wrong diagnosis
 

hey everyone

ive been diagnosed with depression and PTSD and have been for the past 4 years but i honestly dont think its the right diagnosis for me. basically its mainly night time when im at my worst and i seem to go through eposodes of depression thruout the day mainly at nite... im always parinoid and am usually quite anxieous... but when im around certain people im almost like im on a high almost manic... i dont think ive got bi-polar either as this soon dies down when these people go away.
ive told my outside worker about this but she didnt say a big pile about it... im confused, does anyone know what this could be, just suggestions maybe...?

xo

it sounds a lot like PTSD to me. often when it gets dark and lonely, as night-time often is, symptoms will get worse. people with PTSD often experience paranoia, because they've been hurt in the past and are sensitive to it happening again - which would make a lot of sense as to why it's happening when you're around people. the mania can be something called hypervigilance, which is where you're really alert and energetic and on the ball all the time, to deal with any situation that arises that might have been similar to the trauma, or to reduce the risk of further trauma. the brain is a complex and clever thing!

she just said that the next time i see the doctor from the hospital i was in she would come with me to help and explain but the doctor is the type who thinks hes always right so he'll probably just say its to do with the PTSD :(

thanx for the reply huni xo

I wouldn't want to use labels by saying what I think it is cos that could be confusing and I don't have the knowledge to do so but what about asking another psych for a second opinion?

so my symtoms are normal? yea the brain is... i remember my old CAMHS worker always used to say something about hypervigilane but i never knew what she meant so i just nodded and carried on lol:laugh: xo

well i definitely think it's worth talking to your doctor about, obviously i don't know you day-to-day or what it's like for you... i'm just saying that they can be symptoms of PTSD. whatever the reason for them, if they cause you distress, which i imagine they would, you should be taken seriously.

whirlpools speaks wisely. :)

The big thing is, really, have there been situations in your life that may have caused these symptoms?

yea most of my traumatic experiences have been at nite and im usually quite a anxious person anyway and parinoid but since ive became an outpatient at hospital thats when my paranoia has hit its highest, i used to take quite a lot of drugs 2 which may be a cause of the paranoia but why it only happening now? :ermm:

I no the doctors the right person to talk to but its gonna be a while to i see him again...

has anyone else had similar symtoms?

thanx for the replies guys!

xo

PTSD can take a while to show itself - oftentimes it becomes apparant when you are safe.
My PTSD symptoms didn't fully show themselves until some years after the situations that caused them had passed.

I dont really have much useful advice other than that if you're not content with it, seek a second opinion. And also to remember that your actually diagnosis isnt that important- the fact is that there are issues you want to deal with, and as long as you have some support for them, the actual name isnt important.

Also wanted to say I empathise with how you feel about diagnosis, because Ive been told Im borderline, and I actually do not see how, apart from self harm and a couple of others, I remotely meet any of the diagnostic criteria for it and it did make me feel very angry and very upset especially when people around me who know me in "everyday" settings, said that they couldnt believe it either.

*big hugs*
xxx

loopylucy08 did you get a second opinion on your diagnosis?

Um no not really. Because I actually like the psychiatrist I see now on the whole, and to be honest she can think what she likes because I know in my head and my family and people who matter to me- all the important people in my life- seriously dispute that I am BPD. In fact my social worker read her report and she said there were also some aspects of it she would dispute, and she sees me more than the psychiatrist. She just said that all the different professionals are bound to have different opinions. If it comes to the point where she has to write a report for me or something, I may argue harder. But I know in my head what my problems are, I dont need someone to label them for me, because I know that I know myself better than any one so they can think what the hell they like.