diagnosis questions

I live in the United States, so I don’t know how this works in other countries. I reached out to the mental health department of my health insurance for general therapy in 2021. I tried 2 therapists, and the second one recommended I be screened for OCD. I got in touch with a psychiatrist, and she diagnosed me. I was then referred to NOCD. I suspected I had OCD for a long time before I sought treatment.

My sister has diagnosed OCD and my mom is a hoarder so she clocked that I have it, but I didn’t get a diagnosis until I told my most recent psychiatrist about my intrusive thoughts. Once I explained all my symptoms and he asked me some questions it started to make sense. When I was a kid I used to count my steps in 10s in my head, step on tiles to get the exact feeling under each foot/same amount of tiles, and literally hit myself to make my body sensations even 😂 I’m surprised nobody figured it out earlier

I got diagnosed through NOCD. It was a snap. So easy to do. I think I was diagnosed in the first or second session.

I actually just went thru this today! When you start therapy, you do a screener before the first appt. They will discuss it with you and ask questions to better understand your symptoms and then give a diagnosis if one is appropriate.

Getting an OCD diagnosis can look different for everyone—some people are diagnosed quickly, while for others it takes longer or they recognize the signs themselves. You’re not alone in wondering about this, and your experiences are valid whether or not you have a formal diagnosis. Help is here at NOCD and we can assist you in finding outside help if needed too. Also here are some helpful resources: https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/how-long-does-ocd-treatment-take/ https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/can-i-get-over-ocd-if-no-one-knows-i-have-it/ https://www.treatmyocd.com/blog/for-years-no-one-listened-to-my-ocd-struggle-im-making-sure-no-one-feels-the-same-way/

When I was in my early 20’s, I was seeing a psychiatrist (my fave ever) for other mental health conditions, but after some months he changed my diagnosis. It then took 2-3 years for me to actually believe it, but I now realize I have had ocd since I was around 5 years old. So while my behavior was noticed by family, it wasn’t identified as ocd when I was a child. And even when I was seeing professionals as a teenager, I got misdiagnosed with depression, gad, and bpd. Now I feel confident that I have ocd and bipolar 1, but it took about 10 years and half a dozen doctors to figure it out. I learned that an uncaring or overconfident doctor can really derail proper treatment.

For me it started with my psychiatrist. I get my meds from Talkspace and they recommended this app for therapy. I’m sure you could even start with this app and they will screen you for OCD before you even start therapy