I have been having psychotic episodes since I can remember. Hallucinations and delusions take up a good percentage of my childhood memories and still to this day are so extreme I spend half of my day out of reality. My doctors in the past have refused to look at the possibility of schizophrenia. My current doctor says I do not meet requirements, yet I have extreme visual and auditory hallucinations to the point I can’t work or even really be a viable member of society. I am diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder with Psychotic Disorder NOS. I am confused as to what is going on, because I apparently have extreme delusions in regards to my occult obsessions. I am starting to realize that something is wrong with my thinking, and I am irritated that both my current doctor and doctors in the past have not even looked at schizophrenia, nor have even entertained the idea. I feel underplayed and that I am not being well taken care of because they just slapped an easy diagnosis on me and didn’t look any further. I am miserable, and my family and friends are sick of my “delusions,” making things even worse. I have not heard of or found anything about people having been born with symptoms such as psychosis, especially as extreme as it is with me. I am by no means a professional and do not want to self-diagnose, but I am able to pinpoint certain symptoms I have in the diagnostic manuals. I match the things with Schizophrenia. I have been diagnosed as Bipolar I,II, and schizoaffective bipolar type. Even when I tell my doctor, those schizophrenic symptoms are ignored. I am honestly afraid that I may be schizophrenic and I am not being properly treated. I am scared for myself. What can I do to get someone to actually find out what is going on?
A. There are two schools of thought when it comes to diagnosis. One holds that diagnosis is fundamental to treatment. Without a diagnosis, it’s difficult to treat the problem. The other school of thought is that diagnosis is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is treating the symptoms. If the symptoms are being treated, then a diagnosis is of little value.
When it comes to diagnosis, it is not an exact science. Studies have shown that patients often receive multiple, sometimes conflicting diagnoses. This is especially true with psychotic disorders. Part of the confusion might be that the symptoms of psychotic disorders often overlap.
In your case, diagnosis might matter less than finding the right treatment. For many psychotic disorders, medication is the main type of treatment. Counseling can be helpful too.
I would recommend finding a therapist and a doctor with whom you feel comfortable. You want to choose providers who are willing to make adjustments to your treatments as needed, based on your feedback. Choose professionals who specialize in psychotic disorders. Not all professionals know how to treat psychotic disorders. It is specialized knowledge and not everyone has it. Please take care.
Dr. Kristina Randle
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