LB, as someone who’s undergone some rather intense diagnosis stuff, I appreciate a lot of aspects of that post. It doesn’t invalidate symptoms/feelings. And it points out that there’s a lot of overlap between conditions, which means you’re more likely to have 1 thing than 6. I have 2 which are very commonly dxd together. If you can’t get diagnosis, it’s probably more helpful to you to focus on symptoms or, at best, similarities.
Like if you’re constantly anxious, you may not know if you have GAD or some other anxiety condition but you can say you’re anxious. Mood swings could be bipolar or also anxiety. I’ve had some people talk abt my other one like “I think I’m that too” and I note that dx is most useful for grounded self-knowledge/awareness. But if you don’t have a dx you can still be aware of predispositions/manifestations and work from that. Because it doesn’t require meds, just lots of care/awareness.
@ruth you’re so right. I feel like there is real danger. If you self-diagnose wrong you still might convince a doctor to prescribe something for you, and it could be the wrong thing.
@walker Right, like I understand and identify with the absolute overwhelming mess of having symptoms and just wanting to name them and deal with them. But, ultimately, the goal should be to figure out which one or ones it is so you can get treatment and it will cause you less hell. But I do get why, when you are in that hell, you keep piling on because it’s so hard.
@ruth Also naming symptoms is one thing, deciding that they must be due to an underlying pathology is another thing. It’s OK to just have some symptoms and get treatment for those symptoms! It’s so hard to tell people this in a way that’s helpful though.