How many diagnoses would you go for?

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I've had a huge range of mental health problems and since age 16 (21 now), I've almost (barring maybe 3 months) continuously been either on the waiting list for therapy or assessment or in therapy. (Luckily, I have the NHS to rely on.)

In any case, my MH problems are pretty much dealt with. Last year I got my ASD assessment, this year I got assessed for ADHD (the doctor who did psychometrics thought it was pretty clear cut ADHD because I showed the classic pattern on testing but the psychiatrist makes the final decision).

Well, the doctor who did psychometrics said he suspects I have dyslexia (which I'm not so sure about) and dsypraxia (which I probably do) but didn't have time to test for them.

I've got moderate hearing loss which has been getting worse and am not happy with how my audiology department are dealing with it, so I've got a second opinion appointment at my old hospital even though my GP says it's a long way to travel if I wanted that as my main hospital.

And I feel like I'm always at the GP for this problem or that problem, though I do try to avoid it because I worry my GP will think I'm hypochondriac.

At what point would you stop seeking diagnoses? Would the likelihood of you having them affect your decision?

I don’t see the point in getting a binder of diagnoses; what’s your goal? Personally I would probably only get a diagnoses on what holds you back the most. Only if it would benefit you with career (accommodations) or disability.

Greetings. For me, I would get diagnosis if it affects my life and no one is treating me for it. For example, I was doing CBT for two anxiety disorders, but then I got unexpected panic attacks, and CBT wasn't helping that, so by getting (or wanting to get, unsure) a diagnosis for panic disorder would allow professionals to prescribe medication (have Ativan for it now), along with doing a different therapeutic treatment for it.

I wasn't diagnosed with ASD before, but by getting diagnosed, I could focus on getting treatment for that too. That's the main reason I want to get a diagnosis. I feel that doctors may see me as a hypochondriac too, but if there is something wrong that isn't being treated for, then why not get an opinion for it? If they tell me that it isn't a problem, then I drop the topic most of the time. I just like being sure.

My diagnoses don't affect my decisions in life, but I know when it's better if someone else does something for me or if I need to do something else to make me more comfortable. Even if a company doesn't provide accommodations, I would provide my own if possible. Like, if I need to take frequent breaks (which I seem to need), I will, instead of having an hour lunch, I would take six ten minute breaks at work, so that way I am more productive and still have the same working hours. Without a diagnosis or assessment, I may not have known this.

This is just my opinion on this.

I guess one problem is that I've found that not having very specific diagnosis means that it's fine as long as the person accepts some difficulties in good faith, but a problem when the person is more skeptical.

I don't actually have any diagnoses for MH (just descriptions in letters) and was fine without them but have increasingly run into ring fenced funding as the NHS funding is being cut in the name of 'austerity'. For example, I can't get medication or CBT to help executive function for identical difficulties if my problems are ASD but can if I have ADHD.

I was fine with no diagnoses for years until a time where I needed one where there was waiting lists. I don't want to get bitten twice. I'm particularly worried about the transition from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payments as I was bumped down to the low rate of DLA after years of middle rate because they disregarded a load of my difficulties as not having enough evidence.

I'm so able in some ways that people are often skeptical I have any difficulties at all that couldn't be solved by trying a bit harder.

But I do have overarching desire to get an accurate picture of my abilities and lack thereof. I'm very curious about how much of it is my perception and how much is objective.

To me a diagnoses is used for how much help you need. If the diagnoses you have isn't enough, then you go for more until you get the right help you need.

A lot of mental illnesses overlap in some features. Although the diagnosis is supposed to account for this, for instance by statements like "symptoms are not better accounted for by another diagnosis," there is still a lot of overlap.

I think having too many diagnoses can actually muddy the picture, making it confusing for a therapist to know what to work on first. And this is also true if you are simply trying to get better self-awareness.

It's also worth considering that psychiatry is always in a state of flux, and the diagnosis you receive at 16 may not even exist as a diagnostic entity at 30! It doesn't mean you were cured, it just means they shifted the boundaries and definitions.

I think that as a practical matter, 5 diagnoses is probably plenty, and a "top 3" is maybe most workable. Good luck!

Very difficult to say. As far as disability benefits and workplace accommodations go, it's probably better to get as many as possible - in particular, it's wise to make sure that anything you can't do is well documented in a diagnostic report, or they'll not believe you, because they tend to go on the assumption that everybody's able until proven disabled, when it's a question of spending money on people or making allowances.

But for other purposes, I don't know. Going for a lot of diagnostic assessments increases the risk of being diagnosed for conditions you don't have, and being coerced into taking a lot of psych meds that might not even be necessary. Things could get very confusing, you could end up collecting social stigmas, and with a lot of mental health issues on your official records you could find yourself barred from doing some things. Every time you try to do anything that has a form with the question "do you have any health conditions?" it would take a lot of time to write it all down, and in some cases you'd be wondering what the consequences would be of divulging each condition. And if you approached a health professional to get therapy for any particular life problem, such a plethora of conditions might severely obfuscate the process. The therapist might not even admit they were out of their depth, and instead pretend they knew what they were doing and advocate treatments based on guesswork.

On the other hand, if you feel there's a strong chance that you have a particular condition, it would seem silly not to put it to the test and find out. If possible, I'd stick to diagnosticians who keep the results confidential. That way at least you're more likely to be able to keep things simple.

One dx is enough.

As few as possible to get the support you need.
Too much diagnosis blends into hypochondria and creates an atmosphere of illness around yourself.

I would like to know any co-morbids I have but physical illnesses and recovery from them are my priority for the forseeable future.