help applying for dsp with psychosis

[biobliterator]

hi, first post. registered with this question in mind.

ive only recently turned 18 years old, and after going through about 5 years of different doctors, im here.

i have what i think is a diagnosis of anxiety/depression/psychosis (thats what my doctor wrote on my centrelink medical certificate... ive never been told this to my face, but i can infer)

it was a big relief and a massive discouragement, finally something that is real, i have an excuse for the way im acting, but now i have to face the stigma within my family, myself, everyone i meet, and even psychiatrists and doctors.

it began when i was around 13/14 and steadily got worse, was often confused with dissociation (a hospital diagnosed me with dp/dr, but i dont think that stuck) with no improvements despite lots of counselling and therapy. ive taken medication for psychosis and anxiety, the first worked but disabled me in other ways, the latter does as much as a sugar pill. therapy never helped either, all my improvement has been done by myself alone, im a fairly rational person, diagnosis notwithstanding, and i know how to handle myself. therapy just got me out of the house, and i dont want to waste my time with it.

anyway... my question is what to expect applying for dsp.

i cant work, i was kicked out of school, i cant even wash myself anymore. moving out alone will help me. lots of people think this will make me worse, but being near other people is usually what stops me from eating/cleaning/being. i cant pick up the phone, shower, or look normal most of the time. a therapist described me once looking like a kicked puppy. and i talk weird. pressure of speech and alogia. it doesnt come off over text, thankfully >-o

OK!! what im mostly worried about is, psychosis isnt really a diagnosis, i dont think by centrelinks standards. i was just discharged from a psychosis care clinic, so i would need a new doctor to be diagnosed. most doctors arent very keen on diagnosing a psychotic disorder until they know you for very long (approx 6 months i think), but i dont want therapy! i dont need it, i just need money to be alive. i have youth allowance, but it cant pay rent.

i have a pretty heavy case of medical imposter syndrome (not malingering! i just struggle to believe myself even when faced with evidence), its already hard to force myself to admit that its not a phase. im worried ill de-exaggerate and make things worse, but i dont want to... over-exaggerate and look like a liar.

do u have any advice?

[quirkywords]

Welcome bio, to the furumSorry it has taken a while to get a reply.

This happens sometimes. Your post is welcome.

I can see you are confused with your diagnosis and you are worried what will happen and how to get a second opinion.

I am not a trained medical person, I am someone with. a lived experience of mental

illness.

There are people here with experience of dsp and maybe your other issues.

BY replying your post will be seen by more people.

Thanks vor sharing your story.

I wonder why you may feel you will look like a liar when you have

a diagnosis .

Quirky

[ShyLizard]

Hi biobliterator, I can relate to your distress over trying to get on the DSP. I am 38 years old and have been on the DSP for approximately 10 years. I believe the criteria may have changed since this time, but even then it was very challenging to get accepted onto it with a mental illness. My diagnosis ended up being done by my doctor – depression, which he said was the only thing they would take seriously (even though it was my anxiety symptoms that bothered me the most at that time). Before this I went to a clinical psychologist to try and get a serious diagnosis. He did a full mental health report, diagnosing me with social anxiety, avoidant personality disorder and dysthymia. However after all that, it was only the depression diagnosis from the doctor that they took seriously.

I recall how stressful the whole process was, and you’re very right about not wanting to play down your symptoms but also not wanting to lie and exaggerate them. You kind of have to exaggerate them a little, just to be taken seriously. Not lie as such, just focus on how bad it is for you at your worst. I think it took me about a year of struggling to get the right information/proof for them before I finally got accepted. And that was after an initial rejection and appeal. In the end, it’s about getting a doctor who knows what they want to hear to take you seriously. That would have saved me a lot of hassle. You can’t reason with Centrelink on your own.

I’m not sure if this helps you at all, but if you have any further questions for me, feel free to ask...