Story psychiatry: inventing diagnosis

[LittleJem]

psychiatrist given me a diagnosis I don't have. I don't have any of the symptoms.

psychiatrist also talked about me hearing voices - I don't. And went on and on abput me smoking mj, when I have hardly smoked and used edibles.

Pisses me off.Like they get paid to invent a diagnosis.

I got my meds online and so far they are good.

Psychiatry whatever.

 

[CandyK__]

They might make stuff up to fit their diagnosis, but if meds are working, then meds are working.

They might assume you could exhibit some symptoms at low intensity. If you don't feel listened change psychiatrist, or tell them directly why did they diagnose you with that, despite you not having said symptoms.

 

[LittleJem]

They might make stuff up to fit their diagnosis, but if meds are working, then meds are working.

They might assume you could exhibit some symptoms at low intensity. If you don't feel listened change psychiatrist, or tell them directly why did they diagnose you with that, despite you not having said symptoms.

Thank you - I chose my own meds and got them online. As you can't get buproprion prescribed in UK.

I haven't met a psychiatrist that actually listens, so now I just need to meet them with a sense of humour. I guess they need to 'diagnose' to pretend they are professional. The ones I have met often know less about current research than I do.

They diagnosed me with EUPD/BPD and I don't have any of the listed symptoms. I have none of the symptoms. I have constant suicidal thoughts unmedicated and depression and that is it. No mood swings, no dissociation, no fear of abandonment. I am alone most of the time and live with that loneliness. I don't have 'favourite' people. My mood doesn't change towards people. I am just either depressed or a medication/drug is working for me. The depression is constant and horrendous without medication working and has been permanent for years. But it is not EUPD.

EUPD is a valid and sad diagnosis, but I just don't have it. It just annoys/amuses me that they just plonk something down as a diagnosis without me having any of the symptoms. To justify them getting paid I guess.

They also said I hear voices (when I said I didn't hear voices) and over and over again wrote the dangers of smoking cannabis - when I dfon't smoke and used edibles.

I guess listening to patients is difficult ;)

 

[Lavender Dreams]

Ask a different one for a second opinion if that is possible.

I'm not sure how legitimate the "rumour" is but in various corners people say some professionals have a tendency to label people they dislike/consider difficult to treat with that particular diagnosis - "It's not me being a bad professional, it's them having a personality defect" Time to stop wasting energy and resources on the incompetent ones.

 

[marshmallowfluff]

I would ask for a second opinion. Can be done quite easily in the UK, though you may have to wait a while. They do dish the EUPD diagnosis out a lot here.

 

[deathLiberation]

It´s sad. I wish you can find a someone who cares or better find mechanisms to help yourself.

People must never forget that most are looking for health and care in places, and with professionals, that actually make a profit out of disease and suffering of others.

I dont see psychiatrists as people who can save/help us, but people who can give us a certificate of a condition that we can then use as a proof to other people and organization that we are not "normal".
We are pretty much buying a paper, because we are the only ones who know how we really feel and we are better than anyone to make our own diagnosis.

 

[webawl]

I hate talking to psychiatrists, feels like they just want to prescribe you meds and diagnose you with a condition that you may or may not actually have just so they feel that they are sufficiently doing their job.

With that being said, meds can be a big help and psychiatrists are often the only way to get them (legally, anyway) but it seems from what you've said that you're getting your meds from a third party. If you find that they're helping you, maybe tell your psychiatrist that NDRIs have been effective (I'm not in the UK so I'm unsure if you can get into trouble over something like this). I'd also recommend to be open with your psychiatrist about how you disagree with their diagnosis. If they persist, find a new one.

Regarding weed, you should absolutely consider how it may affect your mental health negatively, even if you aren't smoking it. I'm not trying to be judgmental here (I've been a daily user for the last 18 months) but THC can absolutely exacerbate depression regardless of how it is consumed, speaking from experience. If I'm high all day I feel like absolute shit the next day. I have no motivation to do anything, which allows my mind to ruminate on suicidal thoughts and I generally feel listless, prompting me to just get high again, repeating the cycle and making its effects worse. If you have access to it, using a little bit of CBD in any form in addition to THC can really help with mental health, plus it gives you a better high. Mental health professionals tend to be judgmental of any weed use and I frequently lie or downplay my usage.

 

[LittleJem]

weed helped me keep working for three years - made me more motivated and less agitated. But also then gave me psychosis down the line. I was never addicted and didn't have come downs, but know that happens for some.

Read a book today by Horatio Clare about his cannabis psychosis.

I used to be very pro weed but now am mixed.

All my good times were on drugs though. But now it's just sad knowing I was crazy on them.

