Neuropsychoanalytic Diagnosis (Part 3 )

Given your DSM symptom based diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, I may decide that you need both therapy and an assessment by a psychiatrist for possible medication. Your psychiatrist will talk with you about what antidepressant medication might be best in helping to reduce  your painful symptoms, and will prescribe that medication for you.                             

So let's say your Psychiatrist prescribes you the anti depressant drug Lexapro while also affirming  your doing neuropsychoanalytic psychotherapy with me.  As I said earlier, when you come to see me for your first few sessions,  I will also learn about what unpleasant feeling you are suffering from. In your case your depressive feelings (DSM Major Depression)  will likely predominate.  But,  neuropsychoanalytic diagnosis GOES BEYOND the descriptive diagnosis of the DSM, to assess the underlying cause of your unpleasant feeling/symptom. This is the KEY DIFFERENCE in the two types of diagnosis!

1Natalie Melton