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Most of my experiences with psychiatry have been very negative because of misdiagnosis. I was one of those people who was given a BPD label to prevent access to treatment. No one wanted to treat me and if they did medication was the only option. There was a problem with that though because it was the cause of my BPD symptoms. It made the situation worse and lead to all kinds of assumptions and diagnoses that were not accurate at all. For example I was given benzodiazepines that gave me memory loss. This was mistaken for dissociation. I was also put on antipsychotics that caused a perpetual hypnagogic state due to somnolence. I complained about that and was told it was hallucinations related to BPD. The symptoms all went away when I stopped the medications. The worst part of that entire experience was the conclusion it was all due to childhood abuse which was wrong. Imagine being told that and then doubting your childhood and family. After that experience I have been very cautious with doctors especially psychiatrists.
I presently see a psychiatrist who does therapy and actually listens. She doesn't push medication. I'm not a disorder to her that needs to be fixed. She has shown me over the last 2.5 years that I can trust her. It took over a decade for me to see one again. I took the risk because other clinicians felt I was misdiagnosed and I had a psychosis about 5 years after my horrible experience. My family doctor treated my illness for years.
Psychiatrists must prove they can be trusted. They must also be independent thinkers, observant and patient. If one makes a diagnosis in one appointment and wants to read all my medical records I won't bother.
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Dx: Didgee Disorder
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