misdiagnosis

mis·di·ag·no·sis (ms-dg-nss)

n. pl. mis·di·ag·no·ses (-sz)

An incorrect diagnosis.

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mis·diag·nose v.

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misdiagnosis (misˈ·dī·g·nōˑ·sis),

n an inaccurate assessment of a patient's condition. Harm may be inflicted on the patient as the result of an incorrect therapeutic approach.

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misdiagnosis

Miscall Forensic medicine The incorrect diagnosis of a morbid condition; a diagnostic error–eg, misdiagnosing a benign tumor as malignant. See Misdiagnosis. Cf Misadventure. See Overcall, Undercall.

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Patient discussion about misdiagnosis.

Q. Is narcissism misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder or autism? Is narcissism misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder or autism? It would seem to me that Bipolar and some forms of Autism are equally likely to be misdiagnosed as NPD.

A. Hi friend, Psychiatry is, in many ways, an inexact science, and diagnosis can often be pretty subjective, relating as much to the specialization and intellectual preferences. For instance a neuro-chemical specialist is unlikely to diagnose any personality disorder as the very concept argues with his core philosophy...likewise a behaviorist is extremely unlikely to be comfortable diagnosing autism or neuro-chemical bipolar. This is why it is SO important not to generalize too much about any mental disorder, because there will always be a varied spectrum of individuals presenting with entirely different symptoms hung with the same label... some of whom would never have been hung with that label AT ALL by many other practitioners.