Psychiatric and Therapist Results

[Snapplez]

So, before joining this site, I thought I was the only one in the world that DDed. Now I know that this is not true and that indeed 4% of the population in the world suffers from MDD, the most wild and childest phenomenon ever in my opinion.

Obviously my parents and friends have no idea and I don't intent on telling them. I went to seek help on my own, and found that the college I go to has a counseling center. There, I told my story for the first time to the counselor who was to administer my consultation and place me with a given therapist. Turns out, she thought I had schizophrenia and so assigned me a "referral" so I could go to the college's health center, to be seen by a licensed psychiatrist. There, I retold my story again---two people and its already too many people--. This time it wasn't easy. The psychiatrist had no idea what was wrong with me and prescribed me Risperdal and Prozac. He diagnosed me with OCD Obssesive Compulsive Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder. I got extremely obnoxious and angry. This is ridiculous. Histrionic Personality Disorder? REALLY? What does that have anything to do with having a fantasy world in your head? I went back to the counseling center to see which therapist they had assigned to me. Turns out, they hadn't. Three specialized therapists reviewed my case and determined that I needed "long-term" therapy and so assigned me a counselor to help me find a local therapist around my neighborhood area. After retelling my story for the third time, this counselor (also a specialized therapist) diagnosed me with Dissociative Disorder in the "Depersonalization" category. Therefore ruling out Histrionic Personality Disorder, DUH. I went back to the psychiatrist this time with information about MDD and turns out, he knew about it. He himself had researched the topic through gooogle and I'm pretty sure he came across this site! The psychiatrist reviewed my case with two other specialized psychiatrists and they determined I had no "psychosis," therefore ruling out the Risperdal and Prozac medication. I told him about Fluvoxamine (because I know this is what Patient X takes) and he told me that if the therapy didn't work, that I should come back to take a small dosage of it and see if it would help with my "compulsive thoughts." Me and the counselor are currently trying to get me to a local therapist around my area, specialized in dissociative disorders. She also commented that Dr.Eli Somer (currently working on MDD research) used be a Dissociative Specialist, which I found extremely interesting.

The reason why I share this is because just in case anybody feels like they want to go to the psychiatrist or therapist, then this is what you will most likely find. I hope my experience can be of good use for you guys so we can have a little bit of more knowledge on this wild disorder. It is a copying mechanism, but let's face it, if we can't control our thoughts, we barely have any friends, and we google information needed for our characters in our fantasy worlds... then we have more than just a copying mechanism, we have a problem.

For me, I shall diagnose myself with Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder, the epic combination of Dissociative Depersonalization Disorder and OCD.

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

BTW, both of those things and many others can be found on the Links page.  

[Cordellia Amethyste Rose]

I always advise people, when they're thinking of seeing a therapist, to take copies of the article in Scientific American Mind on MD and more importantly the study done by Dr. Cynthia Schupak.  Tell them that a real doctor with a PHD has studied this and that there are thousands of people talking about it online.  Be prepared that most docs won't have heard of it.  It's not in the DSM, which is their Bible, so many doctors won't recognize it.  We have to self-diagnose until it's accepted as an official condition.  Part of our job, as pioneers, is to spread the word and educate the psychological community.  It may feel like an uphill battle at times, but it'll be worth it one day when people like us who need help go to the doctor and actually get it.  Stay strong.  You're not alone.