What is in the name of a diagnosis?

Is getting a diagnosis a hindrance or access to support? 

I have worked with many clients of all ages who come to me already diagnosed, or they express struggles which I piece together as potential symptoms of a mental health diagnosis. (Remember, I can’t diagnose, and a diagnosis is a full assessment process, meeting the criteria of the DSM-5, done by a psychologist or psychiatrist.) If a client continues to express the same frustrations and I have pieced them together to suggest a potential diagnosis, I will recommend to the parent or client (depending on the age) that they consider getting an assessment done. For clients who come to me with a diagnosis, it helps me understand their challenges and weaknesses, provides me opportunities to give the client some psycho-education on why they do the things they do, and I can also provide the appropriate strategies and tools. 

We can look at having a diagnosis as the identifier that summarizes the behaviours, emotions and thoughts someone is experiencing, but it does not define the whole person. Think of it like a piece of the puzzle! For example, someone may have a diagnosis of ADHD, and it can help explain why they engage in certain behaviours or why they find things hard or easy, but they are still someone who has other strengths, challenges, interests, etc. 

The other side of getting a diagnosis is that it can give confirmation or a sense of knowing and guidance for next steps. It can also be a sense of ownership that these symptoms shape who you are, but do not define who you are. Getting a diagnosis can be an opportunity to access services and supports that will help you better understand yourself, among many other opportunities.  

Someone is a name before a diagnosis. 

Sharing a diagnosis with others can be scary. It exposes vulnerabilities that can be seen as a weakness by others, or you assume people will immediately think the “worst” of that diagnosis or the “stereotype“, so you may not disclose. You may feel “less-than, labelled, or different”. These feelings are valid. Social media, TV shows, movies, and the news have portrayed a range of mental health diagnoses in different shades of light, which can impact the idea and understanding people have about a mental health diagnosis. 

Let’s look at a diagnosis as a way to connect and be understood by others, rather than disconnect and feel ashamed.