Possible Misdiagnosis

[depthss]

I was in the hospital after I failed my attempt, I met with a new psychologist in there
I was diagnosed with Autism when I was about 13, so it's been a few years. He told me during one the second appointment with him that he wasn't seeing autism, and I was instead told some other things by both him and psychiatrists ( borderline/schizotypal )
being misdiagnosed with a mental disability is such an odd experience. I feel relief that I don't have it, it was honestly something I was insecure about for awhile. But it's very hard adjusting to the fact that my entire perception and everything I think/feel is different to what I've been told it is for years
Have any other people here been misdiagnosed with a mental disorder? What's it like for you, and how weird do you find it adjusting upon figuring out it was a misdiagnosis

 

[Soupster]

As to the autism diagnosis- I'd seek a neutral third opinion. Someone not affiliated with the doc's who diagnosed you with autism or the doc's who said you didn't have it. It's not uncommon for doc's to disagree but assuming one is right and the other is wrong is a hard thing to do without more information.

As for me, I had perhaps one of the more common misdiagnosis there are. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder which turned out to be bipolar 1 instead. To be fair until you've had a full blown manic episode the two look very much alike. Throw in cPTSD and a litany of anxiety disorders and it makes for a hot mess anyways.

In any case, I hope they are able to get to the bottom of what's ailing you so you can see if you can improve your life with proper treatment.

 

[sancta-simplicitas]

I think that most people who are diagnosed experience getting misdiagnosed - simply because those diagnoses lack scientific meaning. The diagnostic process is extremely heterogenic and there is no meaningful way of measuring them; the providers that does the diagnosing is likely to let their own bias influence the process which means you could get five different diagnosis if you saw five different providers and the criteria are so broadened that most people would fit into several at one point or another, even more so because there is A LOT of overlap between them. For example, to get a diagnosis of PTSD and comorbid depression, there are currently about 270 million possible combinations of symptoms that would fit the criteria.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

I think, especially with MH people always should consider at least a 2nd or 3rd independent opinion.

Unlike physical issues, mental issues aren't visible.

 

[ForgottenAgain]

Yes. I was diagnosed with Borderline PD and severe depression when I was around 16. More than 10 years passed and I was very unwell, went to the crisis team and told them my diagnosis since they asked. They heard Borderline PD and never made an effort to help me, even telling me I need to be realistic with my expectations (I told them I wanted to be happy).

Then off to the Community Mental Health psychiatrist, she read Borderline PD and same thing. Meanwhile, I was seeing a private psychologist and he told me he didn't see the Borderline PD, that to him looks like I have cPTSD.

I even discussed this with the psychiatrist, telling her I don't have black and white thinking, I'm quite balanced, I don't have unstable relationships, etc. I used to be like that, when I was a teen, but not anymore, I changed a lot as a person.

She didn't buy it and basically rationalised that me thinking that taking med A should give effect B is black and white thinking (this because I told her I wanted to know what I was supposed to feel when taking antidepressants since I felt they didn't work with me, and that drugs go through trials so they can measure the effects so surely she could tell me what I was supposed to feel but she always went back to "every person feels the meds differently") and that me liking spreadsheets and organization also proves that.

I tried to get an independent opinion through a private psychiatrist but he wouldn't see me unless I shared with him the NHS records, which have the Borderline PD diagnosis, so I figured he would be like the other psychiatrists, read that and not do any thinking of his own.

So now I don't know for certain what I have but I really think is cPTSD as it fits a lot better with my symptoms. I'm grateful for my current psychologist for having told me about that.