Roughly 25% of Americans will face a mental illness this year. Mental illness can carry with it a huge stigma. Most often this stigma arises from being labeled as "mentally ill," or having been given a specific diagnosis. Some individuals feel as though a diagnosis is helpful; I have heard in my work a sense of relief when being diagnosed, as though there is a reason for an individual's inability to control and understand her/his behavior. I have also worked with clients who resented having been diagnosed, and explored with them the consequences of having a "label." In the future, this blog will explore in more detail how diagnoses are made, who is qualified to make such diagnoses, and in what capacity a diagnosis exists in comparison to a physical disease. In celebration over the newly published Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, I will be highlighting some of the more commonly encountered and misunderstood mental illness diagnoses. These posts will not be intended to diagnose individuals, but rather begin to correct misconceptions and myths of mental illness and begin to break down the walls of stigma.
If there is a diagnosis or disorder that you have heard of and wish to know more about, please comment below!
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