Does anybody think that diagnosis is important?

[Murray]

I was just wondering how people here feel about getting a diagnosis. For some reason, lately I have been wanting to ask my therapist what my diagnosis is, or if I even have one. Not sure why I want to ask him. It probably doesn't matter, but I guess I am just curious. There have been some discussions of "tendencies" that I have, but I don't know if these are things that I am actually diagnosed with. He will sometimes refer to my depression, my OCD, my Body Dysmorphic issues, and other stuff. I guess I am just wondering if that means that I have those things, or just tendencies. It seems like many people think that there is no need for the patient to know their diagnosis, but some other people seem to think that you really should know what you are dealing with. I know that it probably doesn't matter, but it has been on my mind of late and I keep wanting to bring it up in therapy. So far I have avoided asking because I am too embarrassed.

Anyway, very long winded as usual, sorry. As I said, I am just kind of curious what others think about this subject.

 

[Jazzey]

It's an interesting question, Murray. About a year ago, I really 'needed' that diagnosis. Now I view it differently. I still see my psychologist. But I just don't need that 'diagnosis'. In any event, what exactly does that give us?

I went into therapy thinking that I was there to deal with a rape. Do you know that, in all of those sessions, I've never once talked about it. And yet, I'm calmer, I'm better in my own skin.

Personally, I think that when you first start therapy, you need that diagnosis because you're kind've thinking: "if I get the diagnosis, I can fix the problem in X number of days"....That is my analysis on my own situation. Realistically though, and without wanting to sound negative, we go into therapy recognizing that we're struggling with 'something'. And, as long as we have that sounding board, I'm just not convinced that we need that official 'diagnosis'. Diagnoses only come in handy with respect to finding the appropriate medications -for that, I do recognize the benefit...Otherwise, I'm just not sure that it's relevant to our anguish at the time or the recovery process of it all...

 

[Banned]

Hey Murray,

This is a good question and one that I think will elicit various responses.

I flip-flopped between wanting a (current) diagnosis or not. The benefit, of course, is that I can be better treated with a proper diagnosis. Additionally, if something happened to me down the road (ie car accident) and I have a proper diagnosis, my family can inform hospital staff and they can take that into consideration as they are treating me.

Part of why I didn't want a diagnosis was because I didn't want to "become" my diagnosis. Ie - I didn't want to feel like I either 'fit in' or didn't 'fit in' to what the stereotype may or may not look like.

Ultimately I've been diagnosed as Bipolar with Borderline traits. This is now very helpful to me. I'm on proper meds, I have a treatment team that can monitor things based on this diagnosis, and things (thoughts and behaviours) make sense to me. I take between four and five different meds/day, in addition to "extras" ie headache or cold meds. I don't particularly like this, but I do feel alot better and more balanced. Without a proper diagnosis, I'd probably still be in a pretty bad state because that piece of the puzzle was missing.

I think when there are obvious physiological symptoms (ie depression that just doesn't get better with therapy and isn't situational, self-harm behaviours, etc), a diagnosis is important because the issue with the neurotransmitters need to be addressed. Physical causes will not resolve themselves just with therapy alone. I went in circles in therapy for five years because the physical side of things wasn't getting addressed. It was only when I was pushed that it finally got looked at, and now everything makes sense.

Not sure if that helps or not, but that's kind of what I went through in deciding what to do.

 

[forgetmenot]

No for me i don't have a diagnosis really and i don't want one because i hate labelling of any kind. Therapy medication for my symptoms that is enough for me I do not like labels because somehow you become the label and not the person I hope that makes sense.

 

[Domo]

I am at the point where i find it important, i feel like i am fighting an unknown enemy otherwise.

I'll leave it at that because i think Jazzey and Turtle summed it up perfectly.

 

[busybee]

Hi All,

Well actually I had a session with my psychologist yesterday discussing exactly this. She did not understand why it was important to me. I suppose for me it came down to the fact that for 29 years I have had my husband convince me that I am crazy, taken my looney pills and if we were having an argument, it would always be un-valide due to the fact of all the above. In fact he had done such a great job of this that I was utterly convinced. I thought on leaving him that I would be able to go forth and conquer the world but time spent reflecting on my marriage, I am evaluating whether or not my emotional turmoil was in fact based on a mis-diagnosis. Maybe I was bi-polar. Maybe .......... At the end of the day she said ..."at times we all present with various aspects of a combination of different diagnosis, sometimes they are fleeting and sometimes they present in response not only to the physiological problems but also to environmental factors." This made a lot of sense to me and after some further reflection I can live with that. Busy bee

 

[Banned]

At the end of the day she said ..."at times we all present with various aspects of a combination of different diagnosis, sometimes they are fleeting and sometimes they present in response not only to the physiological problems but also to environmental factors."

This is definitely true. I agree with it and try not to be obsessive about minor symptoms because I could convince myself I fit the criteria for every disorder in the DSM (as could everyone else). I looked at the big picture - what is big, constant, and interfering with my life in a way that it is really, really difficult, if not impossible, to function at times.

I probably wouldn't have pushed for a diagnosis but for the fact that I'd been in therapy for five years and was just going in circles. I knew we were missing a piece of the puzzle. I had been on antidepressants and they weren't helping, so obviously while I was "depressed", "depression" wasn't the right diagnosis and therapy wasn't helping the mood swings at all. If anything, I think at times it made them much worse. In my case, a diagnosis was important. I don't think it's critical in every case but I do think it can be helpful.

 

[Cat Dancer]

I think it was for me because being diagnosed with OCD explained SO much about my whole life. It kind of helped me see that so much of what I struggled with wasn't totally my fault. I'm not saying that I don't have to take responsibility for myself, but that so many of the thoughts and behaviors I worried over were because of the OCD. I think it also helps with treatment plans as well and of course insurance companies require some type of diagnosis I suppose.