GAD diagnosis

[Lici]

Hi, first time posting, hopefully someone can help.

So I went to a new doctor the other day (apparently he's registered with beyond blue) and he diagnosed me with GAD. The thing is I'm a bit dubious about this diagnosis as I don't excessively worry about things and have a previous diagnosis of PTSD which would fit most of my symptoms. His diagnosis consisted of asking me a few questions while I was there to see him for a shoulder issue.

I'm wondering if GAD can be diagnosed without the excessive worry and anxiety? The information that I can find on the DSM V diagnostic criteria states that the patient must have the excessive worry. The doctor has given me medication for treatment and I'm a bit nervous about starting a drug that's going to make me gain weight and be tied all the time while I'm at university (studying psychology funnily enough) and have spent a few years learning how to finally deal with things without medication. Should I ask to see a psychiatrist to get a definitive diagnosis before starting treatment? I'm really unsure what to do at the moment as I feel like the clinical psychologists and psychiatrists would have diagnosed me in the past if I had GAD.

Thanks for reading

[Lici]

Hi Sez 😊

Today went better than I thought it would!

There was the usual "wow I can't believe one person went through all that! I'm Speu that happened to you" stuff, but their feedback was really positive and they said it's a really powerful essay and my ending is really good (I've ended the essay by directly talking to the reader and explaining why I'd share something so personal and traumatic). They told me it was written really well and it made them thibk about things they wouldn't have otherwise, so I think I'm keeping it for my assignment and will just flesh it out in a few places to get to the word count.

It was kind of awkward though, here I am writing this essay that's about living a traumatic life and living with mental illness, and everyone else was writing about a funny day they had, or growing up in a rural town, or their experiences of political forms online. Kind of made me feel - I don't know really - jealous? Inadequate? It's hard to put a word to. I just felt like the odd one out.

Lol at beginning, middle and end! The amount I've heard those words over the past two and a half years, you'd think I was playing a broken record!

You're right, I didn't procrastinate. Unfortunately I'm about to though. I'm so tired, so I'm going to have a nap for an hour or so and watch the other lectures later. No point watching them if I'm too tired to concentrate!

Thanks for your kind words. I guess I never really think I'm doing anything all that out of the ordinary or anything. Like this is just my life and it's all normal for me you know? I dunno, I forget how much of a struggle it's been, and can be, and is, that I forget to recognise that I'm accomplishing a lot just by deciding to get out of bed some days. So having the wonderful people on here remind me really means a lot!

I hope you had a good day sez!

Take care,

Lici

[Lici]

wow I can't believe one person went through all that! I'm Speu that happened to you

I'm so glad I'm not getting graded on my posts! Where does my phone come up with this stuff?! That was meant to say "I'm sorry that happened to you" 😂

Technology is so great, except when autocorrect comes in!!!

[Chloe_M]

Lici yes autocorrect... i've had it change perfectly appropriate things into inappropriate things 😕

How are you doing Lici?

[Lici]

Hi Chloe 🤗

I'm exhausted! Had two tutorials in a row today. The first one was about exposure therapy and cbt to treat agoraphobia and panic disorder. I spoke up and gave a run down of my experience with agoraphobia and exposure therapy and what all the steps were that I had to take etc. My anxiety was really high with it though, so I just did some cbt diary type stuff in my bullet journal and then showed a few people that as an example too lol.

I had a girl come and thank me for sharing after class which was really nice. She said it helped her get a better understanding of it all which made me feel like it was worth sharing!

How are you doing Chloe? I've been keeping up to date on your threads etc but haven't posted in them because I didn't feel that I could really contribute much to the conversation. I do read though. I hope you feel better and that your day has been good *hugs*

[startingnew]

Hi Lici

how are you going today?

i think you were very brave to share your story with others. it seems that young girl got something out of it too. and im glad your appt went well too xox

also in regards to contributing here on the forums- your welcome to join in anywhere. your not intruding. its amazing what a simple supportive post does for the individual. please dont under estimate yourself xo

[Lici]

Hi startingnew 😊

I'm doing good today thanks 😊 had a physio appointment for my shoulders and they're starting to get a lot better now. It was actually really interesting today because the physio went through how our bodies process pain and how the whole "pain receptors in our brain" is a myth and there's no pain receptors. It's all processed in our spinal cord first and then transferred to a part of our brain which then processes whether we're in danger or not and sends information back. Basically my chronic pain is caused by my brain over acting and sending too much information to my spinal cord.

