How helpful is a diagnosis?

[Freida]

I fought it tooth and nail because I was NOT going to be THAT person - someone who couldnt handle unfortunate things in their past. So we spent a lot of time going over symptoms and diagnostics and treatment plans and why I was judging the diagnosis so harshly (which is a symptom :laugh:)

It took a long time to accept the label, so instead we focused on specific events and how they impacted me in the present and how to change my coping skills today from those based in prior experiences.

 

[Justmehere]

It is ok to ask what is the working diagnosis. They should be able to tell you. It’s also ok to not be in the box of the diagnosis and focus on goals in therapy, not the diagnosis.

You can have both things. It doesn’t need to be either I know the diagnosis and now I’m in a box OR therapy can focus on goals instead of diagnosis.

 

[Ellabella44]

Diagnosis gives a name to this awful mess in my head. A way to find what is behind my actions. Why I'm seeing the same stuff over and over and sometimes experiencing some sensations as well. I thought I was looking my mind. I can learn about a diagnosis and how to survive it.

 

[Deanna]

I couldn't believe it when my psychiatrist said I was PTSD. I was blown away. A diagnosis to me, is a starting point of how you need to heal. Without it, it's a waste of time. Why go through the healing process of bipolar disorder, if you don't have it?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I didn't want to be mentally ill. My younger brother had PTSD, so I began to suspect I did. After about 6 months or so I checked with my therapist and he agreed I had it too. Then I had to accept that I was mentally ill, which took a while. It was really helpful in the long run to know what I had so I could find books and workbooks and groups and websites to help me.

 

[Blondutch]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences so far. This is really helpful in understanding how each individual response to 'having a diagnosis' is unique. Glad I've found you.

 

[AliciaEff]

I started EMDR before my diagnosis. My EMDR therapist kept using words such as “trauma” and “PTSD” and I felt like she wasn’t talking about me. I finally sought a diagnosis based on how well the treatment was working and more research into how it’s essentially a PTSD treatment and I don’t just have weird depression. The diagnosis felt weird at first. I didn’t feel like it fit me and I almost felt like I dissociated every time I told someone. It felt like I was someone else talking about themselves because it couldn’t possibly be me! I eventually grew to accept the diagnosis and I feel like it fits me. I think it helped me understand myself a bit better and I think it helped my EMDR, but only because my brain was actively rejected the words like trauma. If you’re fine with treatment without a diagnosis and the lack of diagnosis doesn’t make you feel less traumatized or less fitting for treatment, I think you’re good. Do what’s right for you.