When you are dealing with issues that involve mental health, you expect to get the answers you need to move on to getting help. These answers include receiving a mental health diagnosis that lets you know what condition you may have. Getting a diagnosis is the first of the important steps you must take to further your healing process. However, for many, mental health diagnosis isn’t always correct the first time around. This can present a number of issues and make getting effective treatment more difficult than it should be. For individuals who haven’t received the correct diagnosis, mental health misdiagnosis correction is necessary. But, why is misdiagnosis so common, what are the dangers, and what should people who receive misdiagnosis do?

Understanding Misdiagnosis of Mental Health Issues

Misdiagnosis is when a person receives a diagnosis for something that they don’t necessarily have. This can result in a number of things including being prescribed medication or treatments that are not only unhelpful but could be dangerous for a person to use who actually doesn’t have the right diagnosis. While misdiagnosis can happen in every aspect of medical care, it commonly happens when assessing people living with mental health issues. Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed mental health conditions include bipolar disorders, depressive disorders, and other mood disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Why Does Misdiagnosis Happen?

Misdiagnosis occurs for a number of different reasons. For one, mental health conditions may present similar characteristics and symptoms, so it can be challenging to pinpoint a specific diagnosis when a person is sharing traits of multiple mental health issues. Especially, if a specialist hasn’t gained enough information to gather a proper diagnosis. Hence, another reason for misdiagnosis is inadequate information. Mental health specialists who are tasked with making diagnoses may not get enough information to make a correct diagnosis for two reasons. They either don’t ask enough questions or the questions they ask during the diagnosis interviews are either not given the correct answers or not answered at all. This is why it’s important to choose a provider who cares enough to follow diagnostic review materials as well as provide correct information during the mental health assessment process as a patient.

The Problem With Mental Health Misdiagnoses

It can be dangerous to receive the incorrect diagnosis of a mental health condition for a myriad of reasons. Firstly, a patient who has been misdiagnosed may be given prescription medications to help manage symptoms of a mental health issue. But, if they are misdiagnosed, these medications can lead to unwanted and dangerous side effects which could have been prevented if the correct diagnosis was given. Secondly, if a person doesn’t get the right diagnosis, they may be suggested care that doesn’t work. This can lead to a person experiencing debilitating symptoms of their condition long enough to believe that treatment doesn’t work – keeping them from continuing treatment and getting the right help they need.

What to do if You Believe You’ve Been Misdiagnosed

Do you think that you’ve been misdiagnosed with a mental health condition? If so, it’s important to know that you can get the help that’s effective with the proper diagnosis. Misdiagnosis correction is something that can help you get to the root of what you’re dealing with and provide you with the correct diagnosis you need to determine the care that will actually work for you. Misdiagnosis correction for mental health issues is available in South Florida at Psychiatrist Boca Raton. Find out more on our website.