Poll Did You Self-diagnose?

[anonymousperson:)]

Please help me out by letting me know how your diagnosis came about. Did you recognize symptoms in yourself and self-diagnose? Did you describe your symptoms to a doctor and they diagnosed you? Or did a loved one notice your behavior and tell you to seek help? Or is your story different? Let me know!

 

[Suzetig]

When you say help you out, what do you mean? Are you a sufferer or supporter? Is this because you have questions about your own experience - it might be worth sharing your own experience so people have some sense of where you're coming from before they share what may be quite personal information.

 

[Gaining-clarity]

A counsellor mentioned it tho me about 5 years ago. He was just a clinical counsellor, and didn't have the authority to diagnose.

After some years I started to be able to see the symptoms myself, and I self diagnosed this year.

I'm thinking about getting a proper diagnosis.

 

[Ronin]

Let me know!

To what purpose? It'd help to hear how that information helps you at all.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I didn't self diagnose and that is very dangerous to do for any illness, especially a mental illness.

I may be wrong but this sounds like you are promoting self diagnosing or at least saying it is ok to do and it's not.

Even BPD that I suspected I had years before my diagnosis. I suspected. I didn't tell people I had BPD until my diagnosis by a qualified therapist.

One of the issue with self diagnosis, there are MANY disorders that have many of the same symptoms. What if you are wrong?

 

[The Albatross]

I was in alcohol recovery for quite a long time and describing events. A person from Washington state with a history of abuse recognized that what I was describing was disassociation and began questioning me about abuse history. I was encouraged to pursue it as in sobriety I was not getting "better" though sober. I came here a few months or so prior to going back to therapy and ultimately receiving diagnosis. People close to me wanted me to be alcoholic or crazy or depressive... but I had PTSD. No easy ride.

 

[Riot]

I was diagnosed by my therapist. I held the same common misconceptions a lot of people have about PTSD before my diagnosis. Since I didn't dive under tables or into ditches from loud noises, it had never even occurred to me. I am grateful for the proper labeling of it though, as it has helped me to seek resources on my own time and understand symptoms and healing.

I agree with the above that self diagnosing is not a good idea. You'll find that is also a common theme on this site. (That self diagnosing can be problematic.)

 

[Friday]

I don't have PTSD. I'm fine, dammit. >.>

I've been diagnosed a few times. First in the military. Later when I tried to do drug&alcohol treatment (hilarity did not ensue). A few other times here & there. Mostly when I was trying to do something completely different // aka wasn't trying to get help for PTSD but for some totally unrelated <cough> kind of thing. Shrug. I can get a bit stubborn. Trauma? Pfft. Bite me. I'm fine.

I marked other, as none of the times I was diagnosed were my seeking diagnosis. In point of fact, the first time I was diagnosed was a solid year before I thought anything was wrong. And then I avoided anything PTSD or trauma related for the next 15 some odd years. Even though I knew I had it (PTSD? That's nightmares & shit, right? Yeah. Panic attacks, oh joy oh rapture. Whatever.), I didn't really understand what it was until about 2 years ago. So from somewhere in 96-98 to 2014? Roughly.

 

[8888]

My therapist diagnosed me.

 

[Gs172003]

I don't have PTSD. I'm fine, dammit. >.>

I've been diagnosed a few times. First in the military....

Just reading this made me want to cry. Damn you.

 

[gealach]

I suspected, then saw professionals when I wasn't able to function anymore. 1 pro says yes ptsd, 1 pro says no just depression & anxiety because I have the symptoms but the wrong crit A. Sigh. Shrug. whatever, I've stopped therapy anyway.

 

[Ronin]

I've had that issue, @brokenEMT.

Because slavery apparently doesn't exist / isn't an issue / multiple rapes also don't happen, so it can't be traumatic. :roflmao: