What is a diagnosis? Do I need one? What will it mean for me if I get a diagnosis?
In this blog, diagnosis refers to the official documentation and record of a condition on your health records that can be viewed by all those who request it.
A few years ago, when volunteering as a Young Champion with the Anna Freud Centre, I had the opportunity to work with a BPD counsellor on a conference talk titled ‘What Is A Diagnosis?’ In one part of the talk, we discussed some positive and negative aspects of receiving a diagnosis for mental and/or neurological conditions.
Throughout my degree, I have come to recognise that this question is one very commonly asked whenever someone first hears “X is a psychology student”. It is always in constant debate and whenever discussed, I always find myself gaining more and more insight into how the general population perceives the concept of ‘diagnosis’.
The dictionary definition of ‘diagnosis’ is: a judgement about what a particular illness or problem is made after examining it.
From this definition, the words “illness” and “problem” jump out as predominantly negative terminology, producing an understanding of why people may instinctively associate a diagnosis as inherently problematic or something that is ‘wrong’ and needs to be solved.
The etymology of ‘diagnosis’ differs somewhat from the definition. It comes from the Greek stem of ‘diagiginōskein’ meaning “to discern, distinguish” or, literally “to know thoroughly”. Picking it apart further, ‘dia’ originates from “between” and ‘gignōskein’ from the Proto-Indo-European root ‘gno’ for “to know”. Thus, the word ‘diagnosis’ from its etymology refers more specifically to “scientific discrimination”. While it's still pretty similar to the Cambridge dictionary definition, its origins focus more greatly on discerning a set of symptoms without promoting it to be a horrible disease.
Let me clarify a few things here.
Promoting a more positive outlook on the concept of ‘diagnosis’ is not the suggestion that a mental or neurological condition can’t be a problematic challenge that needs to be reduced. It would not be considered a ‘diagnosis’ if there wasn’t a set of atypical traits that stood out from expectations and provided implications for the individual’s life.
However, promoting a more neutral or positive, less negative perspective of a diagnosis, may reduce current societal stigma around a particular condition or the term ‘diagnosis’ itself. This reduction of stigma will encourage individuals who need a mental health or neurological diagnosis to seek help, with more confidence that the label will not lead to their complete discrimination.
“Do I need a diagnosis then?” I hear you ask. “Not necessarily,” is my answer. Which, I’m sure confuses you since it contradicts my attempt to lessen the negativity of its definition just now. Getting a diagnosis is completely personal and still has its pros and cons - even if discrimination and ableism are typically frowned upon in Western society.
To provide a bit more on this perspective, perhaps if you’re considering getting an official diagnosis for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder/Condition (ASD) or depression (for example), I’ve laid out below some positive points and negative points of receiving an official, documented diagnosis of a mental or neurological condition.
PRO Getting A Diagnosis
A diagnosis allows you to receive the right support according to the way your brain functions and processes. For example: Some anti-depressants and other psychotropic drugs (such as SSRIs), won't work as effectively in the long term for someone who is Autistic as it does for someone with typically expected processing. However, adjusting medication due to this won't be considered without the ASD diagnosis.
Some accommodation support requires professional evidence, whether from a GP, or a Mental Health Team member. Having a diagnosis would ensure concrete evidence in order to ensure correct support at university, work or day-to-day life. For example: The application form for Disability Student Allowance (DSA) requires the submission of evidence towards the highlighted condition.
For some people, simply having a diagnosis for a long-suspected condition provides personal satisfaction and relief. If you were considered "to not fit in" at school - getting an ASD diagnosis certainly reassures you that you were not crazy or imagining things. (Said from experience!).
Diagnoses can make it easier to recognise when a symptom or trait is due to your diagnosed condition. This may make its management a lot better controlled and could reduce unexpected burnout.
Knowing your diagnosis may help you to meet others at societies and clubs who think and feel in a similar way to yourself. This can better affirm and validate your own feelings which in turn, might aid and better your struggles. There are some NHS-run clubs that are strictly for those with an official diagnosis of a particular condition, for example.
For some conditions, its much more challenging, in some cases impossible, to receive medication that may really help, if you don't have a diagnosis. For example, receiving an ADHD diagnosis provides you with the ability to take methylphenidate-based medicines (or other stimulants ) which, for some individuals, helps them to better focus and manage their ADHD presentation.
ANTI Getting A Diagnosis
With your diagnosis public, this can risk people grouping you within a 'label' and subsequently restricting you from doing certain things they assume you won't be efficient at. For example, it could result in you not being accepted for a job, or tasked with a responsibility at work - simply from that stigmatised assumption.
Following diagnosis, it may be possible that you subconsciously begin associating much of your behaviour and struggle with that condition. This might result in failing to recognise when actions do need to be criticised for being inappropriate. It may become an excuse for every 'atypical' behaviour or happening.
It is possible that, as you learn more about yourself and your diagnosis, you begin to limit yourself to the things you think you are capable of. This is because you know others with the same diagnosis are less capable of this particular thing and so you don't even try.
Stigma is still hugely evident in society. Thus, a diagnosis will come with being considered weak, vulnerable and lazy by those who do not understand. As such, you could be isolated or considered an outlier from certain communities.
In some cases, simply knowing you have a condition without getting an official diagnosis provides all the support you need and receiving the diagnosis would not add anything.
For some people, getting a diagnosis is seen as 'giving up' to the condition, rather than fighting it and moving away from such a label. For example, when struggling with depression, having a lesser association from the term might help you to distance from those moods and allow you to function without that overbearing label.
Whether you're in the stages of investigating a condition, or you're simply reading to gain more information about the world of psychological & neurological conditions, I hope these Pros and Cons have given you a little bit more insight into why some people may instantly jump at a diagnosis, and others may be a little more hesitant.
Make sure to share this post with others, comment and like below, and reach out to me if you have any questions!
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