NDRI not available in UK but psychiatrist knows and sanctioned it.

I've realised the diagnosis doesn't matter. I'm not sectioned atm so they can't force anything and I don't think there is any specific med for what they diagnosed me with.
They gotta justify their salary

 

[fatigued]

how are you guys even getting to talk to a psychiatrist? i have done everything i can for nearly a decade and i never meet the criteria. it's like i have to attempt first before they will give a shit.

 

[LittleJem]

how are you guys even getting to talk to a psychiatrist? i have done everything i can for nearly a decade and i never meet the criteria. it's like i have to attempt first before they will give a shit.

what country are you in?

 

[skylarwhiteyo104781]

psychiatrist given me a diagnosis I don't have. I don't have any of the symptoms.

the system is so fucked. you feel sad sometimes? depressed. get nervous? anxiety. get angry? bipolar. i'm not saying these issues don't exist but not every single bad thought that someone feels something sometimes stems from a mental illness. everyone just wants to make money nowadays

 

[sol.]

how are you guys even getting to talk to a psychiatrist? i have done everything i can for nearly a decade and i never meet the criteria. it's like i have to attempt first before they will give a shit.

What do you mean by criteria? In my country you just go to your regular doctor and ask for a referral to a psychiatrist and then you send the referral by e mail to a hospital that's responsible for the part of the city you're in. They might do some tests first to see what kind of help you need. If you need help rn and are ok with hospitalisation you can just call emergency services. They have to admit you if you express suicidal thoughts and you will be appointed a psychiatrist immediatly. But the paramedics and police will take you there and they usually have a law stating how long they can keep you without your consent (Here it's 72 hours, but due to a loophole in the law it can be up to a week).

 

[fatigued]

what country are you in?

uk

What do you mean by criteria? In my country you just go to your regular doctor and ask for a referral to a psychiatrist and then you send the referral by e mail to a hospital that's responsible for the part of the city you're in. They might do some tests first to see what kind of help you need. If you need help rn and are ok with hospitalisation you can just call emergency services. They have to admit you if you express suicidal thoughts and you will be appointed a psychiatrist immediatly. But the paramedics and police will take you there and they usually have a law stating how long they can keep you without your consent (Here it's 72 hours, but due to a loophole in the law it can be up to a week).

I've asked my GP for a referral to a psychiatrist numerous times. They pawn me off to the "Community Mental Health Team", and then they tell me that I don't reach the criteria for them to help me. They don't specify what the criteria are. They just send me on my way with some talking therapy numbers and that's it. At one point I was suicidal with a plan, and they made me go to the hospital (no police or ambulance, I went myself). I sat around for hours, they (some nurses) assessed me, then sent me home with some anti-depressants and a "pwease-don't-off-yourself-it'd-look-terrible-for-our-statistics" type letter. I have spoken to third party services about a referral and again, I don't meet the criteria. What the f**k are the criteria?! Do I need to be mid attempt or something?

 

[LittleJem]

uk

I've asked my GP for a referral to a psychiatrist numerous times. They pawn me off to the "Community Mental Health Team", and then they tell me that I don't reach the criteria for them to help me. They don't specify what the criteria are. They just send me on my way with some talking therapy numbers and that's it. At one point I was suicidal with a plan, and they made me go to the hospital (no police or ambulance, I went myself). I sat around for hours, they (some nurses) assessed me, then sent me home with some anti-depressants and a "pwease-don't-off-yourself-it'd-look-terrible-for-our-statistics" type letter. I have spoken to third party services about a referral and again, I don't meet the criteria. What the f**k are the criteria?! Do I need to be mid attempt or something?

that is rubbish. I thought it would be if you have tried two or three medications with no success you'd get referred.

can you switch GP?

 

[fatigued]

almost all the practices in my area are under the same 'group', in essence they're all run exactly the same. i don't even have a specific doctor, it's a different one each time. it's really got me feeling helpless.

 

[sol.]

uk

I've asked my GP for a referral to a psychiatrist numerous times. They pawn me off to the "Community Mental Health Team", and then they tell me that I don't reach the criteria for them to help me. They don't specify what the criteria are. They just send me on my way with some talking therapy numbers and that's it. At one point I was suicidal with a plan, and they made me go to the hospital (no police or ambulance, I went myself). I sat around for hours, they (some nurses) assessed me, then sent me home with some anti-depressants and a "pwease-don't-off-yourself-it'd-look-terrible-for-our-statistics" type letter. I have spoken to third party services about a referral and again, I don't meet the criteria. What the f**k are the criteria?! Do I need to be mid attempt or something?

