[AmDaws]

I swallowed my fears and booked an appointment with my family doctor, finally, after much hesitation. I can't go until September 3rd, so there's about two, three weeks right there.

My doctor is efficient, when I had to have an MRI she referred me to a place with month-long wait times instead of three to six month wait times. So I'm thinking she can probably refer me to a therapist or psychiatrist within the same time-frame, and hopefully a respectable one.

But once I do start talking to a psychiatrist, is there an average length of time it takes to receive a diagnosis for BPD, bipolar, or a related illness? Like, will I be hopping from doctor to doctor for three years like I keep imagining, or will it be a few months, a few weeks, or just a couple of sessions?

Or does it really depend on the patient and the doctor?

I know some people say it's taken years to be diagnosed with BPD, but if I go in, fully prepared for it with plenty of research on various mental illnesses, would it still take years in which they think I'm bipolar or this or that, and then have some sort of epiphany and slap a BPD label on my head?

I'm only asking because I'm dreading spending years in therapy. Pot was working just fine but it's expensive, it's illegal, and I'm aware it can cause as many problems as it appears to resolve.

[Christine001]

all i can suggest is that you dont rush it and go with what they suggest. in my case going in armed with all the knowledge rushed them into a diagnosis that now they know me better they arent sure about.

[kashmir0]

they need to get to know you in order to make a true diagnosis. bpd is tricky and tends to present itself in different ways. in canada, depending on the severity of the situation, it takes about a year or two, and they won't diagnose anyone under 18 unless it is very obvious. my psychologist told me she thought i had bp when i was 17 but i only got the official diagnosis a year later. i had to sit in a room with about 6 doctors who read my file out loud and asked me alot of questions. it was hell.