About 10 days ago, Linmarie included a posting on this thread in which she said, in part:

Just wanted to let you all know that I talked to my PM about this. He was open to it & gave me the number of the psychiatric unit at a teaching hospital. He said, by definition, all people with RSD are depressed. No offense, GJmom. I think it's his way of saying that we should be able to get it. Maybe, away around the insurance.

Well, I met this morning with my psychologist, who raised the possibility that DSM IV Diagnostic criteria 293.83 for Mood Disorder Due to . . . [Indicate the General Medical Condition] might be able to provide a psychiatric diagnosis that we, our insurance companies and the ECT practitioners could live with. The full version of the Diagnostic Criteria reads as follows:

DSM IV Diagnostic criteria 293.83 for Mood Disorder Due to . . . [Indicate the General Medical Condition]

A. A prominent and persistent disturbance in mood predominates in the clinical picture and is characterized by either (or both) of the following:

1. depressed mood or markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities

2. elevated, expansive, or irritable mood.

B. There is evidence from the history, physical examination, or laboratory findings that the disturbance is the direct physiological consequence of a general medical condition.

C. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder (e.g., Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood in response to the stress of having a general medical condition).

D. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of a delirium.

E. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

I have submitted this for my PM/shrink's review, but it surely looks like an interesting possibility.

Mike