Should I Get A Mental Health Diagnosis?
Published November 30th, 2023
4 min read
Learn about the pros and cons of getting an official label for your mental health issues.
Written by Simon Spichak
If you’re feeling physically unwell, you might visit a doctor who can run some tests to figure out what might be going wrong. The diagnosis can determine which treatments or interventions will work best for you. Getting a mental health diagnosis can have some of the same benefits and can be key for accessing accommodations in school or university.
What is a diagnosis?
When mental health issues are causing problems in your life and disrupting your health, sleep, or relationships, it might be worth getting a check-up. A diagnosis can name some of the behavioural, mood, or even physical problems you’re experiencing.
Who do I go to for a diagnosis?
While therapists can treat mental health conditions, they can’t actually diagnose them. To get a diagnosis, you can go to your family doctor or ask them for a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Often, there are very long wait times to see a psychiatrist. People can go to a private clinic for a psychological assessment, though this can be very expensive. Through our partnership with Psychotherapy Matters, we can help students see a psychiatrist within three to six weeks, rather than waiting months to a year or spending a lot of money on an assessment.
How do doctors figure out the diagnosis?
Your healthcare provider can ask you questions about how you’re feeling, your medical history, and run some blood tests to look for clues. A vitamin or hormone deficiency can cause similar symptoms to mental health disorders like anxiety or depression.
Then, the healthcare provider will go through a checklist of signs and symptoms provided by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The most current version of these checklists is the DSM-5-TR, last updated in 2022. It is worth visiting another doctor for a second opinion if you aren't being listened to.
Benefits of a diagnosis
So now that you’ve got a diagnosis, here are some of the benefits that may come your way:
Putting a name to your experiences can be incredibly cathartic.
Getting more insight into your underlying problems.
It can open up doors to new treatments and helpful resources.
It can provide you with clarity moving forward.
Bonus benefits of a diagnosis for students
In addition, students get a few extra bonuses:
Access to school support, like time with a social worker.
More time to complete assignments or write tests and exams.
The chance to build important work or study systems early on with the help of supports or resources at school.
Challenges and downsides of a diagnosis
There is also criticism over how DSM defines different diseases and the overlap between some conditions. Here are some of the downsides of getting a diagnosis:
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if you are experiencing stress or anxiety or whether it has reached the point of becoming a disease or disorder.
Some types of diagnoses come with a stigma because people still don’t fully understand diseases or disorders like depression, ADHD, or OCD.
Sometimes, a diagnosis can be mushy or uncertain. Depending on the symptoms, different experts might suggest other diagnoses.
A diagnosis can feel like an oversimplification of what you are actually experiencing.
Should I get a diagnosis?
Ultimately, it should be your decision whether or not you want to get an official diagnosis. The therapists at Resolvve will meet you where you are, using techniques like CBT and DBT to help you manage your emotions, feelings, anxiety, and stress, whether or not you have an official diagnosis.
If you decide a diagnosis would be valuable, your Resolvve therapist can help set you up with a psychiatry appointment within three to six weeks through our partnership with Psychotherapy Matters.
Please note that this post is written for educational purposes; it is not therapy. If you need to talk to a professional, please book a consultation with a psychotherapist through Resolvve.
