Shadow-world, sometimes you have to lead the way and hope they can follow.

Thanks for your kind words. Yeah, that icon is new to my profile.

I am starting with a new resident pdoc, and - oh - she seems so less confident than her predecessor, who I think was among the cream of his crop . . . good mind, and not arrogant, and listened intelligently. But this one is caring. I have to make the most of that to ask for more precise diagnosis. Always, I have gotten sloppy diagnosis. I think when I was high functioning, and not a misbehaving person, it was easy to blow the problem off as dysthymia. Even now, MDD, is leaving it as vague as possible. It's tricky to tell them that they have to apply more thought and do a better job on the diagnosis, while wanting to not alienate them.

When my best friend had signs of spinal cord injury, I had to press doctors so hard, who did not diagnose that. They didn't really have a diagnosis, except some silly idea, and I flat out said, "You have to work harder on the diagnosis." An X-ray later, done to placate me, showed urgent need for spinal surgery. Yes, diagnosing belongs to the physicians. However, they will make mistakes doing that. The least qualified person can happen to notice, or happen to think, of something that cracks the case. Minds have to be open to input from -even - the patient. I hope they will listen to me. Also, when dysfunction has been chronic and longstanding, it is unusual for there to be only one diagnosis.