Self-Diagnosing
As the general population becomes increasingly exposed to and educated about mental illness and options for treatment, as professionals we are seeing both a lessening of the stigma around mental health as well as an increase in "self-diagnosing" of psychological disorders. For so many years, mental illness was viewed with negativity, apprehension and misconception. In more recent years, there has been a greater understanding and acceptance that people do indeed suffer from emotional and psychological illness and this awareness has opened doors for those in need of professional treatment services. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, like with anything, there does exist an upside and a downside.
The downside, of more available information on mental illness and mental health, is the phenomenon of self-diagnosing. “I am Bipolar”, “I am ADHD”, “my child is schizophrenic”, “and my child is schizophrenia, bipolar and ADHD”. This is not uncommon. We do believe it is human nature to try to understand and explain the nature of our distress by attaching a label. This labeling often makes it easier for us to understand and communicate to others the nature of our problems. It gives us something tangible in a not so tangible, often confusing area of describing human behavior. Generally, people are not deliberately fabricating a mental illness by self-diagnosing, but the caution is that a diagnostic label can have very powerful consequences. Labels often affect how people perceive themselves, how others begin to view them and how some treatment providers even direct their interventions.
As mental health professionals, our commitment is to accuracy in triage, comprehensive mental health assessment and targeted treatment interventions. Without following that process, the assigning of any mental illness diagnosis is irresponsible, unethical, dangerous and potentially detrimental on so many levels. We understand this phenomenon of self-diagnosing and as a result, we are able to keep in context the information that is provided in this manner. It is our hope and challenge to other mental health professionals to increase their awareness of this self-diagnosing phenomenon, be patient and deliberate in the objective clinical assessment and be conservative in the use of diagnostic labels. Utilize diagnoses as “guides” only in directing the treatment process and more importantly, educate your patient’s on techniques and skills that they can implement to cope and manage their situation in a healthy manner.
The downside, of more available information on mental illness and mental health, is the phenomenon of self-diagnosing. “I am Bipolar”, “I am ADHD”, “my child is schizophrenic”, “and my child is schizophrenia, bipolar and ADHD”. This is not uncommon. We do believe it is human nature to try to understand and explain the nature of our distress by attaching a label. This labeling often makes it easier for us to understand and communicate to others the nature of our problems. It gives us something tangible in a not so tangible, often confusing area of describing human behavior. Generally, people are not deliberately fabricating a mental illness by self-diagnosing, but the caution is that a diagnostic label can have very powerful consequences. Labels often affect how people perceive themselves, how others begin to view them and how some treatment providers even direct their interventions.
As mental health professionals, our commitment is to accuracy in triage, comprehensive mental health assessment and targeted treatment interventions. Without following that process, the assigning of any mental illness diagnosis is irresponsible, unethical, dangerous and potentially detrimental on so many levels. We understand this phenomenon of self-diagnosing and as a result, we are able to keep in context the information that is provided in this manner. It is our hope and challenge to other mental health professionals to increase their awareness of this self-diagnosing phenomenon, be patient and deliberate in the objective clinical assessment and be conservative in the use of diagnostic labels. Utilize diagnoses as “guides” only in directing the treatment process and more importantly, educate your patient’s on techniques and skills that they can implement to cope and manage their situation in a healthy manner.
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