My biggest challenge was getting doctors to believe that my symptoms weren’t all in my head.

I still haven’t found a doctor who completely understands my condition. I rely a lot on online support groups and my own research to manage it. It’s been a tough trying to advocate for myself.

I was lucky to find doctors for each type of condition, but it's taken 7 years to do so. I now search for a primary care doc who can at least imagine the total package.

I saw three psychiatrists before one was able to diagnose me with BP1. The first would only see me remotely and was more interested in getting me off the medications (which worked!) that my GP had had me on before I moved out of state. The second knew I was having trouble with acute anxiety, but thought I was just a drug seeker because one of the medications the previous doc had taken me off of happened to be Klonapin. It took having a psychotic break and being hospitalized before the third doc, which the hospital found for me, took an actual interest in what I was going through, not the meds I had been on, and diagnosed me. He prescribed some non-addictive meds that have worked like a charm, thankfully. The first two were more concerned with what they didn't want me to take than what was actually happening with me. It was very frustrating.

Very hard I have had CRPS for 2.5 years but diagnosed about 1.5 years ago, my original injury that caused my CRPS was 5 years ago. I have just this year finally found a doctor who understands my condition and helps me about 9 months ago when I moved to the town I am living in now and my doctor that I am seeing makes it a lot easier for me to talk about my condition and what I need when I go

I still haven’t really found one.. :/ I had a great care team out in California, but here in Iowa-?? Nobody seems to care or take my health seriously.

It took 10 years to get diagnosed, and I went through countless doctors before then. So I'd say VERY hard :(

Very hard until 2019 things started to change

Yes. It’s hard to find a Dr who I can trust and rely on

Exceptionally hard because they kept giving me exercises and meditation to no avail

My first challenge was a cultural one. My first rheumatologist was a Male Indian and I am a female. He did not have a good or professional attitude towards me. Always gaslighting me. Like when I complained about my hair starting to fall out he says Oh you have plenty of hair. He told me I only had one option for treatment after I failed Taltz injection for Psoriatic arthritis. I found a new female rheumatologist who told me I have many options for treatment and put me on Humira. She actually listens to what I say and is helping me with my symptoms.