(no subject)

[thisslideup.livejournal.com]

My therapist finally hit the nail on the head. After about 6 months of trial and error, process of elimination theories (You have problems with your mother, you don't have enough of a social life, you enjoy depression, you're just really imaginative) he finally hit the nail on the head.

A disassociative disorder!

I felt like whapping him upside the head.

He basically decided early on that I was not schizophrenic at all, and, because of that, never gave any of the "serious problem" theories a chance. He completely ignored the fact that I could have even a mild disassociative case.

All of the signs pointed to yes. I've struggled for quite some time now about whether I am a multiple or not (and came to the conclusion that, well, not that much of one, if anything). I often experience most of the symptoms of sleep paralysis, and explain in great detail to him all of my minor out of body experiences (a sensation of being stretched like a Stretch Armstrong doll, or sinking out of my body to about a foot behind myself, or being unable to move my arms or legs at will, or hearing voices and music and seeing things, feeling at a constant distance from the world, forgetting large chunks of my day, separating my emotions into four distinct personalities).

If I were my therapist, I would fire myself for being totally unobservant.

Of course, I totally didn't want to say to him, "hey, look, this is what I have", because I am a lousy teenage girl with a few too many psychology courses under her belt who thinks she knows what's going on and is therefore suspect when she diagnoses herself with something because she could just be faking it.

Or at least, if I were my therapist, that is how I would think, because apparently, it took him until Wednesday (after seeing him at least once, but occasionally several times a week since January).

Uhm, duh.

Has anyone else been especially hesitant about suggesting the correct diagnosis to their therapist for fear of being accused of 'faking' it? How long did it drag on for? Did they ever finally get the picture or did you have to spell it out for them?

~Chedd