Topic Tuesday // What use is a diagnosis? // 19 July, 7pm AEST

[Shimmer]

Hi @jb, welcome to the Forums! 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. What I'm hearing is that you are saddened by the way a diagnosis might impact the way you and others see you, which can escalate into defining yourself as "sick", leading to a 'defeatist' view on recovery. Have I captured your meaning accurately?

I agree with you that when a person's diagnosis becomes fused with their identity, that can lead to feelings of hopelessness that things won't change. I wonder if anyone here has ever felt like that?

@jb, I really like what you said about a recovery model of care, and others treating you as on the same page. I believe this is the best way for individuals experiencing difficult times with their mental health and clinicians to work together.

[BlueBay]

Hi @Shimmer @CherryBomb

I was diagnosed with BPD.  When my first psychologist referred me to a psychiatrist he wrote a referral letter. Once home I opened the letter and read it, after all it was about me.  Much to my shock I read that I was diagnosed with BPD.  What the hell, why couldn't my psychologist tell me face to face what he was thinking.

Borderline Personality Disorder (borderline from what???)  I hate that diagnosis.  I really do.  I don't tell people what I have because I am embarrassed and ashamed of the name of the disorder

[Shaz51]

Hi @Shimmer

I'm sure people have had a wide range of experiences! , this is true and sometimes it takes years to get even a diagnosis , and if it is an true diagnosis

[CherryBomb]

Hi @BlueBay,

It seems both you and @jb have had challenges with the stigma that's associated getting diagnosis - by this I mean, it seems that a diagnosis can impact on how you view yourself, and the way that others might view too. @Shimmer pointed it's so easy to fuse a diagnosis with your identity. @Shimmer how can you separate the two? 

[Shaz51]

Hi @Shimmer and @CherryBomb

my Husband has been diagnosed with so many things that he is confused on what he real has

[Shimmer]

Hi @BlueBay

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

That sounds like a really unhelpful way to find out about a diagnosis, I'm sorry to hear that happened! I was curious to discuss tonight what is most helpful for when a clinician gives a diagnosis, and obviously from your experiences, you would have much preferred a face-to-face explanation. I wonder, do you feel like you have had a helpful conversation with anyone about what the diagnosis of BPD is and how it applies to your situation? I think confusion can create a lot of fear, I wonder if that is the case with you @BlueBay?

I'm also hearing that you are embarrassed and ashamed to tell others the name of your disorder. I wonder if others have felt that way too?

[Shaz51]

Yes @Shimmer and @CherryBomb,

G.A.D, SAD, clinical Depression, anxiety, Bipolar11, ADHD, ADD

Now he is on meds for something totally different

and now being on the meds , he is having side affects

[Samiam]

Hi

I am new to these forums - first time.  I was diagnosed very young with an anxiety disorder and I fought against this diagnosis for years.  While it doesnt sound particularly bad I was a shy child and being disordered made me feel wrong and different and I felt like I had to be better and turn into someone else to be acceptable to others and society.  I then had major clinical depression in my late teens and twenties and was then diagnosed not only with the depression but with avoidant personality disorder which was shocking for me.  I ended up buckling under the lable and actually isolated myself more and more over the years.  I just wanted to be "normal" and ok as I was. Only in the last few years, and I am now 48, am I able to approach my mental health differently and actually believe I can come out from under these labels and use more current approaches to mental health recovery to lead a more fulfilling and meaningful life and not be so ashamed.

[Missellybee]

I have a double diagnosis in learning disability and mental health, and I have found that a diagnosis really helped me get the help that I needed. I did at times feel overwhelmed, and still do sometimes when thinking about what I have. I also feel like a diagnosis means that I can explain to people what's going on and they can begin to understand and try to help me in any way they can. One of the bad things about having a diagnosis is that there is a lot of negative stigma attached to it. I have a lot of people think that I have something wrong with me and that I can't do the things that I am able to do, which is something that also happens when they find out I have Autism. Another tricky thing is trying to explain to people the more unusual side of my mental health issues. People are very understanding of social anxiety, however when they hear the word "Psychosis" they get a bit confused and start to wonder what I'm really like. On the flip side, while this diagnosis has people making judgments about me, the diagnosis then allows me to give them resources and information so they can then understand what's going on for me. 🙂

[CherryBomb]

@Shimmer while we wait for others to join in, I wonder if you can share some thoughts on what the benefits are of getting a diagnosis? I imagine for some it can help make sense of things, but at the same time the 'label' can be hard to grapple with as @BlueBay has pointed out.

@BlueBay do you find any postives with getting a diagnosis?