Are you clinically or self diagnosed?

I'm curious if most folks on this forum are clinically (professionally) or self diagnosed?

-- Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:27 pm --

I was clinically diagnosed two years ago

Clinically diagnosed years ago. I have a lot of avoidant traits but my shrink didn't mention that I had AvPD specifically. I got chronic severe depression and GAD that are officially diagnosed though.

First self-diagnosed and didn't pay much attention to it, it could as well have been SAD which I was aware of since many years back. Did some tests online, read about it and then forgot about it. Kept on working/studying and tried to ignore my difficulties as best I could, hit the wall about a year later when there where too much responsibility and contact with people through phone. I had it coming - not comfortable in social situations and the stress with many new people even if it meant realising my dreams. Got pissed about my inability to handle it, thought it would be better with exposure but made it worse. Pulled away from everything and almost everyone. Isolation.

Tried self-help with varying results, some things got better wile others where more like concrete. Decided to seek help to sort things out, tested for PSD's and AvPD stood out from the rest. It also differed from SAD. Got clinically diagnosed with AvPD over a year ago.

Now there are some things that AvPD can't explain alone in my case, so I'm soon heading for a second diagnosis by another professional. Got high score on a screening for PTSD.

psychology specialist diagnosed me with avpd until one day he laughed and changed it to bpd. apparently he thought it was very funny.

I was clinically diagnosed a few years ago. Initially they thought BPD, and social phobia. The social phobia, yes, and I have BPD traits, (and some very strong Dependent PD traits) but the AvPD has become clearer and clearer as time's gone on.

I am self diagnosed at the moment, but I am putting off talking to a therapist right now. I don't have a therapist so therefore getting a diagnosis means talking to a stranger about myself and I hate talking about myself let alone with someone I don't know. I would almost preferred being the therapist if I wasn't so shy.

I was diagnosed with depression when I was younger. But I hated the diagnosis because I feel like everyone can be depressed depending on what they're going through. I also tell myself that everyone has anxiety and deal with it without meds so why should I bother? I have been on meds before and they made me feel high or not feel anything emotionally. I still want to feel happiness, love and confidence and out of all the medications I have tried they just take away all feelings, make me feel high and I am so tired I just want to sleep all the time. Maybe they have something for AvPD that doesn't do all that?

I am self diagnosed, but I have an appointment to meet with a psychologist tomorrow. This thread made me feel like I wasn't good enough to post here...then I realized that it is really stupid to feel like that about a forum. I should have made an appointment a long time ago, because I only have 1 friend and I'm not sure they consider me a friend.

It seems to be something difficult to diagnose, both for professionals and folks that suffer with AvPD. I suppose that's the nature of personality disorders. I've gone back and forth between SAD and AvPD as well.

I'll be getting professional treatment soon. I hope it helps.

-- Mon Jul 06, 2015 6:30 pm --

It seems to be something difficult to diagnose, both for professionals and folks that suffer with AvPD. I suppose that's the nature of personality disorders. I've gone back and forth between SAD and AvPD as well.

I'll be getting professional treatment soon. I hope it helps.

I am clinically diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and also Moderate Major Depression as of the last ten months or so. Previous doctors didn't actually officially diagnose me, but prescribed medication for depression and anxiety. I don't have an actual diagnosis for Avoidant Personality Disorder, but diagnosed myself with this and Social Anxiety shortly after discovering this very forum almost 5 years ago now. AvPD is just Social Anxiety taken to the next degree to me.

Self-diagnosed. AvPD has more or less described my problems better than any other disorder I've found before. It's not even as though I've had these issues since just my teens, but rather I've had them since I was a kid, which I don't necessarily think people with SA alone can always agree with. Thinking back I've been asocial since early teens or younger, and now it's gotten worse to the point that I barely interact with anyone on a (consistent) basis, just every now and then for a short while. Still, I think it's unlikely I'll get a diagnosis even if I do have it.