Official diagnosis

[melhil]

This may be a strange question but Is there any benefit from getting an "official" diagnosis of exactly which anxiety disorder I have been struggling with? How does this usually occur? Is it usually a series of questions or rating scale? I saw a psychologist a few years ago but have been trying to deal with how I am on my own through books, naturopath etc. Any insight would be appreciated!

[jessiejakes]

Hi most its called GAD which stands for general anxiety disorder

[blackcat64013]

Hi Melhil,

The official diagnosis comes from the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) is the 2013 update to the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) classification and diagnostic tool.

In the United States the DSM serves as a universal authority for psychiatric diagnoses. Treatment recommendations, as well as payment by health care providers, are often determined by DSM classifications, so the appearance of a new version has significant practical importance.

The DSM-5 was published on May 18, 2013, superseding the DSM-IV-TR, which was published in 2000.

What happens is the mental health professionals (MHP) asks lots of questions and often uses various scales developed by psychologists to work out the diagnosis against the DSM-5 criteria.

Having a diagnosis means a treatment plan specific to your condition can be designed for you.

If you have been struggling on your own and feel you need extra help, having a review with a MHP is recommended. Your primary care provider counts as a MHP.