Dangers of Self Diagnosis

BlueShift wrote:From what I have 'read' and 'heard' there are a lot of therapists/psychs and other professionals that don't seem to know everything they should. There's the bad side, the ones who are in for the money, get 'payed to prescribe', or their own personal interests.

The other group is those who really want to help and make a difference, but just don't know better.

I can't really blame the latter. Everybody is different, and textbook cases don't really exist in the world of mental illness. We're mostly on our own on this minefield.

I remember on just the second visit of my psych, he asked if I wanted to take meds as he was carelessly flapping a notepad and playing with a pen that had the logo of a major pharmaceutical corporation on it. That doesn't really make you feel more comfortable.

Don't even get me started on psychiatrists. I was put on Paxil at 16, and I was not even warned about the fact that coming off of it would be a bitch and a half. I think she didn't even believe me when I told her. I do think I had a bad one though seeing as how SHE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A COMPUTER. What was nice is she'd prescribe me most things I wanted to try. I even had a seizure after abusing Gabapentin and all she did was reduce my script by one pill a day.

I found out about AvPD when I was searching for communities about shyness and social anxiety on Livejournal, and so many of you everything just clicked in my mind about what was wrong with me. Before that I assumed I had some sort of social anxiety, but no one's experiences were so close to mine as the ones in the avoidants LJ community, many of which I felt like I could have written myself.

A lot of people look down on self diagnosis, but the LJ community has been a lifesaver for me for a few years now, even though I've never been officially diagnosed with anything. I've been to two therapists after my mom found out I used to cut myself, but stopped going after a few sessions because they trivialized my problems as just shyness or social anxiety (but not major enough to be treated for, since I don't have extreme problems leaving the house, going to work and school, etc.) and wouldn't talk to me about anything except getting along with my mom better, since she talked to them ahead of time and told them what she thought my problems were. I could have mentioned AvPD but I was afraid to because everyone who's been diagnosed with something looks down on self diagnosis and thinks we're just posers looking for attention.

It seems like a little thing, but knowing that there was a community out there of people with problems so similar to mine it was scary has helped me so much. Even when I'm so low and down on myself just remembering that I'm not alone and I probably have a real problem with a name keeps me just that little bit higher.

I've been thinking about trying to get back into therapy on my own terms now that I'm out of my parents' house and I'm legally old enough that my mom can't talk to the therapist unless I allow it (at least I think that's how it works, in any case I'm pretty sure I could go to therapy now without having my mom talk to them first). I still have no idea how I'd go about finding a therapist I would click with, but my girlfriend said she'd have her psych recommend me one so there's a start I guess.

Anyways I guess my whole point was I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking it's not so wrong, but even helpful to put a label on your problems, at least to make it easier to describe to doctor's or find other people who relate. I think it's especially important for us as a lot of us found out about AvPD on the internet and because of the nature of the problem have trouble opening up to a therapist enough to be really understood and correctly diagnosed.

What exactly are those requirements, Scar?
My parents refuse to take me to see a doc on account of the fact they think this is just a "phase" I'm going through (yeah, like a 5- years-and-counting phase).
I know I fit at least some criteria for AvPD just from reading, but I'm curious as to what all 7 are.

...

Thanks.

hey everyone, been reading the postings of many mainstay posters here, from back pages. it's nice to get to know you all finally, and perhaps join in. 33/m netherlands....see ya around....

Welcome

Oh! Can this Paranoid Personality Disorder happen to anyone? What type of disorder is it? It is Mental disorder, if yes then can anyone tell me about the symptoms?
=============
eva
Addiction Recovery New Jersey

evaroberts wrote:Oh! Can this Paranoid Personality Disorder happen to anyone? What type of disorder is it? It is Mental disorder, if yes then can anyone tell me about the symptoms?
=============
eva
Addiction Recovery New Jersey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avpd#cite_ref-3

Lol, it's not PPD. It can happen to anyone, yeah. The link explains it.