It's interesting because to treat it, I pretty much have to apply some cbt kind of exercises combined with actual exercise to retrain my brain and spinal cord to react to pain normally again. It's funny how cbt seems to be popping up in my life all over the place these days!

Thanks, I'll try to interact more outside of my threads, I guess it's a social awkwardness kind of thing, I'm bad at small talk so usually only add to conversations if I have something I consider of value to offer (does that make sense?)

How are you today anyway? Did your appointment go well?

Lici

[Chloe_M]

Hi Lici

Thats so good! Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Giving that talk would have made me so anxious. I'm so so proud that the anxiety didn't take over you and that you managed to do it. Wow!

Helping others gives you an amazing feeling doesnt it? It, for me, reminds me that I have a purpose.

I'm doing okay, was okay for about a week after finding out about best freinds new gf, but now i've spiralled down... had a panic attack at sport IN FRONT OF HER thankfully she doesnt know its because of her and her boyfriend. Thankfully she hopefully doesnt know about my MI, but after yesterday im sure she knows that somethings wrong with me 😞

*sigh*

how are you today?

x chloe

[Lici]

Hi Chloe 🤗

It's fine that you didn't answer sooner, by the sounds of it, you've had a really good reason to take some time out!

I read how your best friend is your ex, have you thought about maybe distancing yourself a little from them? I know that thought might feel horrible and that you can't do it because you care for him and he's your best friend etc. But it seems to me that being around him is really messing with your anxiety. Until you can get past the love you feel for him, and grieve for the loss of the relationship you had, to me it feels like you will be stuck in this situation. Does that make sense?

It's really hard to get over a relationship and it can take a while. I have a best friend who I went from best friend, to trying to date, to best friend again when I was 16. It's been almost 25 years and we're still friends, we didn't talk for a few months after trying to date though.

My current boyfriend is actually an ex from high school. We dated when I was 14 or 15 and it didn't work out and we found each other again after not talking for 20 years or something!

I guess my point is that sometimes taking time away from the thing that's causing us pain is the best thing for us and that if you distanced yourself from him now, that doesn't mean that the friendship is definitely lost forever and you can even go 20 years not speaking and still find them later!

By the way, there's nothing wrong with you! MI doesn't mean that there's something wrong with us! If anything, MI makes us stronger and more resilient than other people!

As for how I am, I've just woken up and about to get out of bed and make a coffee, so I'll get back to you on that one lol

*hugs* Lici

[startingnew]

Hi Lici sorry its taken me a little while to come back but im back 🙂


that sounds like a really interesting session. An educational one and helpful muscle wise. Lol 'brain overeacting' I think we can all relate to that one!
I hope it all works out for you. I have chronic pain too and when my mh goes down the pain gets worse and vise versa. Its a hard balance to keep.
Yep that makes sense re threads your weclome anywhere though if you choose to comment.


Im ok today, more just tired after a rough night (nothing unsual but this one was abit extra rough) my appt.. ha to remember what that day was for- ive got a lot of appts lol. That one went well, had some helpful advice so can try to implement those as well. Thanks for asking


hows your day treating you? Have you been finding things helpful for your mh at all?

[Lici]

Hi startingnew,

That's fine re taking a while, life gets busy sometimes!

It's really funny how the brain works isn't it? You wouldn't think that mh would have anything to do with pain, but here we are! I'd just like to be able to do things like put my hair up or even do up a normal bra again! I haven't been able to do stuff like that for about a year now! I'd really love to be able to use my birding lens on my camera again too, it's really long and heavy and I haven't been able to use that in a while either.

Sorry to hear you had a rough night, hopefully today and tonight is better for you xx

I'm honestly not sure how I am today. I'm tired, but that could be the meds. It's hard to know what's the meds, and what's anxiety related and what's just normal stress in related due to upcoming exams, assignments and general uni. I think as far as seeing how things are going with the meds and my mh, I'm going to have to wait until after exams. I think I'll see a difference then.

I got really mad last night though. I was watching a lecture on major depressive disorder and bipolar 1 and they went through the dsm-v diagnostic criteria for a major depressive episode. I realised that when I was 16-19 I had maybe 2 of these and probably fitted the diagnostic criteria for MDD. It made me mad because no-one ever helped me back then. I even had a mental health counsellor tell me that there was nothing wrong with me! It really opened my eyes to how much I really struggled during that period of my life, but also how mentally strong I was even when I thought I wasn't because I'm still here and got through that without any help. I wish I could remember how I managed though so I could help others.

anyway, I better go make a few other replies on here and then try and watch a few more lectures. I hope you have a good day.

Lici