OT - mental health diagnoses - really long and rambling

Thanks, Kelly.  There were a number of things that this therapist should (or should not) have done...   I think she is probably a great person to see for help with relationship issues, depression, eating disorders, etc.... but definitely not for signficant trauma. 

The reason I think that the issue with DID might be more distressing is that my issue was just with part of my experience as opposed to an entire diagnosis (like saying PTSD doesn't exist)...  difficult in either event.  I am, however, always amazed at the protective capabilities of the human brain.

Lora

 Kelly - is this the same thing that was once known as "multiple personality disorder", or MPD?  If so a therapist once told me that people who are "multiple" are surprised to find out that everyone isn't made up of a bunch of different people.  So, since I've always taken it as my normal, I am still surprised to find out that most people have a pretty unified approach to the world - and are unaware  and/or must be unconscious of the family within.  I found it is a diagnosis that terrifies people for some reason.    I think for it to be a mental health issue it would have to be about having lapses - time we can't account for.  Does that happen to you?  It does not happen to me.  But I am well aware of the dynamic of shattered parts of myself, unclaimed, that one day, god willing (I don't know how else to say it) will come into the fold of compassion for myself.

Diagnosis or no diagnosis... people have a right to treatment!  And what is treatment?  Being listened to, for one thing.  Being respected.  Sometimes the medical model works for us - but sometimes it is damaging... as when you are not listened to or respected.  One thing that I really admire about you (as I gather from your posts) is your utter commitment to your personal truth.  Don't let the book people take that away from you.  Everyone here is a beneficiary of your contributions to this board.

Yeah.  I***** they changed the name and changed the criteria slightly but yeah, it's the same thing.

I have lost time occasionally.  Not too often and usually very short periods of time.  I've gone through periods when it happens more and periods when it happens less.

thank you for pointing out my commitment to my personal truth.  That is something that is very important to me but I hadn't thought of it in those words before.  and no, the book people can't touch that.

It's irritating how insurance companies and their language and wording of things can decide what does and doesn't get covered. You can have different wording for the same medical issue and word it one way it's not covered but word it a different way and it is! I don't get it! Like tests for my back issue, if it's worded with key words like permanent, persistant, treatment resistant, my insurance will approve it no problem but it has to be spacific or it won't get taken care of! 
I too deal with several mental heath DXs and my therapist has to be careful as to the codes and wording when submitting for insurance coverage.

hey Kelly, 
 I appreciate your honesty...always enjoy reading your posts .  Thank you for being out there for us !!!Good luck with all that. :)

Thanks Lisa.

Wow Kelly, I'm glad someone was able to verify that that particular diagnoses was NOT gonna be removed from the DSM. As a fellow sufferer, I have already had my share of therapists not "believing" what I am saying. Removing it from the manual would only serve to exacerbate that situation and I'm not Polly-annish enought to think I'll have my current awesome specialist forever so the very thought of the whole issue being minimized even further than it already is becomes nightmarish for me.

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time again. I'm right there with ya. Haven't even been able to get myself onto OH, which used to be part of my daily routine. Going the another med change (that doesn't seem to be working). Hope what they gave you this time helps (didn't one of your past posts say it was Abilify you are trying now? I have a friend who is very successful with that).

Best of luck to you, hope your dark clouds lift again soon.And just selfish enough to hope mine do too =)

Yep, trying abilify.  And I am feeling a little better.  Still not close to what's "normal" for me (which I bet is still more depressed than the average person, you know?) but I haven't cried in a few days now, so that's progress!    The abilify made me really nauseous for the first few days but my stomach feels fine now.  At least that's good.

I know there will always be professionals that don't believe in DID but to take it out of the DSM would make the situation worse, for sure.

I wonder if those that don't believe in it have ever seen it?  And if they've seen a client switch and stuff and still don't believe it, then do they think their client is a fabulous actor and should pursue a career in Hollywood?  Because I know it's not like this all the time, but I have seen people switch in a way that's just unmistakable.

I'd like to think they haven't actually seen someone switch - because to think they have and STILL don't "believe" in it is almost too cruel.

Glad the Abilify seems to be helping.  I can't decide if the Seroquel is helping enough to justify the 10 lbs weight gain or not.  But if I gain anymore I'm ditching it. I know it sounds vain, but I just know myself and a huge weight gain would definately upset my psyche in such a way that I'm not sure I could handle it right now.

I gained a lot of weight on Seroquel at one time pre op.  And that would be extremely difficult for me emotionally at this time.

I bet a lot of professionals that don't believe in DID haven't ever seen someone switch, or even really talked to someone with DID.  I've seen people switch to child alters that behaved in ways that were developmental appropriate for, say, a five year old but I bet most adults wouldn't even think of those things in order to fake it.  For instance, a friend of mine had a four year old alter and she would draw pictures and write her name on them but sometimes some of the letters would be backward.  Which is normal at that age but I don't know that most adults know that and would think of doing it to fake it.