[Miss Laura]

So I obtained my medical records which was a pretty easy process once I got someone to sign for me. I only wanted my psychiatric noyes from 2010-present (April 2023). The reasons are 1. I can understand laws I can access them, 2. I needed to see my actual diagnosis as I believed they were hiding things from me and 3. I just wanted to know. Curiosity got me.

There are over 300 pages I have everything from letters to GP, to letters to me, health screenings outcomes etc

I have a few things I don't quite understand wording wise. Like for instance Bradykinetic while having a video call last Feb with Psychiatrist. Derealisation while having a face to face with my CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse) in 2012, "personality traits " According to CPN in 2011 and finally my Psychologist had written in 2017 Avoidance Personalty Disorder. WTF??? No-one has ever mentioned this to me before. How am I meant to get better if I don't know what's wrong with me???

Today my Therapist did an ADHD test with me which I did and scored highly on. Do I want this or another label???

I'm angry and upset but plodding along

[Yaowen]

I'm sorry that happened to you.

I don't think therapists should have secrets like that from their patients. Maybe I am wrong, but that is what I think.


I'm glad you were able to get the information.


The "labeling" system used by mental health professionals seems open to questioning. My reason for saying this is that there have been slight and large changes in that system over the years. Secondly, not every mental health professional agrees on the criteria for various labels and there are even mental health professionals who are against the the very idea of labeling patients in this way.


I know a psychiatrist who is opposed to the labeling system used in the DSM. Not saying he is correct, but find it interesting that there are these controversies in the mental health profession.


I don't know of any mathematician who find this controversial: 2+2=4. There is unanimous consensus on this.

It seems to me at this point in my life, that this kind of consensus doesn't exist among mental health professionals regarding DSM categories and criteria and that the lines are often very fluid. Of course, a thing doesn't have to be an immutable, eternal truth to be helpful, but I don't think we should take "helpful" ideas the same as ideas that are absolutely true.

Some mental health labels are derogatory. They demonize a person in a way.


A map is something that is useful but not if the map is seen as the same as the reality it simplifies or over-simplifies.

I am thinking now about the definitions of "over-simplification"...... to simplify something to the point that it is no longer correct or true; to simply something to the extent as to bring about distortion, misunderstanding and error; an explanation that excludes important information for the sake of brevity.

Wasn't it Albert Einstein who said: "Explanations should be made as simple as possible, but not more simple."?

Some psychiatrists believe that the DSM classification system is mainly used because insurance companies want simple and easy ways to classify people for the sake of computing insurance benefits and exclusions.

Maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill, but it seems that patients should not be left in the dark about things like this that could could make them blind to the real nature of mental health classifications. Psychology often veers into the field of philosophy, which is ok, but I think patients should be aware of this. What is your opinion on this?