Trust the diagnoses from a psychiatrist or a counselor? please help?!
Question: Trust the diagnoses from a psychiatrist or a counselor!? please help!?
Hello!. after my first stay in a psychiatrc hospital i was admitted to a MHMR facility near my home!. At the hospital, the psychiatrist diagnosed me with major depressive disorder with psychotic features, then schizo-affective the depressive type!.
when i got to the mhmr, a counselor saw me, asked me questions and she diagnosed me as bipolar!. They are treating me like im bipolar, my case worker only gives me literature on bipolar, but my psychiatrist doenst give me meds for bipolar, he gives me and anti depressant and anti psychotic!.
Who should i believe, the psychiatrist who gave me the schizo-affective depressive diagnoses at the hospital, or a counselor who states im bipolar!? im asking because i really dont have any of the mania stages!. only thing i get is the many projects (wanting to do multiple things) but im very ambitious!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
when i got to the mhmr, a counselor saw me, asked me questions and she diagnosed me as bipolar!. They are treating me like im bipolar, my case worker only gives me literature on bipolar, but my psychiatrist doenst give me meds for bipolar, he gives me and anti depressant and anti psychotic!.
Who should i believe, the psychiatrist who gave me the schizo-affective depressive diagnoses at the hospital, or a counselor who states im bipolar!? im asking because i really dont have any of the mania stages!. only thing i get is the many projects (wanting to do multiple things) but im very ambitious!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
In my many, many years of psychiatry and seeing about 20 or more psychiatrists and nurse practitioners I have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, major depression with psychotic features, bipolar I with psychotic features, schizo affective disorder depressed type, schizo affective bipolar type, and paranoid schizophrenia!. They go on what symptoms you are exhibiting that day!. The diagnosis doesn't matter, because they treat symptoms, not diagnoses!. If you are having a symptom, they will give you drugs that are proven to treat that particular symptom!. It is not an exact science and every doctor or NP will have their own opinion!. That is just how it works!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Trust the psychiatrist!. They went to school for many years to study the various afflictions that people experience!. And remember they have studied ALOT of mental disorders!. By law, only a psychiatrist can truly diagnose you!. A counselor's "diagnosis" would be a "suggestion" not a true diagnosis!.
Talk to your psychiatrist about your counselor's "diagnosis" and suggest the two should communicate about this issue!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
Talk to your psychiatrist about your counselor's "diagnosis" and suggest the two should communicate about this issue!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
I think you are ok!. MANY MANY bipolar patients are treated with anti-psychotics!. The anti-psychotics like Seroquel, Abilify, and Zyprexa have MOOD STABILIZING properties!.
In fact, some psychiatrists are using anti-psychotics as the first line of treatment for Bipolar, instead of Lithium or Depakote or Tegretol!. The old meds (lithium, etc) require blood monitoring regualarly to ensure that you have enough in your system!. They have many more side effects than the newer anti-psychotics!.
The anti-psychotics require NO blood tests!.
I take Lithium, but I have been on it for over 10 years, before many of the anti-psychotics were available!. BUT, I also take Seroquel to help with my mood!.
I would not get hung up on "diagnosis" I would try to make sure that the medications are helping you and reducing your symptoms!. A diagnosis is just a label ~ what matters is that the people treating you are helping you!.
MANY medications are used for various illnesses, even if they are not "officially" for that illness!. For example, scientists have found that anti-depressants are good for PMS!. So, some doctors prescribe them for PMS, even if a patient is not "depressed!." The medications are used for another purpose!. Happens all the time!. In fact, many of the "Bipolar" meds are anti-epileptics!.!.!.
Just monitor how you feel and don't worry about the diagnosis!.Www@Answer-Health@Com