How long does it usually take to get diagnosed by a Psychologist?

[Guest_523]

Just had my first visit with a new Psychologist and it went well. I am curious as to what I have exactly. The psychologist said he had an idea of what my problem is but did not want to say because it would just feed into my stress. I was hoping that he meant that he did not want to say anything so soon. They can't not tell you correct? I mean a patient should know what he or she is diagnosed with right? See how I am? I am overthinking this and the session even went real well. Man I am a mess lol!

[Guest_523]

Just to note, I knew that I would not get a diagnosis this early however his comment made me wonder what he meant or if he really meant that he would never tell me. and I will ask next time but am curious as to what any of you think.

[Hope_for_the_best]

The short answer is it really depends. I know it doesn't seem to answer your question, but psychologists have different approaches of counselling. Did you see this psychologist yourself or get referred to by your GP? If it is the latter, then you most likely get diagnosed by your GP. What did your previous psychologists say? I would suggest that you don't get obsessed with a diagnosis, as it is more important to have your problem solved. It is good to hear that your session went well.

All the best.

[Guest_523]

I guess it is the principle of the thing. It is my life, so I want to know what the diagnosis is. Of course I know that it is more important to get the problem solved but I just do not want to be treated like a 5 year old and have a right to know. Thanks for your input Kind regards Robert

[Guest_523]

I was referred by my GP

[solabear]

Psychologists are not doctors so they don't make diagnosis. It is the psychiatrist who makes diagnosis of mental illness, because they are medical doctors specialising in mental illness. Psychologists are only counsellors and they try to figure you out psychologically and they normally use cocnitive therapy.

I hope this helped

[Guest_523]

That is interesting because he said that would eventually make a diagnosis I just didn't press him any further also I forgot to mention that he is a Clinical Psychologist. my bad.

[solabear]

Clinical psychologist is not much different to psychologist....it's just a bit more studying involved. They are not medical doctors, they do not diagnose and do not prescribe meds. Their job is to help you deal with your emotions and often use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is a short-term, goal-oriented psychotherapy treatment that takes a hands-on, practical approach to problem-solving. Its goal is to change patterns of thinking or behavior that are behind people's difficulties, and so change the way they feel.

[White_Rose]

Hello Robert

Well Hope.for.the.best was correct in that every psychologist has their own approach. I first saw a psychologist but only for a few visits as this was through my office's EAP. He did not provide me with a diagnosis but seemed to accept I was depressed. I think he was not interested in labels and just worked with what was in front of him, so to speak.

The I saw a psychiatrist who was reluctant to give me a label but I insisted. I found it didn't really help me as I became obsessed with the label rather than getting well. I suspect this is what you are saying, you need a name for your MI and are in danger of making this the focus of your treatment.

I found psychology, in the broad sense, very different to physical illness. We are used to being told, "You have the 'flu" because we know what this is even if we have never experienced it before. We leave the doctor's room feeling OK because we are not imagining being ill or anything like that, there are well defined steps to getting well and usually we know how long this will last. OK I have used a basic illness but I'm sure you get the picture.

My first psychiatrist was not much help as he just listened to what I had to say and probably hoped I would find the answer on my own. I must have been a boring patient because he often fell asleep until I spat the dummy.

For various reasons I see another psychiatrist who is quite definite she does not like or use labels. We talk about various situations and the whys and wherefores. I find it helpful now but it really bugged me to start with. She says we all have bits of this and that MI according to the DSM V. We have some bits more than others and this is why and how a psych (of any persuasion) makes a diagnosis. I am beginning to understand this as it applies to me and I find I am not confused because I am 'supposed' to act, think and feel in a certain manner according to the diagnosis.

You could discuss this with your psychologist and may find it helpful in deciding what bits of you are dysfunctional, though I really dislike that word. For example, if you find you get angry easily does this mean you are a particular type of person and all the other bits that are supposed to be part of that syndrome also belong to you? Or do you simply get angry because of life events that have led to frustration in the past and in certain situations trigger a reaction and away you go?

I will leave this with you to consider and look forward to your response.

Mary

[Hope_for_the_best]

It is the very first time he sees you and even though he is a professional, he does not know you very well, so he may wish to know you a bit more before giving you a diagnosis. In other words, he only has some ideas of your problems, but not 100% certain. There are criteria to diagnose mental illnesses, but they are not as clear cut as hypertension, diabetes, etc. For example, you may score high enough to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder before an exam, but after that your score may get back to the normal range. But then mental illnesses tend to be ongoing and you are supposed to consistently score high to qualify for a diagnosis. Say for GAD, the distressing symptoms have to last for 6 months and badly affecting one's normal functioning. Maybe your psychologist wants to be more cautious and not to "conclude" you with an illness without knowing you better. Some people don't take diagnosis well and it would be even worse if the diagnosis turns out to be inaccurate. Maybe that's why he says he doesn't want to stress you out. If you are very eager, you can try telling him that you don't like to be treated like a 5 years old and see if he is happy to say anything.

p.s. That's my guess from my personal experience with a clinical psychologist. In the first session, I remember she saying that she did not know me very well, so she would start off with some general suggestions of stress management. As she knows me better in subsequent sessions, she starts to provide more specific and tailored suggestions. I hope this helps.