Has anyone had problems trying to get themselves diagnosed?

[drumwolf]

Until very recently, I was seeing a therapist I'll call "RK" and a separate psychiatrist called "AC." I don't have health insurance, so I'm going through the city's mental health program. And I'm speculating that if I had health coverage, I could have access to better, private-sector mental health professionals, because I haven't been very satisfied with the treatment I've received so far.

RK was the person I saw and talked with regularly, and he wasn't a doctor. AC was the psych who prescribed meds, and he made it very clear that he was there to write prescriptions and do nothing else. And between the two of them, I have been unable to get a formal diagnosis of whatever it is that's basically fucked up my life (I suspect either severe ADHD or some sort of mild autism). I'm finding it very aggravating, to say the least, and I'm asking the city program to find me new professional help that might be more receptive.

Anyone else ever have the same problems either getting no diagnosis or a misdiagnosis? When I was a kid, I had problems communicating with the outside world and didn't learn to speak until late and my parents sent me to therapists on a regular basis, but I never, ever had any kind of diagnosis of anything. I think it might have saved me a whole lot of trouble later on had I gotten one.

[EFerrari]

1. Oh, for sure!

My hubby is probably an undiagnosed very high functioning Aspie. He's just so smart and so good verbally, people just got annoyed with him his whole life. He's gotten other DXs -- depresssion, Borderline and so on. Some seem right to me, some seemed attempts to understand more than valid conclusions.

On another thread someone said there wasn't much overlap between Borderline and Asperger's. Well, there is this: both can be hard for docs to read 50 minutes at a time, both tend to involve problems with social interaction for everyone concerned, leaving everyone sort of frustrated.

I think it's great that you're asking for fine tuning. When we did that, initially the reaction we got was, "You people are a pain in the @ss!" But the thing is, in asking for the tune up, everyone learned something and people coming after will get better care. So, go for it. Consider it a public service. :)

[drumwolf]

2. Oh, I AM going for it... trying to, anyway.

I think it's great that you're asking for fine tuning. When we did that, initially the reaction we got was, "You people are a pain in the @ss!" But the thing is, in asking for the tune up, everyone learned something and people coming after will get better care. So, go for it. Consider it a public service. :)

Oh, I HAVE been trying to get a "tune up", but I think both RK and AC have actively resisted giving me anything resembling a formal diagnosis.

I'm trying to get new assistance through SF's Access program, but the caseworker assigned to me is impossible to get hold of. I'm speculating that he's very busy with shitloads of other cases -- they have pretty limited funding right now.

[EFerrari]

3. I have two great referrals for SF that work through

the Access program. I'll pm you with them, it that's okay.

[EFerrari]

4. Just thought of something regarding a DX:

There are some diagnoses that will get you bumped from or banned from insurance programs.

So, there is a quiet agreement among some mental health workers not to put these on paper, or to write around them such that their client can stay insured yet get approximately the right treatment.

This happened to us and was frustrating until we understood that someone was actually trying to help us keep the insurance. We eventually couldn't anyway but, thought I'd pass that along.

fwiw,
Beth

[Droopy]

5. If they are writing you prescriptions

then they have diagnosed you. The next time you see the psychiatrist demand that he tell you what the problem is. Even though you
are getting treatment on the state, you still have a right to know what you are being treated for.

I might be able to help you out and give you some clues as to what the diagnosis might be if you tell me what meds you are taking and at what dosages.

[ernstbass]

6. You have a right to review your medical records

so why not request them? You may have to pay a small fee for copying but there must be a diagnosis somewhere. By the way, what will change if you know your diagnosis?