I find that mental distress is especially dofficult to convince people of; there is a particular brand of medical professional who will dismiss you as a malingerer unless they can dismiss you as a hysteric.

I don't have any issues externalising my emotions, but I used to think that when speaking to someone with scientific training it was better to be rational and stick to facts, measurables and testable hypotheses. WRONG! Breaking down in floods of tears earn you contempt, but also gets you treatment.

I do have to make the observation that this is a very English/British Catch-22, by the way. I think it's something to do with the very fact of having/admitting to a mental problem being seen as so shameful and flawed that there is no "right" way to about being that patient...