• 💖 [Donate To Keep MyPTSD Online] 💖 Every contribution, no matter how small, fuels our mission and helps us continue to provide peer-to-peer services. Your generosity keeps us independent and available freely to the world. MyPTSD closes if we can't reach our annual goal.

Relationship How To Get Diagnosis

Status
Not open for further replies.
I just mean that sometimes it isn't as simple as a therapist taking someone's word for it, and when you're a new patient, other symptoms and criteria need to be checked off and investigated first. However, I echo the sentiments of the above, in that it'd probably be a wise idea to find a trauma specialist. I was lucky in that I found a fantastic therapist on my first try, but I also wasn't seeking treatment for PTSD specifically. In any event, yeah, you guys might have to shop around a little bit. That, unfortunately, tends to be the trend. :(
 
I'll add my last two cents. My pdoc diagnosed me with bipolar. As she moved into trauma training she realized my symptoms were cptsd. She pulled me off the meds and started somatic psychotherapy. Since I've held a job continuously and managed to survive. Point is, it takes a skilled eye to understand the connectivity of the symptoms......and probably a few years before you get an accurate diagnosis. That doesn't stop going to therapy and improving while the professionals figure it out.
 
How long has he been seeing her for? If it's early on in their work together she'll need time to make her assessment - and formal diagnosis does need to be her (or another health care professional's) assessment. So often clients come in "knowing" what's wrong with them and it just doesn't fit, I'm not saying that's the case for your husband but if she's going to diagnose a life long, potentially life altering illness she needs to be sure she can stand behind it.

Personally I have a lot of confidence in her not just jumping in with a quick diagnosis. PTSD is actually relatively rare in that the vast majority of people who experience trauma don't go on to develop PTSD. The Internet can be a real double edged sword with this, it can inform people about symptoms and be a place of great support but it can also leave folk making links between issues or "symptoms" that they otherwise wouldn't have. Basically it's not unusual for someone to look at the diagnostic criteria for any illness, see they have some similarities to X and then start to feel or experience Y and Z and be convinced they have whatever it is. What I'm saying is that diagnosis isn't reliable, there are loads of trauma/anxiety disorders that aren't PTSD but have overlapping symptomology - it's not an easy or straightforward diagnosis for even an experienced professional to make much less a lay person looking on the Internet.

In saying that, your husband needs support and therapy will be a good place to start - the support she gives for depression won't hurt if he does have PTSD and may help her diagnosis. If you have reason to think she is incompetent or the fit isn't good between her and your husband then by all means change, but it may be no bad thing that she isn't rushing to judgement here.

I also hear that there are relationship issues with your husband, you and your kids - be careful about excusing behaviour as being PTSD related -even if he does have PTSD, he remains accountable for his behaviour to others.
 
Definitely find a trauma therapist and/or a trauma knowledgeable psychiatrist.

IME it's been a psychiatrist who has diagnosed me, and there was no issue of them seeing symptoms over time as a diagnosis came quickly. The time component is only applicable in terms of how long the symptoms have existed, not how long the therapist/doctor has observed them.

A diagnosis matters-----and it doesn't matter. Let's say he doesn't have PTSD but still has many trauma effects. Pretty much any of the trauma therapies/treatments available would be an option for him. A PTSD diagnosis will matter if it comes down to whether or not an insurance company will cover treatment, but for me this wasn't so much of a concern as most trauma therapists in my area don't take insurance anyway (they're unicorns who need not be strapped down by insurance regulations because they're really that special! Lol)
 
An online test tells you nothing. And going into any diagnostic process with a clinician after you've decided what the diagnosis is, generally results in a mis-diagnosis.

If you want accurate results, you need to enter the process openly.

Meanwhile - looking for a well qualified therapist is always a good idea. Having traumatic experiences does not automatically lead to having PTSD - but your husband will still benefit from talking about/working through the thighs that happened to him.
 
How long has he been seeing her for? If it's early on in their work together she'll need time to make h...
He has only seen her 2 times. Intake and 1 regular session. I'm just frustrated. I have the same training as his therapist, minus 2 credits to complete my degree and I don't have 40 yrs experience. But I did read the dvm guidelines for diagnosis.
 
I'm curious about this. What is the official website for PTSD?

Does he have an appointment set up with...
Yes he does have an appt set up for July 8th. He meet EVERY guideline listed on this site, in the book, and on the website that had the quiz that basically asked if you displayed the symptoms of PTSD. Should I just step back and "let her do her job"? I'll post a photo of the quiz and a link to the site.
 
@Mrs Allen, I don't think anyone here is trying to challenge the validity of your husband's PTSD. What I think is trying to be conveyed is that symptoms, especially involving trauma, often overlap into multitudes of diagnostics. Many diagnoses out there come in a hierarchy, including PTSD. (For example, Acute Stress Disorder falls under PTSD, if I remember correctly.)

Basically, what that means is that the therapist responsible for diagnosing it has to eliminate everything else underneath it first, although I acknowledge that you mentioned this therapist outright denied it. (I would tell your husband to question her denial and see what she has to say. Sometimes miscommunication happens early on that can be easily resolved.)

Again, I'm not saying this is necessarily the reason, but often times within early treatment, PTSD will not be diagnosed right away, like on an intake session, for example.


Hope that helps.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top