how do you go about actually getting professional diagnoses for these sorts of things? ive had a professional tell me im dissociating (experiencing dp and dr) but im not actually diagnosed, idk if it would help but i know somethings off and i now know what it is and yet that same professional didnt actually diagnose me just talked to me abt it, which is fine, just... yeah
hey, i have no idea when this was sent, it could have been a week ago or it could have been years, tumblr doesnt timestamp asks on mobile, but im slowly reviving this blog as it meant a lot to me during my original diagnosis with dpdr, and now realizing im going through another spiral i think its time for me to bring it back
im in the states, in the pacific northwest, so im just speaking from my experience here with my diagnosis process, mental health is taken Way more seriously than say like the midwest or the south, and i cannot even begin to speak on how other countries handle the diagnosis process, so again, just speaking from what i know
ive personally been suffering from symptoms of dpdr since as early as six years old, i had a bit of an unconventional childhood which made these symptoms present at a very early age, and these symptoms went untreated until i was 14
a friend of mine went to a lgbt+ youth meetup space, invited me, it was hosted by the local mental health organization, the two ladies who hosted it were therapists there, and after going a few times they suggested i go in to see a mental health counselor within their org because they could tell Something was up with me (lmfao)
that was the only reason i happened to get in to see therapists and psychologists at my age
since then ive seen countless therapists, psychologists, addiction counselors, medication management providers, trauma specialists, the full works
something ive learned is to be insistent, dpdr is something a lot of people dont understand even in mental health circles, osdd in general is sooo understudied and not understood, it took years of my psychologists bouncing from diagnosis to diagnosis
oh this week i have DID, this week im experiencing psychosis symptoms, no actually it may be dpdr, no no its definitely dissociative amnesia, maybe im bipolar- its kinda an endless loop
generally now when i go into see new psychologists i just go "i have dpdr," or "its been suggested i have dpdr by [insert professional ive spoke with before here]"
let them know others have seen it, that its a documented problem, call nurse hotlines, make a fuss, make sure every psychologist you see is made aware of what youre experiencing, document your experiences with dates in a journal and email them copies, give them proof they cant refute
because a lot of time its very much a case of "well this person LOOKS normal" which makes psychologists overlook this kind of mental illness
but also remember that having an official diagnosis isnt the end all be all yknow? you know what youre experiencing, and having it on a chart isnt gonna change it
idk im starting to kinda go in and out of reality so these words are starting to look less and less real but i hope this makes sense!
