Psychiatry / Mental Health/Dementia/Memory loss -Psychiatry addresses the study and treatment of mental illness, emotional disturbance, and abnormal behavior. Illnesses include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia along with addiction and substance treatment.

We all know that the right diagnosis is critical to determining the optimal treatments for mental health patients. Unfortunately, accurate diagnosis of several common conditions like depression, ADHD, and anxiety is extremely difficult without an independent medical second opinion.

This is partly due to the fact that psychiatrists can have different opinions about such conditions and, therefore, the corresponding treatments. When in doubt, patients should seek a fresh perspective and additional expertise and independent consultation and second opinion.

Get psychiatric second opinion when Your diagnosis is uncertain

Many times a person with borderline personality disorder (BPD) may be misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder due to their overlapping symptoms, resulting in an uncertain diagnosis. Actually diagnosis may also be uncertain due to pre-existing medical conditions or the patient’s attitude toward the illness (e.g., under-reporting a condition’s symptoms because of social stigma).

In other words, there are various factors that can result in an uncertain diagnosis, especially since no single healthcare professional knows everything about every mental health condition. At this point getting a second opinion improves your chances of getting the right diagnosis and receiving the right treatment.

Get a psychiatric second opinion when You’re not confident in your prescription

More commonly patient who’s not confident with their psychiatrist’s diagnosis usually results in a lack of confidence in the medicine that has been prescribed.

Not to forget that this becomes particularly relevant with complex conditions like bipolar II. If a single consultation leaves you feeling doubtful, a second opinion is highly advised.

Get a psychiatric second opinion when  You’re not responding to prescribed therapies

Actually Depression is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed psychiatric disorders. One study found that only 47.3% of depression cases are correctly diagnosed, which means patients who aren’t depressed are taking the wrong medications.

It’s important to review that in worst-case scenarios, a misdiagnosis of depression leads to months or even years of failed treatment and a worsened condition. If you’re not seeing the results of prescriptions or feel your symptoms are getting worse, you may need a second opinion to receive better treatment options, at which point you should ask for a clear estimate of how long it will take your prescriptions to yield results.

Get a psychiatric second opinion when Your doctor doesn’t specialize in treating your condition

The most important thing to be noticed her is that suppose you do get a correct diagnosis as a result of a second opinion, but that doctor isn’t the best one to treat it.

It’s a no brainer to believe that to be the case -- because that psychiatrist's practice specializes in other illnesses, say -- and you’re not comfortable with his or her prescription, it’s perfectly acceptable to explore other healthcare providers who could take your diagnosis and provide better treatment.

Critically analyzing one can say that every time its crucial to mental health treatment progress is the doctor’s previous experience with a specific condition. There are many exceptions, but mental health practitioners who specialize in your specific issue are far more likely to prescribe the safest and most effective treatments.

Psychiatric Second Opinions and Specialized evaluations are important in following scenarios,

• Psychiatric Second Opinions is important in case of Unclear diagnosis or coexistence of multiple conditions at once
• Psychiatric Second Opinions is important in case of Refractory mood disorders (depression, bipolar, and others)
• Psychiatric Second Opinions is important in case of Refractory anxiety disorders (panic attacks, generalized anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and others)
• Psychiatric Second Opinions is important in case of Refractory psychotic disorders
• Psychiatric Second Opinions is important in case of Psychiatric disorders affected by or influencing concurrent serious medical illness (e.g. depression and heart disease, anxiety and thyroid disease, organ transplantation, etc.)