Anyone want a chat???

[Deleted User]

welshgirl20 wrote: »

i know its not facebook but i know there are people out there who may be feeling on their own, you have probbably not experienced that feeling so you wont understand it is horrible, i am only trying to help so no need for the comment

you make a wrong assumption,there are other places for social interaction,my view is that mse isnt one of them,it serves a different purpose

welshgirl20_2

i am not making the wrong assumption i can see on the top of the screen i am not on facebook lol! well i am sorry for trying to be of help

Sueinbirmingham

cit_k wrote: »

Im interested in how people actually get diagnosed, I never seem to see more than a GP, or at a push a CPN, none of which seem interested in actually
diagnosing anything, and prefering to just stick with depression/anxiety.

Others, seem to have assessments from physchiatrists/mental health teams etc, is it just area dependant, some better than others, a post code lottery, or did you have to push for referalls etc?

What was the process?

If you think you have problems other than the depression and anxiety that have been diagnosed and that you want help with them, then tell your GP and your CPN.

Do remember, though, that by and large treatment for mental health issues, whether medication or talking therapies is based primarily on treating symptoms not whole syndromes, not least because there are no miracle cures out there and mental conditions, with rare exceptions, are not single-gene conditions with clear-cut edges. Even if you get a diagnosis like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia or borderline personality disorder etc., there will be wide variations in treatment based on your actual symptoms.

But like I say, if you think the diagnosis is wrong, say so. If you think that there are specific symptoms that they are not taking into account when diagnosing you, say so.

Be warned that if you push for a diagnosis, you may not get one you like or want and even if you do get a diagnosis, over the years it may change repeatedly (I've had at least six).

Also, be warned that there are diagnoses that you might think would fit and therefore you'd want so that you could get treatment but that would give you problems.

Let me give you an example. Your moods are a problem. You get very low. Sometimes your moods are quite high. Your moods are changeable.

You read the internet and think this doesn't sound just like depression, you want a diagnosis, so you push for one.

The psychiatrist considers his diagnosis. He asks you about symptoms you hadn't thought about. He surprises you.

Maybe he says you have Borderline Personality Disorder. Well, it hits the button with the mood swings and how much of a problem they are, but boy is this the diagnosis from hell! Not for nothing do they call it the dustbin diagnosis, because there are an awful lot of health professionals who'll run in the opposite direction as soon they discover you've got this label. You're still the same person but they don't seem to have noticed that.

Or maybe he says you've got schizoaffective disorder. You hadn't considerred that one. You thought you had to be 'really mad' to be schizo-anything and it's no reassurance to be told it's generally got a better prognosis than many conditions, always supposing it turns out to be the right diagnosis. But schizo-something? Hmm, are you going to tell your mates and your boss?

Or maybe you get a bipolar diagnosis. That's a nice fashionable one. What's the matter, don't like the weight gain and the tremor from the medication? Never mind, you got the diagnosis. And you did remember to notify the DVLA, didn't you? You didn't? Oops, should have read the small print in the European legislation, your car insurance is invalid if you didn't notify the DVLA about your bipolar.

If you have symptoms that aren't being effectively treated, by all means push for a better diagnosis and treatment, just don't assume that a different diagnosis will be the one you want, and don't assume that the treatment will be any more effective.