How did people find the name (or diagnosis) for their particular problem?

[befuddled1]

Hi all,
I'd really like to know how people found out exactly what their anxiety/panic/depression problem was, and what it was called?

I've had anxiety most my life but have never really been sure what to call it. Some of it's social, sometimes about death, sometimes I'm not sure what it's about, more recently it's v much about health. Don't have panic attacks but do have some depressive symptoms sometimes, but would never really call myself depressed.

Would be great to know how others have found a name for what they experience!
Thanks
Beth :)

[Jaco45er]

Hi Beth, good question.

I think I self diagnosed on the internet years ago (about 10 maybe) then went to the doc to confirm General Anxiety Disorder.

That said, I don't think I had GAD, it was very definitely health anxiety.

I am 41 now and this was around my early 30's, but I do remember having a panic attack once in a restaurant where I couldn't eat and had to stay in the Loo to pull myself together. It was years later I realised that was actually a panic attack, but I have always disliked crowds, and being boxed in like on airplanes and such.

Jaco

[befuddled1]

thanks Jaco, good to hear your story. Interesting how we can work out retrospectively what a problem is/was (like your panic attack).

[Karen]

Hi Beth

I think a lot of the different diagnoses overlap and often GPs or other mental health professionals label someone as having general anxiety if it is about many different things.

As you say though, there are also specific diagnoses for different types of anxiety. I did a lot of research myself and was fairly sure of all of my diagnoses and these were confirmed by one of the many psychiatrists I've seen.

I have always been anxious but mine started with social anxiety when I was a child and at various times during my life I've had varying degrees of agoraphobia, either due to the social anxiety or my eating disorder.

I've also got the general anxiety diagnosis which professionals seem to diagnose to cover everything else.

On top of that I have depression and an eating disorder.

So, often I don't think it is easy to put ourselves into one pigeon hole and say we just have 'x' diagnosis because it can be a combination of several.

Karen x

[befuddled1]

So, often I don't think it is easy to put ourselves into one pigeon hole and say we just have 'x' diagnosis because it can be a combination of several.

Karen x

Hi, I agree with you on this Karen. Sometimes I don't think labels for what we have are helpful at all. But at the same time, I notice that other people seem to be able to tell you what their 'issue' is and I've never been able to do that which makes me think that maybe there's nothing really wrong and I'm just a bit weird! (not a helpful way of thinking I know, but that's my brain for you!)
Some people speak so clearly about their lives and how they came to have whatever anxiety/other problem they have and how it works for them and I just can't, I really don't know what I'm all about!!!
Thanks for your posts
would love to hear more from others!
Beth

[kaz79]

I think people get told all sorts. I was told I had 'split personality disorder' turned out I had psychosis and I now have 'generalised anxiety disorder' and 'obsessive compulsive disorder'. Yadda yadda. Names for everything. :shrug:

[SmokeyJo]

I went to the GP who told me I had generalised anxiety disorder as I had panic attacks and a general feeling of anxiety most of the time.

[Karen]

Hi Beth


But at the same time, I notice that other people seem to be able to tell you what their 'issue' is and I've never been able to do that which makes me think that maybe there's nothing really wrong and I'm just a bit weird!

I really don't think labels are helpful and it is something the medical profession like to pigeon hole us due to bureaucracy. There is nothing 'wrong' with you for having anxiety about different things and not being able to give one definitive diagnosis.

Some people might be able to easily say what they are suffering from but not everyone. If someone was to ask me I'd have to reel off a whole list!

Karen xx

[tayside lassie]

when i went to a councillor a year or so ago i said during a session that i thought i was a hypochondriac out of control she said i was but the medical people like to call it "health anxiety " now ..Ive always had very slight panic over the years but was able to live life as normal "health anxiety " kicked in big time after my elderly dad died 3 year ago with my mum going 2 year before him ..then to top it all off perimenopause ..its took me 2 year to get my head sorted and am now able to leave the house ..take dog out ..just day to day things .... i would not wish "health anxiety " ANY anxiety on my worse enemy bloody awful thing to be afflicted with ...

[befuddled1]

I really don't think labels are helpful and it is something the medical profession like to pigeon hole us due to bureaucracy. There is nothing 'wrong' with you for having anxiety about different things and not being able to give one definitive diagnosis.

Some people might be able to easily say what they are suffering from but not everyone. If someone was to ask me I'd have to reel off a whole list!



:) Thanks Karen. Wise words. Just because you can't label it, doesn't mean it's not there. I would have quite a list as well!

[befuddled1]

If anyone has any more to say on this matter or in answer to thread would love to hear it.

Beth

[SHERLOCK]

Well I have had this GAD over 40 years off and on more on than off, I might add, and it got so bad I now have agrophobia as well, and I read in our paper about Charles Linden, how he had suffered with it, so went to my GP and asked to see someone, cos all they push on you is pills, but no doctor has ever, ever mentioned anything about GAD, mind you things were very different 40 odd years ago, the agrophobia is not quite so bad now, I've been working on it, with the help of this site, Claire Weekes books, watching my breathing,tried a lot of things over the years, perhaps if someone had explained to me before what it was, I wouldn't have felt like some alien from outer space for most of my life and have got so bad, just glad I read the article bout Charles Linden.