Diagnosis

The sooner you contact your physician with your symptoms, the better your chances are to recover the initial level of functionality in terms of both your social life and your work.

It is, therefore, important to be diagnosed as early as possible. ^{10, 14, 15}If your disease is not treated promptly and effectively, your condition could rapidly deteriorate, which may require hospitalization. ¹⁶ Without treatment, the symptoms can also negatively affect your well-being and that of your family and loved ones. ^{3, 17}

If you experience any of the symptoms, or you feel that your medicine is not working anymore, please contact your doctor.

How will your doctor determine what the problem is?

Your doctor will talk with you to find out as much as possible about your symptoms and everything you experienced. Your doctor will ask you questions about:

your personal and medical history;
the symptoms you experienced;
for how long have you experienced them;
whether and how the symptoms have changed over time;
have there been any triggers.

Your doctor will talk with your family or those close to you in order to understand the background and history of your condition. Other medical investigations may be required such as blood tests, X-ray or brain scans. These investigations will be performed to obtain a picture of your overall health condition and determine whether there is a physical cause for your symptoms. You may be asked to complete psychological tests in order to find out more about your personality and brain function.

It is important to know how your symptoms affect your everyday life, so your doctor or his/her assistant will ask questions about your social situation, work, activities and relationships with your family and friends.

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