Discussion Would you/did you want to be diagnosed with a mental illness or debilitating condition?

[Forever Sleep]

Do you think it would make you feel better to have something official to blame how you feel or want to behave on?

I'm not sure anymore. 15 years ago, I went to see a college therapist who refered me to my GP for a diagnosis of mild to moderate depression. At the time, I think I almost felt a relief. I suppose I had more fight left me in at that stage. I suppose I thought- if these thoughts aren't authentically mine. If they are because of some illness or imbalance in my brain- maybe life will become easier to live once I pop these pills and magically attain a more 'normal' or positive mindset. The pills (Fluoexetine- Prozac) did nothing and I felt too uncomfortable to keep up with the therapy.

I find this place curious though. I think some people embrace all their diagnoses and they're up for getting more. Other people seem to feel insulted that ideation in particular may be related to a mental illness. What's your feeling?

The frustration I have is- even if ideation is connected to a dysfunctional brain in some way- if doctors can't work out how to fix that- how does that really help anyone? They may not be terminally ill but they could be terminally unhappy. Should someone be expected to live a full term unhappy life?

 

[Praestat_Mori]

To receive proper treatment there has to be a diagnosis. Now, specifically with MH a treatment is more trial and error than a sure thing that works. A brain that is dysfunctional due to genetics may not be able to be treated at all in the end. Depending on the severity of the MH issues probably disability can be an option the benefit would be to get a kind of disability pension paid from an insurance / governmental funds in very severe cases.

A diagnosis can be helpful but the more important question is whether what's diagnosed can be treated and cured at all when it comes to MH issues.

In my case I have a diagnosis but what's it worth? I knew it as layman even before it was official. I know what's causing my depressive episodes and there's no medical treatment to eliminate those factors.

 

[uncat_]

I suppose I thought- if these thoughts aren't authentically mine. If they are because of some illness or imbalance in my brain- maybe life will become easier to live once I pop these pills and magically attain a more 'normal' or positive mindset.

i thought this way when i was younger too, especially before i had my diagnosis.

when i was a kid i so desperately wanted to be diagnosed with something so i could know that it wasn't just me that was the problem. i wanted to understand why i was so messed up. but after my diagnosis, nothing has changed.

That belief that my "illness" is what is stopping me from being better has faded away. There are people who receive a depression diagnosis and can deal with it or overcome it. but i don't believe i'm one of those people. i now realize i am the problem-- or at least my inability to get better is.

 

[NSA]

Getting yourself stamped with the right label(s) can open up options you won't otherwise have.

My diagnosis is not a magic button to fix my life, but it's at least pointing me in the right direction. I am glad I got them.

 

[Unicr0n]

A brain that is dysfunctional due to genetics may not be able to be treated at all in the end.

There is always a treatment available for most mental health illnesses [most of which are due to genetics in the first place]. There is never a cure. That would require CRISPR gene modification. There are like two gene modification therapies that are currently available, but they're prohibitively expensive and not for mental health, but for things like sickle cell disease. One day, I hope humanity is kind enough to us to allow us to gene therapy the genes for mental health.

 

[Praestat_Mori]

There is always a treatment available for most mental health illnesses [most of which are due to genetics in the first place]. There is never a cure.

That was what I actually wanted to say, that there is never a cure. We can try to treat it but it also may fail completely in some cases.

 

[4am]

personally i don't care which illnesses i have, i just don't want them diagnosed. i already know about one which doesn't need to be diagnosed, but i don't want to be officially diagnosed with anything else, mainly because i never want to talk to a shrink in my life. but having a diagnosis on it's own wouldn't change anything for me personally, or maybe it would even make my daily life even more unbearable because of other people

 

[Kit1]

I know and understand my diagnosis. It has helped, but unfortunately hasn't changed the outcome.

 

[Silent_cries]

Yes, I do want a diagnosis ror my mental issues as I feel like it would be easier to get the treatment I need that way instead of having ppl solely focus on my autism witch clearly doesn't help me much at all.

 

[Dark Moon]

Already diagnosed with autism and I got diagnosed with a mental illness (don't know if I want to reveal it here) but it hasn't done much for me at all.

 

[uncat_]

Already diagnosed with autism and I got diagnosed with a mental illness (don't know if I want to reveal it here) but it hasn't done much for me at all.

may i ask why you wouldn't want to reveal it on this site? i'm curious

 

[sserafim]

I'm already diagnosed with Asperger's aka autism level 1, ADHD and social anxiety. I used to take meds for ADHD, but I stopped taking them after college. Unfortunately, there's no treatment, meds or cure for ASD

 

[Malaria]

I already have autism, BPD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and possibly PMDD. So uh... idk? Don't feel it makes my life any easier and no one cares if I point to it as to why I do the things I do. Society says I'm just making excuses because mental illnesses are still not taken seriously. Autism is seen as a joke, and so is BPD.

