Have I been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and General Anxiety Disorder?

[3006bino]

About three years ago I went to my gp and obtained a mental health plan that outlined my symptoms, treatment (6 referred sessions of counselling with a psychologist at headspace) and at the very bottom it said diagnosis: GAD, depression, panic attacks. Then, when I saw my psychologist she said "we already know you have depression so we won't go through a diagnosis again". I then saw two other psychologists who did not require a mental health plan from a different service as I was having trouble finding someone who I clicked with. Neither of these mentioned my diagnosis. A month ago I decided to go back to headspace so I saw my gp again and I obtained the same plan with the same diagnosis of GAD, depression and panic attacks. However, my new psychologist has not yet mentioned a diagnosis process to formalise this. So, I want to know, do I have depression and GAD due to the diagnosis made by my gp, or do I have to push for a formal diagnosis from headspace? It has never been made clear to me what is wrong with me. I just feel as though my feelings and headspace isn't valid enough to be treated by a mental health professional and a diagnosis would make me feel more comfortable as I would know that I'm not just overreacting or being overly sensitive, there is actually a reason I think and feel the way I do. I have struggled since I was a young child, maybe around 10, and it is now reaching the point where I feel like life in unbearable - surely this is not "normal". Any help would be appreciated 🙂

[Lici]

Hi 3006bino,

I'd like to start off by saying welcome to the forums, it's a caring, supportive, non-jugemental place here full of lovely people.

In regards to your questions, did your gp give you something like a questionnaire to fill out and ask you a bunch of questions before organising your mental health plan? The reason I ask is if the gp gave you a questionnaire, this would have most likely been the depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS) which is a formal diagnostic tool. If the gp asked a bunch of questions, this would have been a semi-structured interview which is also a formal diagnostic tool to diagnose conditions such as GAD. If the gp did these things, then the diagnoses on your mental health plan are formal diagnoses and the psychologist won't need to diagnose you again.

Another thing to remember is that there are different levels of psychologist. The only psychologist who is able to give a formal diagnosis is a clinical psychologist. If you're seeing a psychologist without the clinical before it, then they are not qualified to give a diagnosis only to treat conditions.

I hope this has helped somewhat.

Kind regards,

Lici

[3006bino]

Thank you for clearing that up! Yes, my gp did go through many questions with me before I was given the mental health plan and I also completed a questionnaire myself with her which I believe was the K10.

[Lici]

Hi 3006bino,

If you went through the questions and filled out the k10 then it definitely would have been a formal diagnosis then and the psychologist will work on treatment from there.

Glad I could help clear things up for you 😊

Hope you have a good day!

Lici