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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
bpd or depression or ptsd or just addiction...?
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
bpd or depression or ptsd or just addiction...?
by vicki, Oct 09, 1999 12:00AM
i don't even know where to begin. depressed as a child, so when i discovered drinking i loved it. when i was 19 i got into a.a. and remembered an incident of abuse by a teenaged neighbor, just felt "crazy" started cutting etc after being sober for almost a year. depression led to drinking again, and then first hospitalization. 6 hospitalizations later, i'm 24, clean from crack and alcohol for a month, really hit bottom, so that is clear, i know i'm an addict and i'm working on recovery. the rest is confusing. two different psychiatrists insist i have borderline personality disorder, yet my therapist i worked with for three years disagrees, and i'm trying to get into half-way houses but the dual diagnoses are closing a lot of doors. three years ago i started on zoloft, 200mg. now i take 1000mg depakote, and 50mg. seroquel for sleeping, 25prn for anxiety. went off 40mg of buspar last time i was in the hospital a month ago. my parents just think that i have no coping skills, the medication is "masking" that, and i should go off of them and live in a therapeutic community for a year. the t.c. won't take me because i overdosed on seroquel in june, and the diagnosis of major depression, and i'm sure of borderline. a couple years ago i got ptsd, major depression and alcohol dependance, now it's etoh dependence, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and major depression along with the bpd.
so i know this is long, but it seems like every psychiatrist is unwilling to disagree with the last one, and i can't get any clear advice that i trust. any thoughts? thank you. i really want to get better, but i am so confused.
so i know this is long, but it seems like every psychiatrist is unwilling to disagree with the last one, and i can't get any clear advice that i trust. any thoughts? thank you. i really want to get better, but i am so confused.
Doctor's Answer
by HFHS MD - RG, Oct 11, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Vicki,
I empathize at your current situation. It must be frustrating to be labeled with different diagnosis.
Each mental illness has characteristic signs and symptoms.
Psychiatric disorders are classified according to the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). DSM -IV uses a descriptive approach, and the characteristic signs and symptoms of each disorder should be present before a diagnosis is made.
In other words, is it possible to have multiple diagnosis based on your personal psychiatric history and the different signs and symptoms you currently have upon evaluation by your mental health professional.It is very common for Borderine personality Disorder, depression, and substance abuse to co-exist.
Mental health practitioners do not always agree. A third opinion maybe helpful in terms of diagnosis and treatment.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD - RG
*keyword: multiple diagnosis
I empathize at your current situation. It must be frustrating to be labeled with different diagnosis.
Each mental illness has characteristic signs and symptoms.
Psychiatric disorders are classified according to the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). DSM -IV uses a descriptive approach, and the characteristic signs and symptoms of each disorder should be present before a diagnosis is made.
In other words, is it possible to have multiple diagnosis based on your personal psychiatric history and the different signs and symptoms you currently have upon evaluation by your mental health professional.It is very common for Borderine personality Disorder, depression, and substance abuse to co-exist.
Mental health practitioners do not always agree. A third opinion maybe helpful in terms of diagnosis and treatment.
Sincerely,
HFHS MD - RG
*keyword: multiple diagnosis
Member Comments (1)
by Julie, Oct 12, 1999 12:00AM
check out stepping stones of Rockford, Illinois. They have half way houses and even some for those with dual diagnosis. It is a very effective program and they have a fabulous staff that can help you into a successful recovery path.
