Insulting mental health diagnoses when pain major issue — Scope | Disability forum
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Insulting mental health diagnoses when pain major issue

harry01
harry01 Community member Posts: 217 Courageous
Think I alluded to this but has anyone here had experience of being inapropriately (not nearly strong enough language) diagnosed with mental health disorders when you had a pain condition? 

It's something I'd really like to discuss. And as I'd also alluded to it's not that I didn't have issues with mental health and that didn't tie into MUCH worse pain and symptoms but these guys literally 'diagnosed' and I have to put that in quotes because it does deserve scorn with Schizoid personality disorder, body dysmorphia and Asperger's. What's insane is none of these remotely relate to pain for instance, as in conversion disorder. 

I would like to hear from people where they feel they received an innappropriate label. 

In my experience it was a huge issue with how my pain got much worse. Please share your views. 


Comments

  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @harry01

    Good Afternoon & Welcome.

    I am one of the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

    There is some good info & advice on “Mind.org.uk Website”

    https://www.mind.org.uk/

    Yes we have got many members who have problems with Pain/Mental Health.

    I have major problems with “Chronic Pain”

    Please come back to me if you have any further problems????

    @steve51
  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    edited August 2020
    Hi @harry01 I'm sorry you feel you were inappropriately diagnosed with a mental health condition rather than physical impairment.  That must be incredibly frustrating and I understand your anger.  

    Are you getting any help with the pain at all?  

    Just to add, I've moved your post to our Disabled People discussion board so people don't miss it and can better help you.
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  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,964 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @harry01 I am sorry you feel you have been incorrectly diagnosed have you sought a second opinion r maybe made a complaint . Where was the diagnosis from a GP or a specialist consultant

    Either way try and follow this up if you are not satisfied
  • giddeon
    giddeon Community member Posts: 15 Listener
    GP’s shouldn’t be able to make these kinds of diagnosis’ they are or should only be diagnosable by psychiatrists or certain psychologists after extensive assessment.  I can’t see how they tie into pain or interpretation of pain either?...
  • harry01
    harry01 Community member Posts: 217 Courageous
    Hi @janer1967,

    I made so many complaints I lost track.

    The 'diagnosis' was made by a consultant psychiatrist at an autism clinic over 10 years ago. (Well, that was for Asperger's.)The schizoid personality disorder and body dysmorphic disorder was suggested by the psychiatrist who referred me to the autism clinic. 

    I will descend into very painful territory but it was enough backing that I mentally broke down and continued to get worse. They write these horrid reports about you. They feel like personal slurs hidden in academic language.

    They were very determined to find 'fixed interests' and 'obsesssions'. I don't feel that someone liking chess, music, football and computer games constitutes 'fixed interests'. 

    What noone was willing to talk about I'd how much pain can impair your learning. If you at complete depression and a feeling that there is no point in learning at all then it only magnifies the difference.

    By 16-18 I had fallen a long way from my peer-group in terms of spontaneous use of language. I was VERY aware of this to the point of feeling severe humiliation. Equally I knew that I had no scientific backing. This destroyed my mental health and it is simply an inevitability that I would get severely ill. There was far too much to be up against. 

     





  • harry01
    harry01 Community member Posts: 217 Courageous
    @Cher_Scope

    Not right now, no. Thanks for asking.

    To be honest I had a means of coping but then when I injured my shoulder I physically couldn't brush my teeth. This has been ongoing in fact from 2014. That's why I felt suicidal from 2017 onwards and exceeded the limit for ringing the Samaritans. 


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