Only thing that comes to my mind is that sometimes patient can't benefit from talk therapy (yet), but that means there is a serious problem and you should get medication and be monitored. When i was psychotic i didn't have talk therapy until i was stable enough to benefit from it. But i still had to go to check-ups (3 or 4 times a week). Also I'm not sure what community mental health team is, google says you can ask them why you don't meet the criteria and ask for a second opinion ("ask the service to see their policy. A service should have a policy to explain which patients will be accepted by the service. You have a right to request this information under the Freedom of Information Act" - this is on their webstie). There also seems to be a lot of different types of teams, maybe you get referred to the wrong doctor? I had to do a lot of tests and scans before getting someone to talk to, but it was done in a few weeks. But I'm from Eastern Europe, i assume things are a lot different here.

 

[Hollowman]

Psychiatry's a joke

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-out-your-mind/202006/why-the-mental-health-system-is-failing-us

 

[LittleJem]

almost all the practices in my area are under the same 'group', in essence they're all run exactly the same. i don't even have a specific doctor, it's a different one each time. it's really got me feeling helpless.

hi has your GP tried you on meds and which ones? and don't answer if too personal but what do you think your diagnosis is?

I don't know if seeing a psychiatrist is a postcode lottery or not. My GP did refer me for long-term depression and I'd been ofc work a long time. Don't know why they aren't doing that for you.

I am currently buying my own meds online…one of them you can't get in UK but I recommend it. I read research papers a lot cos was so depressed it's all I did.

Your other option is go privaye for diagnosis and prescription- maybe £250 plus £60 or maybe there are cheaper ones. Then they can send the prescription to your GP for you so you then get it on the NHS. Better to try that so you can test new meds asap and hopefully find something that eases the suffering…

 

[fatigued]

Only thing that comes to my mind is that sometimes patient can't benefit from talk therapy (yet), but that means there is a serious problem and you should get medication and be monitored. When i was psychotic i didn't have talk therapy until i was stable enough to benefit from it. But i still had to go to check-ups (3 or 4 times a week). Also I'm not sure what community mental health team is, google says you can ask them why you don't meet the criteria and ask for a second opinion ("ask the service to see their policy. A service should have a policy to explain which patients will be accepted by the service. You have a right to request this information under the Freedom of Information Act" - this is on their webstie). There also seems to be a lot of different types of teams, maybe you get referred to the wrong doctor? I had to do a lot of tests and scans before getting someone to talk to, but it was done in a few weeks. But I'm from Eastern Europe, i assume things are a lot different here.

the problem is that i am only ever referred to talking therapies, which i have done numerous times and unfortunately found no benefit from. i would really like to talked to someone who is actually qualified, not someone who will tell me to 'imagine a smooth pebble in my mind' or something (i have actually been told to do this when feeling low).

thank you for taking the time to look stuff up about this, i genuinely appreciate that so much. i have just requested another referral this past friday, and if i get rejected again i will take your advice, thank you again.

the tests and scans are the things i want. i want to know what's wrong with me so that i can actually try to fix it.

hi has your GP tried you on meds and which ones? and don't answer if too personal but what do you think your diagnosis is?

I don't know if seeing a psychiatrist is a postcode lottery or not. My GP did refer me for long-term depression and I'd been ofc work a long time. Don't know why they aren't doing that for you.

I am currently buying my own meds online…one of them you can't get in UK but I recommend it. I read research papers a lot cos was so depressed it's all I did.

Your other option is go privaye for diagnosis and prescription- maybe £250 plus £60 or maybe there are cheaper ones. Then they can send the prescription to your GP for you so you then get it on the NHS. Better to try that so you can test new meds asap and hopefully find something that eases the suffering…

i have been prescribed citalopram, fluoxetine and duloxetine.
i'm honestly not sure about a diagnosis but all i can say is that i keep finding myself slipping into deep low mood over very small things.

whenever i mention it to other healthcare specialists they talk about there not being many psychiatrists available. i can definitely understand that, but i'd rather be on a long waitlist than told i'm just not sick enough for a doctor.

i see. i was hoping that duloxetine would be my holy grail as it's supposed to help with my existing condition (fibromyalgia) but unfortunately it made me ill and I've been unmedicated since.

i might have to do that if i get rejected again. thank you for the suggestion and your response.

 

[way_of_meatgrinder]

psychiatrist given me a diagnosis I don't have. I don't have any of the symptoms.

psychiatrist also talked about me hearing voices - I don't. And went on and on abput me smoking mj, when I have hardly smoked and used edibles.

Pisses me off.Like they get paid to invent a diagnosis.

I got my meds online and so far they are good.

Psychiatry whatever.

Psychiatric "help" is on such low level sadly. But there are some decent professionals, it is just hard to get a hold of them.