Receiving a diagnosis of mental illness, cognitive decline or a neurobehavioral disorder for yourself or a loved one is confronting. It can be life changing for some, but for others it offers some relief and explanation. As health professionals we need to remain mindful that we’re looking at the entire person and not just a label or a diagnosis. This is also really important for anyone who has been diagnosed, knows someone who has received a diagnosis, or are worried about signs and symptoms that they may be experiencing and are scared to seek help.
Let’s talk them through some of the benefits and disadvantages of receiving a diagnosis.
BENEFITS
- A diagnosis may help you to access additional services to maintain or improve wellbeing.
- Naming a problem can give a sense of knowing and ease the worry.
- Knowing that you are not alone, other’s have this diagnosis too, is helpful.
- It gives understanding into the signs and symptoms, and can allow for better treatment options.
- A diagnosis may help you to access various insurances and programs to ease financial burden.
DISADVANTAGES
- Stigma is often attached.
- People sometimes feel they lose themselves and become the diagnosis.
- At times diagnosis between clinicians can be conflicting, leaving the individual confused.
- Diagnosis or labelling may fail to explain a cause. Not knowing a cause does cause some people distress.
- A diagnosis or label may not be necessary to support the person to recover.
So what can you take away from this?
A person’s life is like a jigsaw puzzle. Just like a jigsaw has hundreds of pieces, many experiences make up who each person is. Allow a diagnosis to be a piece of the puzzle and not the whole picture. A diagnosis is nothing on it’s own and therefor it doesn’t mean everything.
Use a diagnosis to access the health care you need and to learn about signs, symptoms and treatment options.
Do not use a diagnosis as a label to define who you or anyone else is.
