[SophiaG]

I just don't see the point in asking my therapist what she thinks I have. Do you avoid this?

[ultramar]

Originally Posted by SophiaG

I just don't see the point in asking my therapist what she thinks I have. Do you avoid this?

I think it can potentially lead to a useful discussion, though some therapists prefer not to focus on diagnoses.

In your profile you list several diagnoses, were these made by a psychiatrist?

[Moodswing]

I assume I have bulimia since that is what I went to them for help for. I also self injure every now and then and suicidal thoughts but Bulimics are very suicidal anyway. They never came out and said I have bulimia or anything else and I never asked.

[loverofmedicine]

No use of despair, try to focus on the All that is positive In your life

Yes I ask, because over the years I have seen several and I want to know if they see the same things going on with me (although depression was added to the mix when at one point it wasn't there).
Plus, I want to know what my insurance company thinks I have per what they are told...this could be important at some point, I feel.

[Perna]

Yes, I did eventually and was told she was sort of working from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

[Atypical_Disaster]

I don't avoid it at all. I find it interesting to have a discussion or two about such things every so often.

[ECHOES]

I find it helpful. We had talked about one diagnosis early in therapy, then not long ago she said she wasn't so sure that it fit. I asked last session and we talked about the diagnoses she feels fit me better. Major depression was no surprise, but the other one was a bit, although I had been reading about a related diagnosis before that session, and I thought it kind of fit.

My T is not 'into' diagnoses, and I'm not hung up on them either, but they can be useful in understanding myself and in alleviating some shame about my issues being my fault.

[healingme4me]

I didn't ask, but I did once get a patient summary sheet, I don't know if that was a clerical error or I was supposed to have that, never had one given before.

I may have walked into my PDOC and asked, am I Bipolar, because everyone around me keeps telling me that I am. Guess, that's not what I have...hmmm, leaving me wondering why those around me, would dare dream that I did.....do they? Do they know what it is all about? Are those that accused me of being completely insane, just off the wall themselves?

Far from completely insane...((although, I'd take the completely insane over these people in my life at that point in my life, anyday!!!))

Do you avoid wanting to know, because of the people in your life? Or are you just not concerned with the labels?

ADD: they weren't just calling me bi-polar, they were also calling me completely insane....on top of it all((don't want to offend, want to clarify))

[cool09]

I've always avoided it and I think Psychiatrists do too especially if the diagnosis is not cut and dry. My Dr. just treats the symptoms because I'm not classic manic-depressive. I've had every diagnosis over last 27 yrs some of which were obviously way off-course but those Doctors never put any decent time or energy into the analysis.

[Yobeth]

As my T says, she doesn't believe in labels. We just work on the symptoms. Does it really matter what diagnosis you have?

[seattleskies88]

I asked my T once if he thought I could be diagnosed with depression. He said he didn't think it mattered to give a name to what I'm going through, but if I was looking for one, depression would probably be it.

If you file insurance, you should be able to find your diagnosis code on your receipt. If not, certainly ask.

My T and I discuss my diagnosis fairly regularly since I have bipolar disorder and that's a diagnosis that's hard to "avoid" in discussion during therapy. Being educated about my illness and having a plan and skills to deal with the episodes that inevitably arise is vital to my therapy.

[nessaea]

I had one diagnosis before going to my current T, so I never really asked her about it. A couple years in, she had me read over a referral letter she was sending to a psychiatrist for a therapy group she thought would be helpful for me, in which she had stated her diagnoses. It was a bit of a surprise, but not too off once I thought about it. We never really talked about it though.

[tinyrabbit]

My T isn't keen on labels.

[rainboots87]

I've never really talked about it with a T. I went of my own accord for eating disorder issues, so I didn't need her to tell me I had one. I had to see a dietitian and a doctor as part of my initial treatment, so I eventually worked up the courage to ask the doctor. I was relieved when she called it EDNOS and not bulimia, though I knew I didn't meet the bulimia criteria. I was somewhat disappointed that it wasn't anorexia, but that's part of the craziness of being sick (and I didn't meet that criteria either). Obviously they're all awful disorders and very serious to have. Years later, I started to see a psychiatric nurse practitioner to give meds a try and the paperwork had the diagnosis codes, which I then looked up online- EDNOS, dysthymia, and anxiety disorder-NOS. That time, I was irked at the EDNOS label, because I no longer had a eating disorder and had been recovered for years. With T's, there has always been more of focus on my symptoms, emotions, and behaviors than any diagnosis.

[critterlady]

He's only talked about it once, in preparation for a case review with my insurance company. He wanted to make sure I knew everything he was going to tell them. That was only a few months into therapy, though. It's possible he's reached different conclusions since then, but we don't talk about it. We focus on my symptoms.

[content30]

I don't file with my insurance company for therapy. Do, my T and I do not discuss it. I knew I was going in with depression and anxiety and told her that, though.

[velcro003]

i never had a diagnosis talk with my T. early on she told me that i sounded depressed and sent me to a pdoc, and whenever she thinks i am getting depressed again she brings him up--but she has never said "you have depression." maybe it is assumed? i am not so sure actually.

[anilam]

I asked and wish I didn't. Was not prepared for his answer- it was because I expected him saying nah, you're just fine...
It's important to bear in mind when a dx is given that you are still the SAME person as before, nothing has changed expect for you knowing a bit more about yourself.

[Arethusa]

I always ask. I would rather know what they think what I have so that there wouldn't be any surprises.

[Tamster]

after I saw it on the chart I made him tell me out loud, I needed to hear it. I didn't agree then started the long conversations around it til I understood and he was clear on what I had problems with, now we both agree and can move forward together in sessions.

[photostotake]

My t is part of a medical clinic that I have online access to my medical chart with. I can see whenever he makes a change to my diagnoses. He doesn't usually tell me in session if he makes a change or adds/subtracts something, but I'm free to ask or discuss anything that does. I did ask him last session why something new had appeared though. Wasn't a surprise diagnosis, just out of the blue that it suddenly appeared in my chart.

I'll tell you, it's very weird to see those things in black/white about yourself. Especially when my eating disorder stuff start showing up in there. Reality of it all was a little hard to face knowing all of my drs were now going to see it too. Suddenly, my secret in the therapy room, was not a secret any longer. Let's just say it was a hard day.