Current Issue Part 1
By angel_smiles
@Lolaze (5092)
St. Louis, Missouri
March 13, 2016 11:06am CST
I'm dealing with something very difficult right now. For years I've been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I have mood swings...from depression to manic pretty quick sometimes and hallucinations. I've also been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and PTSD. My therapist has agreed with this for all 3 years that I've seen her. Recently, I switched to seeing a psychiatrist in the same practice as my therapist though and things have gone haywire.
This psychiatrist (who is so sweet and has every quality I need in a doctor) has decided I have borderline personality disorder. I have major issues with that diagnosis because I was diagnosed with it at age 14 and it was used by two therapists to verbally abuse me. Well, suddenly my therapist has flipped out. She's more concerned now with being cold and clinical than being human - which is why therapy with her was helping me for 3 years!
1 person likes this
1 response
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 16
I've never been entirely convinced by these professionals diagnosing personality disorders (of whatever type) and then focusing on the book treatments and not really listening to the person.
My parents got told I had a personality disorder when I was around 13.
It wasn't bpd it was another type.
Looking back I did have issues and have had, on occasions, a couple of issues into aldulthood but nowhere near what the books say and I know my own brain and it doesn't work the way that sort of diagnosis says it should.
I've always found the human types have been better as they're more likely to listen rather than try and fit what you're saying into that diagnosis box.
The last lot of therapy type thing I've had is hospital based hypnotherapy and that worked well for me....cost a bit after the NHS course ended but it was worth it.
1 person likes this
@yukimori (10192)
• United States
13 Mar 16
Yeah, I have to agree.
I have a box of paperwork that I really need to get around to digging through. It's all the mental health-related stuff that my mom kept for years regarding me. I have no clue what (if any) diagnoses are in there... my parents kept therapist shopping because the ones I was seeing weren't telling them what they wanted to hear (that I was the problem, not them).
The worst part of that is that some of that crap will probably haunt me for the rest of my life, even if it wasn't accurate.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
13 Mar 16
@yukimori That must be bad.
I just had a couple of instances then went to see the kid shrink and my mum got told a load of stuff.
What the starter says in the part 2 of this is right in that you can't be diagnosed with a personality disorder exactly as a kid but in order to be diagnosed after 18 there do need to be historical issues.
There were a few instances after 18 which is when you get really tested and they tell you all this stuff.
Looking back now most of it was rubbish as I'm quite fine now apart from agoraphobia and that has got significantly better.
I think these professionals can tell you all sorts of things but with any mental type issue it always is a spectrum and not all people with certain disorders are going to turn into murdering nutcases
@yukimori (10192)
• United States
13 Mar 16
@Mike197602 Yeah, in my case my "problems" were really just the result of being surrounded by a**holes. I moved out after turning 18 and was miraculously 'cured.' 
