[OrangeMoira]

Last session I told T about my fears that he will not really understand what's going on with me and he'll do the "wrong" things so I won't get better.

He took it to mean that I wanted an official diagnosis. As I was getting up to leave, he said he would talk to his supervisor this week, formalize it, and tell me on Friday. I just said "ok."

A couple of T's have hinted before but wouldn't tell me; I wondered for years. Until ONE DAY before that session.

I read something that said "Diagnosing is an art, not a science; T's should think as much about how patients are different from their DX as they do about how patients fit it." It resonated with so much, and I suddenly didn't care.

And now he wants to tell me! How's that for timing? I want to go in first thing and say "Stop! Wait!" But that feels so pushy. And maybe I'm wrong; maybe it would be good. I'm so on edge. Why isn't Friday here already?

[googley]

I think it would be totally okay for you to go into your T on Friday and say that you don't really want to know. It would be important to talk about why you want not know, and what you are feeling about it. Your T should respect your decision about this.

[WikidPissah]

yea, I hate the dx thing...the whole "being labeled" is offensive to me. I have a few dx's, and it does get me the services I need for the most part. So maybe it isn't THAT bad.

Good luck...speak your mind...and be labeled, or don't be labeled...but make it your choice.

[mgran]

When I finally got my diagnoses it did help me a lot. Finally I understood the difficulties that had seemed so overwhelming, and as Eileen says, that gave me access to services that I need. It even led to me getting the right kind of medicine, so now the quality of my life is much better.

It does make me worry about things like my future on the job market. I worry that when I am filling out disclosure forms I have two choices... lie when they ask if I have any serious health issues that might affect my ability to work, which means if they found out later they could dismiss me, or tell the truth, and not be chosen, because really... the word "schizoaffective" doesn't make me look the most reliable of employees.

But right now I'm getting myself back together... and I think the diagnoses did help with that.

Having my diagnosis has been life saving for me. It has allowed for proper treatment. It has allowed me to have a firmer understanding of my nature. I haven't always felt this way though. It took a long time to come to terms with my diagnosis, but I'm glad for it now.

[OrangeMoira]

Hmmm. Lots to think about! Now I'm kind of glad he told me at the end of the session so I have time to mull it over.

I worry about disclosing to employers, too, mgran. On the other hand, if they actually diagnose me, I may have an ethical duty to find out and disclose because of the field I'm going into. I tend to go overboard on following ethical/moral rules, though...I should probably mention that concern to T on Friday along with talking about my ambivalence toward the dx generally.

Thanks for sharing your insights on this! It really does help me to pick apart my feelings.

[Dr.Muffin]

Originally Posted by OrangeMoira

Last session I told T about my fears that he will not really understand what's going on with me and he'll do the "wrong" things so I won't get better.

He took it to mean that I wanted an official diagnosis. As I was getting up to leave, he said he would talk to his supervisor this week, formalize it, and tell me on Friday. I just said "ok."

A couple of T's have hinted before but wouldn't tell me; I wondered for years. Until ONE DAY before that session.

I read something that said "Diagnosing is an art, not a science; T's should think as much about how patients are different from their DX as they do about how patients fit it." It resonated with so much, and I suddenly didn't care.

And now he wants to tell me! How's that for timing? I want to go in first thing and say "Stop! Wait!" But that feels so pushy. And maybe I'm wrong; maybe it would be good. I'm so on edge. Why isn't Friday here already?

diagnosis can be tough...it seems that the less you know about a client, the easier it is to diagnose! the more you get to know the person, their story, the nuances of their personality, it gets more and more difficult to diagnose.

i honestly dont see the point in it sometimes. and then at other times ive seen it be so freeing and affirming for a client to be able to put a name to something theyve been experiencing for so long.

im torn on diagnosis. but i think you should absolutely let your therapist know that you dont want to know. let him know that wasnt what you meant and youre not sure if you want to know right now....

[PTSDlovemycats]

Keep us updated on what you decide! I am curious to see how this plays out.

Actually, guys, it's illegal for any employer to ask about your specific medical condition or the presence of any possible inhibiting medical conditions. For example, a potential employee doesn't have to mention that she is pregnant or if an employee requires that a current employee bring in a doctor's excuse regarding her absence from work can NOT require the doctor to put down a diagnosis or specific reason for the absence. Keeping your medical condition confidential is not being deceitful or evasive. It is protective and very important. I don't know about you but my place of employment is a kettle of boiling, toxic gossip! I keep my medical information private and close to my chest!

[mgran]

Not in England it's not... at least every job I've applied for has asked me for medical details. Good Lord, I wish I was an American at times...

[reader1587]

Originally Posted by OrangeMoira

Hmmm. Lots to think about! Now I'm kind of glad he told me at the end of the session so I have time to mull it over.

I worry about disclosing to employers, too, mgran. On the other hand, if they actually diagnose me, I may have an ethical duty to find out and disclose because of the field I'm going into. I tend to go overboard on following ethical/moral rules, though...I should probably mention that concern to T on Friday along with talking about my ambivalence toward the dx generally.

Thanks for sharing your insights on this! It really does help me to pick apart my feelings.

At a non-work-related level keep in mind that with the current diagnostic schema (non-dimensional) there is no differentiation between people who have severe moderate or mild cases of the "disorder" in question.

IOW if you simply meet a certain number of symptom criteria you "get" the diagnosis, it doesn't however address how severe your symptoms and/or distress are.

So just because you have a certain diagnosis doesn't mean you're automatically in the same boat as *anyone* else who also has it, there can be huge disparities in the symptom constellation. (DSM is a piece of crap in many ways.)

[OrangeMoira]

I asked him not to tell me. I told him if he said something I disagreed with I would feel misunderstood and get really mad. If I think someone isn't listening or isn't getting what I'm saying it's a huge trigger for me. We just started, and I tend to quit everything; I didn't need to give myself another reason to quit this!

I think I used to want a dx because I thought it would definitively explain the process that led to my symptoms. I'm not so sure now. I also thought it would help me feel less "weird" because I'd know that other people go through the same things. It might still be good for those reasons--I can always change my mind later, but I can't un-know it once I know!

I'll focus now on building the relationship with my T. We had a good talk about my fear of the diagnosis. I'm glad that folks here encouraged me to discuss it and ask for what I wanted. I'm definitely saving this thread so I can refer back to it the next time I hit this issue!