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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by nickguy on July 6, 2007, at 20:37:05
I've been told a few times that I have depression. I was once diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. I've recently been told that some of what I deal with might be "depersonalization".
What I suffer from is so vague, and I just feel like none of these diagnoses completely fit. I explained to my most recent therapist all my symptoms and he's not really sure enough to say I have this or that "disorder".
All i can say is that I DO suffer immeasurably. I"m very envious of those people who can say for certain what mental illness it is that they have.
Posted by Phillipa on July 6, 2007, at 21:04:10
In reply to anybody have an 'vague' or 'uncertain' illness?, posted by nickguy on July 6, 2007, at 20:37:05
Nickguy you didn't give any symptoms or what you feel or happens to you. Love Phillipa
Posted by belljar on July 6, 2007, at 22:44:25
In reply to anybody have an 'vague' or 'uncertain' illness?, posted by nickguy on July 6, 2007, at 20:37:05
Hi Nickguy
I sympathize with you - Over the past 20 years I've been diagnosed with OCD, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress syndrome, depression, ADD, and most recently, bipolar.... It's frustrating. Do you have a regular family doctor that has known you for a long time ? I live in a small town with high doctor turnover, and have moved a few times. Every doctor visit involves a "here's my life history" session, then they refer me to yet another psychiatrist in a big city somewhere, each one saying that last one was wrong - "this is what your probkem is". SO - I finally came here ! SO far everyone here seems to know way more than any doctor I've seen, it's giving me a lot of hope - hang in there, I empathize with you!
Posted by Racer on July 7, 2007, at 13:51:13
In reply to anybody have an 'vague' or 'uncertain' illness?, posted by nickguy on July 6, 2007, at 20:37:05
I diagnosed myself with Irregular Polygon Syndrome. It means that I'm not exactly a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, nor a round peg trying to fill out a square hole -- I'm more like an irregular polygon which needs a specially matched hole to fit into. Maybe that's what you have, too? (In my case, it has qualifiers: IPS with feral features.)
It helps me to think in terms of diagnosis as a roadmap of sorts. It doesn't really tell you much more than the direction you're heading in. It won't tell you if there are hills, or trees, or potholes -- only that you turn left, or right, and sometimes to watch for curves.
Diagnoses are categories that make it a little easier for doctors to plan a treatment. They're created rather arbitrarily by a committee, so that doctors have an easier time communicating with one another about patients. Diagnoses are NOT naturally occurring disorders -- they are a label used to describe certain clusters of symptoms. The biggest problem I've seen with diagnoses, is that some doctors treat a code number, rather than a patient. So, if you have a more amorphous cluster of symptoms, and doctors are not agreeing about what the code number should be, you may actually be better off. Your doctors may actually be looking at your symptoms -- at YOU, rather than at a code number referring to a list of symptoms in a book.
On the other hand, it is nice to be able to put a name to what we experience. So, in that sense, maybe you'd do well to take a look yourself at the DSM, and see which of those labels fits you best, from your internal experience? The library should have a copy of the DSM in their reference room, or you can find a lot of the criteria online. So, run a quick search on "social anxiety," or "depression," and see what you think. "Depersonalization," by the way, is a symptom, not a diagnosis. You might want to look up symptoms, too, and see which symptoms fit -- that might help you work out which disorder fits best.
The one thing I hope you remember through all this, though, is that you are not a label -- what you really have is NickGuy Syndrome. It's much more complex than anything listed in any diagnostic manual. It includes all your strengths, all your weaknesses, all your likes and dislikes, all your quirks, and everything else that goes into making NickGuy. It's unlikely that any diagnostic code will fit perfectly.
Unless, like me, you suffer from IPS...
Good luck, and I hope that helps.
Posted by Phillipa on July 7, 2007, at 20:23:17
In reply to You know what my diagnosis is? » nickguy, posted by Racer on July 7, 2007, at 13:51:13
Only thing they have to have a diagnostic code to fill in for the insurance company for payment. Love Phillipa
Posted by med_empowered on July 7, 2007, at 23:13:02
In reply to Re: You know what my diagnosis is?, posted by Phillipa on July 7, 2007, at 20:23:17
I had a shrink tell me--back when I still went to shrinks--that I could go to any number of docs, and get any number of diagnoses; the use of diagnosis was mostly for the clinician and the insurance company.
So...I'd say: 1) if you decide meds are the way to go, just try to get your most obnoxious symptoms under control. 2) if you're doing just therapy, diagnosis shouldn't matter that much anyway, and I'd be a little worried if you have a therapist who is focusing on that--they should be talking to you, not diagnosing you and 3) if you opt for therapy+pills, you just need to have a competent therapist, a helpful shrink, and don't worry too much about the Diagnosis.
Always keep in mind that your diagnosis isn't who you are--you are not adhd, bipolar, etc.--its just a label to describe what you're going through at the moment. Diagnoses can change as your experience changes; the important thing is getting the right kind of assistance to live your life effectively.
Posted by elanor roosevelt on July 12, 2007, at 22:21:37
In reply to diagnosis is meaningless, posted by med_empowered on July 7, 2007, at 23:13:02
i have been thinking about getting panties like those old fashioned day of the week things
instead i will have each diagnosis i have received from the docs
Posted by Racer on July 13, 2007, at 12:17:26
In reply to Re: diagnosis is meaningless, posted by elanor roosevelt on July 12, 2007, at 22:21:37
> i have been thinking about getting panties like those old fashioned day of the week things
> instead i will have each diagnosis i have received from the docsI think milk came out my nose when I read that -- and I was drinking soda! That was too funny, thank you thank you thank you!
I think it's a great idea. We can color code them: Navy blue for depressive disorders, red for bipolar, yellow for anxiety disorders, green for impulse control disorders, purple for psychotic disorders... And we can maybe branch out, and have designers make patterns for them -- I'll get a dozen pairs of whatever Pucci designs!
Thanks for the great laugh! I look forward to seeing those on the market.
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