Ask for diagnosis

Thanks argonaut. But, do they still do a diagnosis if you act completely "normal"?

Definitely. Because there's a lot of overlap between "normal" and "pathological." And because it's terribly difficult to get paid by insurance without a diagnosis. Most clients want a name for their troubles, too.

It's a much different story with self-pay clients at a private office.

Are you concerned about your own diagnosis?

There are also diagnostic codes that fall outside of the typical mental health/adjustment disorder realm.
They could be categorized as psychosocial issues. In the DSM IV, they were in a category called, "Additional conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention".
Examples would be "Parent-Child Relational problem"
Partner Relational problem, Bereavement, etc.

They could be categorized as psychosocial issues. In the DSM IV, they were in a category called, "Additional conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention".
Examples would be "Parent-Child Relational problem"
Partner Relational problem, Bereavement, etc.

I want to ask my T for a diagnosis without actually asking it. I know it doesn't change who I am but it will change how I manage things. I need to know so I can read up on it and focus on getting past it all. Pdoc diagnosed anxiety and depression however there have been many talks of PTSD and BPD without actually dx me. Any advice?

Do people actually take this stuff seriously?

Do people actually take this stuff seriously?

Can you clarify what you mean by this question?

The items you quoted would not be part of a diagnosis. The information is useful however since medical and social factors can have a major role in depression and anxiety.

Not dumb questions.

In a way, a good T IS always analyzing the moment you have your first session, but that isn't nearly as creepy as it sounds. It's more...observation, I guess. So if you come in wearing sweat pants of questionable cleanliness and slouch sadly in your chair, an observant T (or, really, anyone in the position to diagnose) will notice that and it might prompt them to ask certain questions or have you fill out a questionnaire that might lead to a diagnosis of depression.

If you come in with purple hair and begin chatting 100 miles per hour, that might lead the T to go through a protocol for diagnosing mania ("Hey, client, glad to see you're in a good mood! How would you feel about me asking a few questions today? That'd be fine? Good. How has your sleep been lately? Ever had the impression you had special powers?")

Diagnoses should be transparent--it is always your right to know if and with what you've been diagnosed and how the health care professional came to that conclusion.

Hope that helps.

ETA: Most people don't fit neatly into a particular diagnosis. T's usually have to give one anyway for insurance purposes; it may or may not "mean" anything in your life. Some examples might be:

Client A is a 19 yr old male who comes to therapy at the request of his parents, with whom he lives. He presents as dejected and generally unhappy following an injury at work which, while not life-threatening, has made it difficult for him to resume his normal activities. He does not report difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, or suicidal thoughts and is therefore not diagnosed with depression, but instead with an adjustment disorder. This tells him nothing he didn't already know: yeah, it's tough adjusting to post-high school life, especially with the injury and job troubles.

Client B is a 33 yr old female presenting after a failed suicide attempt. She appears in crisis and attributes this to difficulty with her significant other who is her most recent partner in a series of intense and unstable relationships. Further questioning reveals a history of trauma, self-injury, transient paranoid thoughts and a chronic feeling of emptiness. These are all hallmarks of borderline personality disorder, and the client is thus diagnosed with this. It means a lot to her; it gives a name to her experiences and she is happy to finally have a diagnosis that seems to fit.

Client C is a 25 yr old female referred by her PCP for suicidal thoughts revealed during routine screening at her annual wellness exam. Despite what the PCP has written, the client appears upbeat at the therapy appointment and babbles happily about various projects she's undertaken. Though there is no history of grandiose delusions or extreme energy that would characterize a manic episode, the clinician wonders at this sudden change of mood and will keep an eye out for anything that may indicate a bipolarII diagnosis in subsequent visits. The client could not possibly care less about diagnoses, attributes the suicidal thoughts to "being PMS-y" and agrees to follow-up visits simply because "it would be nice to have someone to talk to."

i really relate to B. for a bit i thought bipolar since i have some signs but it just doesnt fit, at least not the past 7 years. i agree with the depression and anxiety im being treated for but i think they are just symptoms of something deeper. i feel i dont deserve a dx of PTSD although i most definetly fit it. i just cant get my brain to accept it and to accept whjat happened to me as out of my control and something i so didnt want.

my wife always complains im distracted. i have zillions of thinghs running through myu head and cant grasp one. so instead i zone out and believe im somewhere else and someone else doing whatever or i zone into video games and just leave reality all together. my T is aware of this and she says its how i cope with stress and bad stuff that come up. and its way better than drinking, using blow, smoking or SI.