for who you are now and not who you were if/when you self harmed (in my case - when). Our approval was only delayed by a day because of the assessment so you have absolutely nothing to worry about, it's just painful waiting for that approval!

If they are going to approve you, they will approve you based on the interview and pending medical info. If the medical info is satisfactory that's when everything gets moving.

 

Try not to panic, this happens quite often and if you haven't acted on your thoughts and stopped therapy for a valid reason (like your extended trip) then they have no reason to delay anything as long as your GP states that they do not feel that you are a risk to yourself or others.

 

If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I have yet to post my experience of the medical and psych assessment but I am not in the US and about to send of my AOS packet!

 

Best of luck for your interview next Friday

[TBoneTX 43,058]

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