| If you or someone you love visits a therapist, there are | | | | jump to several other ideas. This pattern is known as |
| questions you need to ask to avoid problems. Some | | | | fleeting thought processing. When the patient is |
| therapists are more advanced than others are. I can | | | | illustrating thoughts that are sidetracked, the therapist |
| tell you that some are not qualified to diagnose | | | | may show a degree of concern. |
| anything that is more complex. If you suspect you | | | | Language is important when evaluating a patient, since |
| have a disorder, the best thing you can do is get | | | | some patients may not have sufficient skills in |
| accuracy on those symptoms, research your | | | | communication it could very well mean a lack of |
| behaviors, and write them down. | | | | education rather than a diagnosis. If you have been |
| If you go to the therapist you will be ahead of the | | | | talking individually to a therapist, and this is the only |
| game, and by learning more about your own | | | | symptom, make sure that the patient is not on |
| behaviors, symptoms, and so on can save you from a | | | | medications he or she may not need. |
| diagnose you may or may not have. Therapists as a | | | | It is important to pay attention to symptoms and signs |
| rule base their treatment on the thought patterns, | | | | that link mental health problems and other issues. Ask |
| which includes hearing and talking. If the patient shows | | | | the therapist questions any time there is a diagnosis, |
| a disturbance in their thinking patterns, the therapist will | | | | what the symptoms include, and what medicines can |
| consider psychosis, since this is a symptom related to | | | | do to treat the disorder. When a person is suddenly, |
| the diagnosis. | | | | loosing a train of thought during a session this may be |
| They will search for signs that the patient may | | | | a possible diagnosis. |
| demonstrate, including vague thoughts, fleeting ideas, | | | | If a person is telling you about a dream related to his |
| peripheral thought patterns, blocking thoughts, | | | | or her parent, and all of a sudden claims they cannot |
| disassociation and so forth. Counselors often search | | | | remember what they were talking about, this is an |
| for evidence of schizophrenia or psychosis when | | | | evident sign of some disorder. Most likely, this patient |
| there is a break in reality, paranoia etc. | | | | has suffered trauma. The symptoms are in front of |
| Paranoid and Paranoia are separate from the other, | | | | you and it is important to continue treatment to find |
| and must not be misconstrued. Professionals could | | | | which diagnosis the patient may have. |
| make a mistake in diagnosis if they are not aware of | | | | Unfortunately, most therapists are not trained to treat |
| the difference of paranoia and paranoid. | | | | patients with Multiple Personality Disorders, and often |
| Schizophrenias are often paranoid, while patients that | | | | these people pay a steep price. The sign or symptom |
| suffer posttraumatic stress in the early stages may | | | | is known as disassociation or blocking memories and |
| illustrate paranoia. | | | | this is a definite sign or Multiple Personality Disorder. |
| When a patient answers out of content, or else the | | | | Multiple Personality Disorder is often exclusive in |
| ideas delivered are unrelated to the conversation then | | | | blocking memories to avoid pain. |
| there is a potential mental illness. For example, we are | | | | It is always wise to ask questions when you are |
| discussing society, and the patient says, "I never go | | | | visiting any therapists since anyone can make |
| there. After I get back from Australia next week we | | | | mistakes without the complete medical picture and |
| can do that." | | | | your mental health is important and should not be |
| An area of concern is when the patient is talking | | | | taken lightly. |
| fragments. The patient will start with one idea and | | | | |