If you are coming to a psychiatric appointment for the first time, or bringing a patient to a psychiatric appointment, do some of the following things before the appointment that will help the doctor to help the patient. Make a detailed record of the patient’s onset, including: When did you first notice that the patient was mentally unstable? What were the signs and symptoms? Were there any psychiatric stimuli prior to this? How have the psychiatric symptoms evolved since the onset of the illness? Are they persistent or episodic? What is the impact on the patient’s life and work? Which hospital did the patient visit? What treatment has been used? Are there any side effects? How effective is the treatment? Please try to keep as much of the patient’s written information as possible. Diaries, letters and random scribbles by the patient, words that you think are incomprehensible and meaningless, may help the doctor understand the patient’s condition. In addition, record as many of the patient’s original words as possible, including what the patient says to himself or herself. It is especially important to record words that are unorganized and unintelligible to others, because these words are difficult to repeat word for word for someone with a normal logical mind, and they are a strong basis for determining the patient’s psychiatric symptoms. The initial consultation usually takes half an hour to 40 minutes, with the family reporting the medical history to the doctor, then the doctor examining the patient, and finally the doctor explaining the condition to the family and prescribing medication. If the patient already has a psychiatric record, the follow-up procedure is much simpler. You only need to prepare the following four aspects: 1. How have the patient’s psychiatric symptoms changed since the last visit? 2. Living, eating and sleeping conditions. 3. What is the patient’s attitude toward taking medication? Did he take the medication voluntarily, or did he take it only after repeated persuasion? Are there any side effects after taking the medication? 4. The patient’s study, work and social interaction. The follow-up consultation usually lasts about 10 minutes. If the condition is relatively stable, the family can talk with the patient and the doctor together. If there are special circumstances, the family can also report to the doctor first before inviting the patient into the consultation room. Due to the limited time available for the consultation, it is best for the family to be prepared, well organized and focused when talking with the doctor, which not only saves time, but also facilitates the doctor’s comprehensive understanding of the condition and treatment of the disease.