My Support Forums - View Single Post - Is it OK to ask to be re-diagnosed?

Berries · Jan 04, 2009, 10:49 AM

I really want to know what my diagnosis is—not what it was or what previous pdocs have said it was. What it is NOW, currently. I have a new pdoc. I’ve been seeing him for 3 months. I told me early on that “we’d figure out my diagnosis.” But, so far, he’s just gone on what I told him previous pdocs have said.
I have an appointment with him next week. It’s only a half hour appointment. I know he is planning on talking about medication changes, and these are changes I don’t want to make. But I don’t want to spend he half hour arguing with him about it, like that last appointment I had with him, 5 weeks ago.
I want to ask him to diagnose me! Himself! I was diagnosed at age 17 as schizoaffective and have had that lable follow me for 25 years, with every succession of pdoc’s just blindly following the last. I really don’t think I am SA. I may be bipolar. I may be something else. I may be “normal”.
I want an original, thoughtful, professional opinion based on the way I am NOW!
I won’t see him again for at least 5 more weeks, maybe even 8 to 12 more weeks. This is driving me nuts! (no pun intended). I need to know what he thinks. Maybe it will help me stop obsessing about this issue. Maybe it will reassure me and I won’t be so anxious anymore. Maybe it will help me stop being suicidal.
Does anyone have any ideas on how I can get him to diagnose me? How I can keep on point during the appointment so it’s not wasted?
And more than anything, Is it OK for me to ask this. I go to a low-income mental clinic and he has LOTS of patients and not a lot of time to devote to each one. Is it still OK for me to ask him to do a little extra work—giving me tests, or just interviewing me again? I don’t have a choice as to my pdoc. This is the only clinic I can go to.