The topic of diagnosing comes up frequently. In fact, I recently helped contribute to an article about diagnosis and how difficult it can be at times. I am big on the idea that I don’t treat the diagnosis, I treat the symptoms. Two people can come to me for treatment and I can provide the same diagnosis, but their symptoms are very different. That’s because the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is in its 5th edition (DSM-5) has a list of several criteria for various disorders, and depending on the disorder, not all criteria need to be met.
Diagnosing helps in the following ways:
The in-network provider getting paid by the insurance company, as a diagnosis is required.
The patient getting reimbursed for treatment by an out-of-network provider by their insurance company as a diagnosis is required in this instance too.
Providing a sense of normalcy and name to what the person is experiencing and struggling with.
Ability to obtain services the person might not otherwise receive with the diagnosis (e.g. school accommodations, disability services).
For providers to share a common language about what is going on with a patient.
Diagnosing does NOT help in the following ways:
The stigma associated with the diagnosis, especially for high stigmatizing ones (e.g. Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Personality Disorders).
The patient latching on to the diagnosis and using it as an excuse or crutch.
The patient believes that there is something “wrong” with them and feels hopeless.
Having a paper trail of a mental health condition that has and still could lead to some issues with applying for life insurance, a home mortgage, or joining the armed forces.
If your provider is assigning a diagnosis to you based on your symptoms and what is bringing you to therapy, they should be talking to you about it. Most providers are required to develop a treatment plan which lists the patient’s diagnosis, goals of the treatment, and what interventions and steps are going to take place in order to decrease the problematic symptoms.
One thing I tell people is to leave diagnosing up to the provider. Please, don’t confuse your 10-minute search engine research with years and education, training, and experience. Just because someone has tendencies, doesn’t mean they have a mental disorder. Take for example obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Many people will make comments like, “Oh, that’s my OCD kicking in, I want my shirts all facing the same way.” That one thing doesn’t necessarily constitute an OCD diagnosis. Many of us have tendencies of various disorders, but not the actual disorder. Anxiety is another big one. Many of us get anxious at times. Actually, I would argue that we all get anxious one time or another. However, not all of us have an anxiety disorder.
This doesn’t mean you can’t challenge your provider, ask questions, or even go for a second opinion. It is important that you are informed and all your questions are answered. However, search engines don’t take into consideration life experiences and other factors that go into diagnosing. An ethical provider does. If there is a question on what diagnosis best suits your symptoms, as many diagnoses overlap, an evaluation with valid and reliable test measures may be beneficial.
So, when the question comes up with whether or not it is beneficial to diagnose, like most things in psychology and the field of mental health, it’s a gray area. Diagnostic criteria constantly change and there is more that goes into diagnosing than just checking off boxes. If you have questions about your diagnosis and treatment, please reach out to your provider (and if it’s me, reach out to me!) at your next appointment.