The diagnosis of Personality Disorder can be a particularly stigmatising diagnosis which can lead to exclusion, punitive responses from services, judgment and harsh treatment. It can have significant consequences for people’s daily life including, employment, health and travel insurance, physical and mental health assessment/treatment, and social stigma.

You can ask to have this diagnosis removed or changed on your medical records. Asking to have this changed should not impact the quality of the care and treatment you receive. You also have the right to access your records and review the information contained within them. This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR).

If you are in Wales you can find information about how to do this here: https://tydoctornefyn.nhs.wales/patient-information/subject-access-requests-sar/

1) Discuss your concerns with your psychiatrist and mental health team:

Openly communicate your concerns about the diagnosis with your current healthcare provider, explaining why you feel it’s inaccurate and requesting a review.  Where possible, make sure to present evidence to support your reasons. If you feel you are not being listened to you can make your request formal by writing to your team.  You can ask what assessments were conducted that led to this diagnosis and you can ask for copies of your notes or any assessments.

2) Seek a second opinion:

You can ask for another mental health professional opinion. This can be a different professional or a psychiatrist from another team.

3) Ask for a re-assessment for CPTSD/PTSD or a neurodevelopmental assessment:

If you have a history of adversity and trauma you can ask for a re-assessment for complex PTSD or PTSD to be undertaken. You could ask if a trauma history was taken prior to the diagnosis being given.

If you feel you should have a neurodiversity assessment instead you can ask to be referred to the appropriate pathway with your rationale for why you feel this diagnosis is more appropriate.

4) Request a note:

If your psychiatrist refuses to change the diagnosis, you can ask them to add a note to your medical record stating your disagreement with the original diagnosis.

5) Making a complaint:

If you have compiled good grounds to ask for a re-assessment, but you are being refused, you can make a formal complaint: NHS Wales complaints and concerns: Putting Things Right | GOV.WALES