fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2189 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2189 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

__________________________________________________

02.

__________________________________________________

03.

__________________________________________________

04.

__________________________________________________

05.

__________________________________________________

06.

__________________________________________________

07.

__________________________________________________

08.

__________________________________________________

09.

__________________________________________________

10.

__________________________________________________

11.

__________________________________________________

12.

__________________________________________________

13.

__________________________________________________

14.

__________________________________________________

15.

__________________________________________________

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 084 secrets from Secret Submission Post #313.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ], [ 1 2 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So I've been seeing a psychiatrist for almost exactly two years now. And honestly he's great in terms of taking care of my mental health. The first time I ever went in to him when I was newly 18 I was a wreck of a person and two years later I'm two years into college with moderate success at a degree that many people view as challenging. I also function well (at least in college student terms) in living in an apartment I pay for. I get along well with my roommates. At my job in my hometown, which I come back to sometimes for breaks, I keep getting asked back because I do a good job, and the majority of the people there (excluding people who are nasty to most everyone) like me.

I went in to get my prescriptions renewed a few days ago, and while I was there I was just chatting with my doctor and I finally felt ready to talk to him about the fact that I think I've had purely obsessional OCD for years, and that it's under check by my meds for my other anxiety most of the time, but that I had a short relapse at the beginning of this school year and I felt like, although it was uncomfortable to me to talk about it, I should probably at least bring it up. And then he handed me a sheet and I was like "check check check I've been in most of these categories at some point" and he was like, well that makes sense, I always felt something was there. And I was like what?

Anyway I ended up briefly looking at my charts for the first time (because apparently I'm allowed to look at them which I did not know this)and he's apparently changing it now due to the new info but apparently I was listed under "Personality Disorder NOS" for TWO YEARS without knowing about it.

Idk why, but I feel kind of betrayed that I had a vague diagnosis of something and no one ever even informed me. Especially since I had clearly gotten much better as soon as I went on medication (I had a raging case of rapid cycling bipolar), but apparently I still seemed kind of weird?

He was never upfront with me about my actual diagnosis either until I asked him a year after I was on medication "was I right, was it Bipolar disorder" and he was like "yep".

He's really great and nice and he's helped me a lot but I wish he would just be upfront with me. Don't most doctors tell you when they diagnose you with something?

Anyway this has just been my rant because it's been sitting on my mind.

well, that does suck

maybe you could bring it up with him

that you've been thinking about it and not being told your diagnosis didn't sit well with you, and then ask him if there is any reason why you shouldn't know things like those?

I would but honestly I only have time to see him about every six months so that's a no go :/

Just speaking as someone with a little experience with this, but by no means an expert, he probably didn't tell you upfront because of the fear that you'd relapse without a secure diagnosis. The fact that you were on medication that helped (and meds for anxiety do help treat a variety of other disorders, so it's no surprise that they used those without a solid diagnosis) was probably considered a win, and getting the right diagnosis could wait until you brought something else up - which you did. That aside, it's easier for the doctor to say, "Well, we didn't know what it was before, but with this new information, I'm reasonably certain it's this," than to say, "Well, we thought it was that, but it turns out I was wrong and it's actually probably this," because the latter implies that the doctor doesn't know what he's doing, while the former gives the more accurate impression that psychological disorders can be difficult to correctly diagnose, and doctors can be more cautious about giving you a diagnosis that may not be correct because it shows up on your record. They'd rather be right about something than accidentally brand you with an illness you don't actually have.

I'm sorry it bugs you, and it does suck that you feel that way, but please try to see it from his perspective. I very much doubt he was trying to deceive you; he has your best interests at heart, but he also needs to cover his own ass.

I'm just confused because he actually put it on my records for two years; for the past two years my official medical records have said that I have an unspecified personality disorder and now it's being erased and the doctor is making a note that he was wrong, but it was still THERE. It could have been there for ten years if I hadn't said anything. I understand hesitating to give me a diagnosis, but I don't understand putting it on my official records for two years and then not telling me about it.

But...wouldn't you assume that something was on there just by the fact that he continued seeing you and prescribing medications? Personality Disorder NOS is pretty vague and, imo, harmless. I don't mean to be offensive or anything but why would you have assumed that he's prescribing meds and helping you without putting something on your charts?

And the other anon hit it right, that some docs don't talk specifics with diagnosis because it could do more harm than good and leave it up to the patient to bring the subject up to talk specifics.

If it's really bothering you a lot I'd definitely bring it up either the next time you see him or even call or email to discuss it.

You're not offensive :D Don't worry.

I knew stuff was on my charts, stuff about my mood disorder and anxiety, I just didn't know any of this axis 2 stuff was on there, and for a while exactly what about my mood disorder and anxiety was on my charts was a mystery there as well. I just had a vague notion that something was on my charts, hopefully the doctor and I were on the same page, and as long as it's helping I'm good.

I hate that it's so vague :/ Or it was since it's gone now.

Ok just to let you know I am not a professional psychiatrist, but I want to say just with informal information, that there are many legal and emotional ramifications that come along with diagnosis and labels. Sometimes it affects your health insurance coverage if you are diagnosed with a disorder. It may affect other factors as well and it is possible your doctor may have felt it was inappropriate to give a label right away.

At least the medication helped you to get better so that you can function somewhat normally. Maybe he personally doesn't like to label his patients. I don't know. I just know that they talk to us a great deal about being careful when diagnosing individuals.

[ SECRET POST #2189 ]

Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about

Re: Not exactly a vent, but something I just wanted to talk about