Q. I wonder what you would recommend a person to do, if he thinks he has a personality problem or symptoms of such kind. I am a medical student myself, and I know that the waiting time for public mental help in Sweden is very long, and I imagine that the GP�s you have to visit first, are not schooled in these types of problems. It may therefore be more efficient to seek help somewhere else. But where?

Which group of "mental care givers" is best to consult first (psychiatrists, cognitive psychologist, pschodynamically schooled psychologists or other therapists) if one is concerned about being properly diagnosed? In other words: which field of mental science has the most accurate view on personality disorders?

 

A. In my experience, psychologists and therapists tend to be the professionals who have the most accurate information about the diagnosis and treatment of bpd. That is not to say that some psychiatrists (M.D.) don't. However, most psychiatrists today are either biological psychiatrists (i.e., focus on medication management of psychiatric symptoms) or are psychoanalytically trained. In both cases, it is my opinion that these types of psychiatrists tend to mis-diagnose patients with personality disorders as having strictly mood disorders or some other Axis I diagnosis. Therefore, I would suggest consulting with a psychologist or masters-level therapist who has knowledge and skills in the areas of personality assessment.