Problem With Misdiagnosis

[Thara]

Misdiagnosis is common as some of the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can appear to be anxiety or depression alone and are not contributed to a trauma. Annually, over $42.3 billion is spent on the treatment of anxiety disorders in America due to the common misdiagnosis of patients. While there are four categories of symptoms, a person may not experience all of the symptoms or their symptoms may overlap into other categories. If a patient presents with loss of interest in typical activities and self-hatred, a doctor may diagnose the patient with depression when the reasoning behind the feelings is survivor’s guilt. Another patient may present with insomnia and nightmares and may be diagnosed as having anxiety without the consideration of a trauma. With an increase in the understanding of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, misdiagnosis may become a thing of the past.

This is for a school assignment, but I am interested in other's thoughts about the issue of misdiagnosis.

 

[Friday]

Don't forget common ways to self medicate
- drugs & alcohol
- adrenaline junkies
- sexual (addiction /anorexia)
- cutting & self harm
- some eating disorders (I'm thinking of bulemia & over eating for the chemical rushes)

As well attempts to control their environment / body
- attachment disorders (trusting everyone, trusting no one,
- eating disorders
- social phobias
- sex/gender phobias
- heck, phobias in general misdiagnosed as stand alones when they're either directly related or attempts to control their environment or reaction

<grin> And let's not forget the other emotions
- Anger/rage
- paranoia
- emotional numbness dipping its toe into sociopathy
- Anxiety & Depression masquerading as bipolar disorder
- disassociation to DID
- sensory processing

... Please note: I'm not trying to make a complete list. These are just a few things off the top of my head. Also, whether something is a PTSD expression or an actual co-occurring disorder or issue, or a coagulation of both, isn't something I'm trying to brush aside, because all 3 happen. (I'm co-occurring, been ADHD-c my whole life but picked up PTSD in my late teens/early 20s via the military, for example).

Proper diagnosis / eliminating differentials is just so fundamentally important.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Misdiagnosis is VERY common, unfortunately! Many don't bother to ask if there was any past trauma when they are diagnosing you. And, as a child who was traumatized, I didn't present with the typical "sexual abuse" sort of symptoms. Yes, there was something VERY wrong, and my parents knew it, but I did not present the symptoms that teachers are taught to look out for. And then to boot, my flashbacks aren't what most people think of in terms of flashbacks, so I never knew that what I have been experiencing since childhood is actually called a flashback. Ugh.