Mental health professionals, favorite diagnosis
By angel_smiles
@Lolaze (5093)
St. Louis, Missouri
January 6, 2016 2:19pm CST
Something I've noticed with mental health professionals is that many of them seem to have a 'favorite' diagnosis. They tend to diagnose a large amount of their patients with this illness, and sometimes see symptoms where there really aren't any. I've ran into quite a few of these professionals - most recently a nurse practitioner in the hospital who apparently was seeing signs of schizoaffective disorder in almost every patient she met. I also ran into a psychiatrist like this when I was 15...
Unbeknownst to my parents or me, a psychiatrist I was seeing was considered the city's expert on ADHD. I was beginning to show the symptoms of bipolar disorder but everything hadn't pieced together quite yet. I was experiencing depression, agitation, and anxiety. One of the worst things was - I couldn't sleep due to the anxiety. When I mentioned this too him, he declared it was hyperactivity...not anxiety. I ended up on stimulant medication which only increased my anxiety.
This is just a little example of how a 'favorite' diagnosis can be dangerous for patients. Instead of being evaluated without bias, assumptions are made before the patient is even seen. This increases the chances they won't receive the correct medication or therapy.
9 people like this
7 responses
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Jan 16
that is so wrong and they should be carefu not to assume anything til they see he patient and make tests
@Lolaze (5093)
• St. Louis, Missouri
8 Jan 16
Yes, most the time they make the diagnosis after seeing someone for 15 minutes or less!
@buttheadface932 (708)
• United States
9 Jan 16
" I've ran into quite a few of these professionals - most recently a nurse practitioner in the hospital who apparently was seeing signs of schizoaffective disorder in almost every patient she met. I also ran into a psychiatrist like this when I was 15...
Unbeknownst to my parents or me, a psychiatrist I was seeing was considered the city's expert on ADHD. "
Bingo! I can't like this post enough. This is exactly why I don't trust psychology professionals. Psychiatry is in its infancy; it's really a pseudoscience as it now stands. Subjective and open to interpretation; diagnoses entirely variable from one doctor to another. The same is NOT true of other doctors.
@GardenGerty (160697)
• United States
7 Jan 16
And when you have a gut feeling about something, they tell you that you are wrong, you are just projecting your own symptoms onto someone else. They are right, you are always wrong.Happened to a friend of mine who was adopting a child. Turns out she was right, the child being adopted DID have the same disorder as the adopting mom. (Who by the way is a brilliant person and one of my heroes for so many reasons).
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
7 Jan 16
likely what my problem is. they never seem to say the same thing about any of my problems
@olivetree27 (495)
• Greece
8 Jan 16
That's why it's better to ask for a second opinion. It will cost you more but at least you're on a safer side. I'd love to be a psychologist someday because I'm suspecting that I have ADHD as all the symptoms are there since I was a child. I hope I wouldn't be one of those who have a favorite diagnosis.
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
7 Jan 16
If you don't feel that its right I would see another Dr.
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
7 Jan 16
Glad that you got a correct diagnosis in the end. It is a bit hit and miss