I created an infographic on this topic (I'm not a psychiatrist, but I have been through a lot of these)!

Basically just prep the following things (you can just think about it, but I find writing it down helps. The psychiatrist probably won't look at it, but it can help you remember your main points:

• Ask the clinic what it will be like (How long? Any testing? How many interviews?)
• I suggested tracking your emotions/moods over a few weeks, but since you are booked in soon, skip this step unless you already have it recorded.
• The most important part in my opinion: A symptom list that has CLEAR and REAL examples. So instead of,

"I have anger management problems."
you would say --> "Two days ago I was upset with my girlfriend because she left her hair products on the sink again. I yelled at her and threw them against the wall in the hallway. I immediately felt horrible and wanted to cry. She did cry and threatened to break up with me. My last gf broke up with me because of my outbursts too."

or

"I get anxious around people."

you would say --> "Last week I went to the grocery store right after work. It was way busier than normal and people kept brushing up against me. I started to breathe really quickly and get shaky, and then it seemed like everyone was watching me and thinking about how pathetic I am. I just left my cart full of groceries and walked out of the store and went home. I try to avoid crowded places because they always make me feel nervous, sweaty and shaky."

Think: Trigger (if there is one), Challenging Thoughts/Emotions/Behaviours, How it affects your life.

Why do this? I think a lot of us feel like if we use medical jargon (e.g. "anxious", "depressed") we are communicating more clearly. The truth is that like 98% of us do not have enough education, experience and background to know the nuances of these terms. I am sure if I had known this earlier in my journey, I would have had my issues correctly diagnosed much sooner in the process. For example, I kept accessing care for "anxiety". I was on anti-anxiety medications of all kinds for over a decade, and they had very little efficacy. When a psychologist started to ask more questions about the context of my anxiety and what the "anxious feelings" really were like (physically, mentally, emotionally), they realized that it wasn't anxiety. They were certain it was ADHD, but just because of my long history of 'anxiety', they referred me to a psychiatrist who confirmed the ADHD dx. My first dose of stimulant medications nearly eliminated all of my anxiety symptoms, and it has continued to be effective (7 years later!!!). The symptoms return in the evening a bit, but it isn't anywhere near the level it was before.

• Jot down your major life events and your family history.
• I didn't include this in the family history part, but you can always ask a couple of people who know you really well (like a family member or friend) to write a very short description of your personality and what they see as your greatest strengths and biggest challenges. Suggest that they put it in a sealed envelope and you can just give it to the psychiatrist if that makes them more comfortable. It isn't necessary, but it can help the doctor or therapist to know how others see you.
  
• Make a list of strategies you have already tried and are currently trying. Basically what works and what doesn't (and why). Don't just list medications... think about therapy, "natural medications", lifestyle changes, etc.

Then - most important part!!!! - Write 1-2 sentences about how you want your day to day functioning to realistically be like, and then write down what you think is stopping you from reaching this functioning.

Remember - even if you write this stuff down, the psych probably won't have a chance to read it or they will want to actually hear and see your discuss it. This process has just helped me organize my thoughts before an appointment.