 

[etherealspring]

i think about this all the time. i hate that i feel like a loser for no reason (not that either of those things would make anyone a loser, it would just be nice to have something to blame other than myself)

 

[NumbItAll]

I wouldn't mind a real diagnosis based on some kind of biological markers that helps to explain things, especially with regards to my pharmaceutical-induced issues. Psychiatry does not provide any of that whatsoever. That's fine though, I've learned to accept things the way they are instead of always thinking in terms of "what's wrong with me." Labels and categories are not helpful. I'm just trying to get by the best I can either way, and I know what works for me better than any dumb ass professionals.

 

[Tesha]

I've been diagnosed with CPTSD and MDD. One of the symptoms of my CPTSD is I often feel like a failure - the standards I hold myself to are much higher than I hold others to. So, being diagnosed with CPTSD has been a failure for me…

It's a horrible, vicious cycle.

 

[pleaseiwanttogo]

I feel better knowing. When you know, have proof of it and there are others like you, you can look for community. Even if it never gets better, there's people around you that understands. If I was depressed and didn't know that's a condition and there's more people like me, I would probably believe everyone that told me there's a demon in me, or even that I might be a demon or evil itself. I few hundred years back I would be burned as a witch. Instead, I was only exorcised a few times, a lot better :) but generally, I believe is better to know, when you have the information at least you know what you're fighting, can look for answers and specialized help. My experience with diagnosis was almost funny, started with the suspicious of only depression and now I have three diagnosis and two suspicious, and although it seems to be a lot, at least some things make sense know, I don't feel like crazy all the time, there are more people like me and I can even relate to some people on the internet, I see myself on them and don't feel like a alien (or demon) anymore!
So, ok, I have this tiny list of mental illnesses, but I also have a whole book that explains everything (thanks DSM), support (therapist and meds), great stories and became pretty funny in the process (depression rizz)

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

Not really. As soon as I get an official diagnosis I just know I'm going to be incredibly annoying about it like I have with every other label people have slapped onto me.

 

[vitbar]

For most of my life I didn't think there was anything wrong with me. I felt shame when I even considered it because it seemed like an excuse. Told myself that anyone would be unhappy in my situation. Reality is most would, but most wouldn't react their way down this path how I have.

I don't see much difference between a mental illness or a debilitating condition. Have had ring-side seats to mental illness, my own and that of others, and they can be plenty debilitating.

The frustration I have is- even if ideation is connected to a dysfunctional brain in some way- if doctors can't work out how to fix that- how does that really help anyone? They may not be terminally ill but they could be terminally unhappy. Should someone be expected to live a full term unhappy life?

imo no they shouldn't, but personally I am doing what I can to make sure it isn't just the depression blinding me to other options. I think it's wise to gain an awareness of the role mental illness can play in muddying the waters of such decisions.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

When I was younger I wanted to be diagnosed with something that could explain my feelings and behaviours (especially depression). I used to view meds as being a solution to the feelings I had swirling inside of me. Then, when I was 15, I got diagnosed with some mental illnesses that, after doing some research and self-reflection, I came to realize were likely misadiagnoses. Even if they weren't, they didn't help explain the pain I was going through and it just led to me being back at square one again.

It wasn't until I started tripping on shrooms that I was able to reflect more deeply on myself and finally get somewhere. For a long time I thought I was broken. I was convinced that I was destined to continue on regressing, so there was no point in even trying to get better. I went into denial of my own issues and that led to me harming myself. It's only now that I've been able to start taking steps to heal.

 

[Disappointered]

I guess it's always better to have access to various forms of treatment. But it's treatment while waiting to die in most cases. If you start out weakly in life, odds are low that there's going to be any significant change. Most of the meds have only a mildly beneficial effect, if any (not to mention burdensome side effects). There are special cases in which it happens but for most depressed/anxious/traumatized/generally suicidal people, the best one can hope for is mild relief while trying to get to the point where you can precipitate a good, peaceful ending.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

I'm not sure. I got diagnosed with autism and it hasn't really done much for me as my issues can't really be treated anyway. With that said, perhaps it's better that I knew I got autism instead of not knowing what's wrong with me? Usually, ignorance is bliss but here I'd rather know what is wrong with me instead of having to guess reasons as to why I'm so disconnected from humanity as a whole

 

[Felodese]

"Early onset treatment resistant chronic depression". Getting that diagnosis didn't make much difference. I still didn't get any real help.
The diagnosis that got people's attentions was "acutely suicidal and refusing care".