How did you tell your GP about your depression/anxiety? (my first time)

Really sorry that I ended up duplicating this thread by accident, but I had so many nice responses so I just want to say thanks so much everyone.
@OxFossil thank you so much for listing it like that. I did exactly what you said and I took out the medical form for uni first, and then I started by telling him that I've been seeing a counselor at uni for the last 6 weeks.
and @Spock's Socks thank you for the reassurance, that's exactly how I was feeling with regards to some GPs being blunt and dismissive sometimes and others being nice. Luckily I got to see a doctor who was new to the surgery so I hadn't met him before, and he was very nice and attentive to me. I have had experiences where I've gone to the GP for issues like acne and sometimes ended up with a doctor who didn't say much and made me feel like I was wasting their time.


I guess I've just been feeling as though there's some stigma attached to seeing the GP about mental health. When I hear about doctors complaining over their long hours and how busy they are, it makes me feel really guilty that I'm trying to book an appointment with them and I feel like I might be wasting their time. So this was my first time ever approaching the GP about a mental health issue and they were a lot more responsive and nicer than I thought they would be.

He asked me if there's anything else he can do for me on top of the counseling I'm receiving from uni, and I didn't really know what to say because I guess I had gone in with my main concern being university and trying to get them to cooperate with me by showing them medical proof. I guess once this has been done I will try to tackle the other issues I'm having outside of academia like the difficulties I'm having adjusting back to uni after spending 8 months at home due to bereavement and barely having any social interaction.

Thanks again to everyone who got back to me, everyone on both threads you all got me through this appointment today, I hadn't told anyone else that I was going to this, so I'm really grateful for everyone's advice.

Just to give an update here...
I've been ringing my GP every week now trying to hear back about the medical form for university that I handed in. Today I get a call from the GP saying that they're happy to fill it in, but they will charge £30. I had no idea I would have to pay for this. Did you guys have to pay for your medical form? I'm just thinking what if he fills it in saying that he doesn't think my depression is bad enough to affect me during university, and I'll still be paying him £30 for it? Would he still fill it in if he thinks I'm not eligible or would they have told me on the phone?

That's a nasty surprise! I was just assuming that it would be treated the same as the basic sick note for statutory sick pay. But a quick google search seems to confirm that once you get past the standard sick note, most GPs will charge for sickness reports to university. The charges are a bit variable but seem to fall within the BMA guidance on charging for "non-NHS reports" (you can see the recommended scale of charges here).

I just don't know whether there would be a way around paying. A couple of Unis seem to have special arrangements but I imagine the Welfare service at yours must be able to advise?

In any case, I'd have the same concern about paying for something unseen, (and that this wasn't explained to you at the outset). I would definitely speak to the doctor to explain your worry and tell you what he will say in the report.

I emailed my welfare officer at uni asking if the uni can cover costs like this. I'm going to have to pay it myself in cash at first but I will take the receipt to university and hopefully they'll pay me back for it.

I just feel anxious because it's one of the head doctors at the GP who's going to be filling out the form, and he's not the doctor I had my appointment with, so he's just basing this off whatever notes the other doctor wrote when he saw me.