Psychiatric Diagnosis

Do You Know Your Diagnosis?

A diagnostic term is useful because it is shorthand way of communicating a great deal of information. When you tell your doctor that you have diabetes, high blood pressure or any other medical disorder this triggers a set of associations. Your physician will know what signs and symptoms of illness to be alert for, what medications you might be on and how these might interact with other medications to be prescribed. Also, your doctor will know what other illnesses frequently go along with your disorder and whether new symptoms are likely to be due to the known disorder or in need of a further diagnostic evaluation.

Because psychiatric diagnostic labels provide information about possible treatment, course and complications, it is important that you know your diagnosis. 

Under most circumstances after the initial evaluation is completed you should be informed of your diagnosis, have it explained to you as to what it means and be given the opportunity to ask questions about it. Sometimes your doctor may not be sure of your diagnosis and instead will discuss with you the different possibilities of what you might have.

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