Our identities are wrapped up in how we label or define ourselves. Do you have a diagnosis or a label and feel it helps you? Or do you feel it hinders you? We will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of diagnostic labels in this article.
There are approximately 157 diagnostic labels in the DSM-5! There are a great abundance of labels that we can identify with and misdiagnosis, inaccurate assessments, and therapist negligence all may contribute to undesirable effects regarding accurate labels and treatment.
What is a diagnosis or a label?
A diagnosis represents a cluster of symptoms that are similar enough to that label, and meet specific criteria, to represent a disorder or diagnostic label. It is the closest therapists can come to understanding what a particular symptom cluster may represent, and therapists use their best judgement (hopefully!) to diagnose a client with a certain disorder. After all, however, it is according to the therapist's best guess, and if you go to another therapist, they may see your symptom cluster differently and provide another diagnostic label.
This becomes problematic because then we tend to have at the very least one to five diagnoses that we may feel urged to identify with, even if there are certain symptoms in that diagnosis that we may not identify with at all. Labels can be an issue in that sense, in that we become trapped in the label and others may accuse us of symptoms that we don't even have. Then others can also confuse and misperceive the situation due to an entire diagnosis labeling the identity of a human being, who is infinitely more complex than a simple diagnostic label!
The Current Dilemma with Labels
We are complex beings with an array of traits, characteristics, and quirks. We are infinitely intricate and beyond a simple label. Yet, psychology desires to place everyone in neat boxes with treatment plans for each disorder. Oftentimes, it is not that simple.
"The listing of disorders in a diagnostic and statistical manual is highly misleading. Many of these 'disorders' are behavioral manifestations and there is no organic or physical aetiology to support a diagnosis. Certain behaviors are mistaken for symptoms and often lead to erroneous diagnoses. Many others result in a diagnosis after a period of psychopharmaceutical intervention and consequently are self fulfilling prophecies rather than disorders."-- Barry Turner, University of Lincoln, Senior Lecturer
Compassion for Human Behavior
It's important to see ourselves in a compassionate manner, as many diagnoses are simply Trauma-Spectrum Neurodivergence aka, Trauma-Spectrum Illness. Our natural responses to trauma do not need to be labeled as disorders with no cure. There is always HOPE! There is always a way to change behaviors, thoughts, patterns, emotions, etc.
Through understanding, we can move forward in this world with greater self-love! And love we can extend to others, and the global community at large!
I'd like you to know that even in the world of psychology, nothing is fixed or set in stone, it is still emerging and growing as a field and we are discovering new ways to understand human behavior, emotions, and cognition constantly, with every new experiment and case study.
There is still questions over whether personality disorders even exist! All signs lead to trauma as the main source of psychological pain and suffering, even leading to other chronic physical illnesses or contributing to exacerbating these conditions.
It's time we see humans for who we are and not sets of symptoms clustered together to be fearful about. This complicated field will simply over time, and treatments will continue to improve over time.
By identifying as being on the trauma-spectrum, having a trauma spectrum illness, we can understand that an illness can always be treated. A more compassionate approach we can take is understanding that an illness, though painfully experienced, is still a physical illness expressed physically, emotionally, cognitively, and even spiritually. It's still like any other illness, such as cancer, and can be deadly as suicide rates skyrocket. Akin to any other illness, we can recover with the right care for the right person. It's not a one-size-fits-all approach!
Taking our illnesses seriously and getting the right treatment for our unique selves is crucial for healing and overall psychological balance and peace.
The Benefits of Labels and Diagnoses
While this article clearly advocates for de-pathologizing people and bringing a systemic, holistic approach, there are also clear benefits to diagnostic labels. If a particular name works better to help clarify, understand, and cope with our illnesses, than that's great! There are times when labeling brings immense relief to us, as we now can accurately identify what we have been feeling and trying to cope with. This can be a big step in how we recover, as the beginning always requires awareness. And labels may assist greatly with awareness of our symptoms and which treatments may be best for that condition.
Labels can be beneficial if they enhance our lives with hope for our future, and establishing an identity with positive self-esteem and improved self-image.
Having a diagnosis can change people's lives for the better and we can use them as a guide for how we can reduce suffering within ourselves. And then we may practice non-attachment if we'd like, as we proceed and dis-identify with our suffering and instead identify with our strengths!
It's up to us to decide what works best for us at the end of the day. There is no judgment whether we identify with a diagnostic label or if we do not. The goal of therapy is to bring compassion to suffering, extending ourselves by establishing a solid sense of self with coping skills and resources so that we are not dependent on our therapist, but can use the tools given to improve our lives dramatically. There is always hope for a brighter future!
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