Second opinion

You already have (or recently had) existing care - either medication management and/or therapy. However, your condition has not improved significantly. Or, it may even have gotten worse.  

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In that case, it may be helpful to consider several questions. 

1. Could I be misdiagnosed? Am I being treated for the right condition? 

2. Is my medication regimen appropriate for my condition? Is the most effective form of therapy being used to support me? 

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If you have suspicion that your condition is misdiagnosed or that your treatment plan is ineffective, you may want to consider getting a second opinion. 

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What is a second opinion? Sometimes called a re-evaluation or a second consultation. A second opinion is essentially getting an independent intake by another provider, who will arrive at their own diagnosis. 

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Why was I misdiagnosed? Two possible explanations include the complexity of the patient's condition as well as the quality and experience of the provider who made the diagnosis.

 

For example, psychiatric illnesses or issues are complex medical conditions. And similar symptoms may have different underlying causes, with different social, environmental, and biological triggers. Complex conditions are more likely (though not always) to be diagnosed accurately in a hospital setting, where the patient is admitted and monitored by a team. Usually this only happens when the patient's condition is very severe and their health and safety is of urgent concern.

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Out in the community or in a private practice setting, patients can get their diagnosis from a variety of providers, ranging from nurse practitioners and clinical therapists, to clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. More important than the years of experience, patients should understand the difference in training. For example, psychiatrists undergo 4 years of medical school, followed by 3-4 years of general psychiatry residency. In the case of child and adolescent psychiatrists, they must also do an additional 2 years of fellowship, where they specialize in diagnosis of mental health conditions within children and young adults, and develop extensive experience working with families. 

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When should I get a second opinion? Given that psychiatric conditions are complex, it is necessary to trial treatments and see how the patient responds over time. If it's been 3-6 months since the last diagnosis, or the diagnosis doesn't make sense, it may be time to get another opinion.  

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About

Dr. Nguyen is a highly skilled psychiatrist with expertise in evaluating and diagnosing psychiatric disorders across the full spectrum of ages, from children to adults. Grounded in rigorous medical training (UCLA School of Medicine) and clinical experience (residency at the University of Washington followed by 2 years of fellowship training at UCLA), her practice emphasizes evidence-based diagnosis, compassionate care, and personalized treatment plans. Prior to private practice, she was on the psychiatry faculty at UCLA where she also served as a medical director at UCLA Santa Monica. ​​​