Is it worth seeking formal diagnosis?

[HopelesslyHopeful87]

I have suffered from anxiety since I was about 13. It peaks and troughs at various points in my life. At very bad points I realise I need help, reach out to gp, get told to refer myself to local MH team, never actually do it, and just wait for things to settle.

Things seem to be getting harder to deal with as I'm getting older and recently things got a lot worse. I had a baby 11 weeks ago and my HV referred me to perinatal mental health team. I was assessed by a nurse and then referred onto a psychiatrist. He did a very long assessment of me over a teams call and came to the conclusion that I'm a "special case" and I fit the criteria for 4 different personality disorders,along with general anxiety and depression secondary to these disorders. He has prescribed fluoxetine and referred me to the local MH team for talking therapy to help with the anxiety and discharged me as it's not PND and the baby is safe. The MH team have categorically told me they do not diagnose or treat personality disorders so where do I go from here?

Do I need formal diagnosis? The psychiatrist I saw said I should claim Pip but I know that process is very hard but my mh really does impact my daily life but I feel like I've floated under the radar with my mh for so long and tried to manage without input that there is just not enough evidence in my medical record to prove there's actually anything wrong with me.

I feel so bizarre now knowing that there is more to my mh than "just" generalised anxiety. I feel very called out, exposed and vulnerable suddenly like I don't really know who I truly am. Who am I without these disorders? What would my personality be like if I sought treatment? If I sought treatment, would my quirky little traits go away?

For context, he said I have anankastic personality disorder, OCD, anxious avoidant personality disorder and BPD. My whole life has been a series of traumatic events from the day I was born essentially. I do not remember any of my childhood, I have no memories of birthdays or Christmases as a child or even of primary school.

Hi @HopelesslyHopeful87 definitely stay hopeful!

Your story sounds familiar actually - I too have had anxiety to some degree since my teens and then found it got worse when I became a mum.

Have you come across the holistic psychologist? You might like her approach. She basically views mental health issues as coping strategies that once helped us make sense of the world but now no longer serve us. She takes a multifaceted approach which incorporates nutrition, movement and self awareness.

Do you feel any of this is correct?

I was treated for anxiety and panic attacks. I think the first major episodes occurred when I was 8.

When I eventually sought treatment, I was a bit stunned at how many labels they wanted to attach. The thing is, they are seeing you at your lowest, which is not necessarily accurate.

I recovered well. Also, therapists might not like this, but for me, getting a bit older and more confident was hugely helpful.

I had one conversation where I was effectively told it was "wrong" for me to find commuting so stressful. Not all doctors, therapists etc are good at what they do.