Why don't I believe that GAD, IBS, OCD etc are real?

[uk23]

I was diagnosed with depression at the age of 13, IBS at 14, Bipolar at 17, OCD at 19, BPD and GAD with OCD at 24.

Obviously that has confused me somewhat. The main problem I face is because these disorders don't have a blood test etc to show they are real I often find myself doubting they really exist. I have checked the symptoms of GAD. Here is a list taken straight from the NHS website. Next to it I have marked if I have that symptom, whether it be from time to time or constantly.

Psychological symptoms of GAD
- restlessness - Yes
- a sense of dread - Yes
- feeling constantly "on edge" - Yes
- difficulty concentrating - Yes
- irritability - Yes
- impatience - Yes
- being easily distracted - Yes

Physical symptoms of GAD

- dizziness - Sometimes
- drowsiness and tiredness - Yes
- pins and needles - Sometimes
- irregular heartbeat (palpitations) - Sometimes
- muscle aches and tension - Yes
- dry mouth - Sometimes
- excessive sweating - Yes
- shortness of breath - Sometimes
- stomach ache - Yes
- nausea - Sometimes
- diarrhoea - Sometimes
- headache - Sometimes
- excessive thirst - Yes
- frequent urinating - Sometimes
- painful or missed periods - As far as I'm aware I am not a woman
- difficulty falling or staying asleep (insomnia) - Yes

And here is a list of IBS symptoms, again taken from the NHS website.

Physical Symptoms of IBS

- abdominal pain and cramping - Yes
- a change in your bowel habits - Sometimes
- bloating and swelling of your abdomen - Double Yes
- excessive wind (flatulence) - Yes
- an urgent need to go to the toilet - Sometimes
- a feeling that your need to open your bowels even if you've just been to the toilet - Sometimes
- a feeling that you have not fully emptied your bowel - Sometimes
- passing mucus from your back passage - No

As you can see from the above list I fit into nearly every symptom. I have had scans and blood tests, all of which have been clear.

So why do I find it so hard to accept? Do other find it just as hard? Sorry if these seem like silly questions but I am really interested in what others think.

If you have taken the time to read through this post then I really appreciate it.

[miles200]

Hello :)

I know what you mean, i've had loads of blood tests and all came back clear. I'm always tired, nauseas, on edge, panicky, sweaty, faint etc etc.

My doctor thinks I have GAD but not been "officially" diagnosed as of yet. I can relate to what your feeling I do sometimes wonder whether it is real and whether I have something physical wrong with me but there are no blood tests I don't believe for mental health disorders so it's just a case of trusting your doctor/psychiatrist.

I suppose the way I think about it is if doctors cannot find anything physically wrong with me however I still feel crap then it must be something wrong with my mental health.

take care,
Miles

[harasgenster]

I think I know what you mean about whether they exist or not. I have the same feeling about my problems. Sometimes the terms are useful for me to use, most of the time I find them too iffy.

Mental health disorders and syndromes like IBS are classified in a different way to physical health diseases that have an objective measurement (like blood tests/scans etc). Both those types of syndromes and MH disorders are classified only by their symptoms, so when it comes to 'having' IBS or OCD the answer is that no you don't actually 'have' a specific disorder known as IBS or OCD, you have a group of symptoms that are relatively similar to a group of symptoms shared by many people which, due to it not having one specific cause, is a syndrome rather than a disease. So a group of doctors or psychiatrists come together and essentially mark off territories and give them names. But syndromes and MH problems are a spectrum rather than specific entities, so in a way they kind of don't exist, and in a way they kind of do. This is getting philosophical!

The labels are there as markers, if you like, to help decide what treatment should be given and as a shorthand between doctors. Instead of listing everything about you, they say OCD, BPD, GAD and IBS. When you see a doctor they (should) ask you how those disorders affect you, because they're not the same as physical diseases with a set number of symptoms. I have GAD but I do not feel worried, for instance. Instead I feel physically ill, so when doctors ask how GAD affects me I explain that I feel relatively emotionally detached most of the time but I have nausea and exhaustion and racing thoughts etc. At some points in my life, however, I have suffered emotional turmoil and my head has gone completely off the rails (as I'm sure people on this site know!) But that's the exception rather than the rule for me.

So I guess just go with what suits you. Nowadays I prefer not to think of myself as unwell as much as possible because it makes me worse, so I try to forget the labels and I browse sites like this looking for advice on various symptoms I'm finding hard. Seeing it as a spectrum is much easier for me because it gives me the light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of there being 'GAD' and 'normal', there is a kind of tunnel with one end being normal and the other GAD and you can be halfway down it or further towards the top end or the bottom end etc. I feel more hopeful when I see it in this way (which is the more realistic way of seeing it too, thankfully), so if you feel better that way then don't try to believe in the disorders and just see the spectrum you're on instead :)