If you’ve followed the mental health world for a while, you may have noticed that many therapists and counselors are actually moving away from the idea of diagnoses. There is a push for less emphasis on labels like “anxiety” and “depression,” and instead the opinion that a mental health practitioner’s role is to help someone, no matter where they are, get to the place they want to be.
There are many reasons for this:
- Some people’s symptoms are limited by a label.
- Some people adopt the label, which can affect their mental health.
- Some people need help even if they do not qualify for a diagnosis.
- Some people have symptoms that do not perfectly fit any one struggle.
These are all quite valid. But you may have noticed that psychiatrists, however, DO use diagnoses. In fact, we rely on them. We use them because, unlike counseling, psychiatrists DO need to have the ability to label challenges in order to provide the best, most consistent service.
The Reasons Diagnoses Matter
First and foremost, from a strictly logistical perspective, diagnoses are important because psychiatry is typically covered by insurance, and insurance companies do require diagnoses in order to reimburse for health related needs. Whether or not this is fair, it is the world we live in, which means patients do need a diagnosis in order to pay for treatment.
But there are other reasons for a diagnosis as well:
- Medications for Mental Health – In therapy, modalities like CBT are versatile, and can be used even on those that do not qualify for a diagnosis. But in psychiatry, where we provide medications or services like TMS therapy for depression, medications cannot be prescribed for every condition. There is some overlap, but when using mental health medication, we want to make sure that the medication is effective for your specific needs.
- Consistency Across Treatment – Similarly, should you ever need other medical care, or ever work with another psychiatrist, it is important that there is medical consistency. We need to make sure that doctors can communicate with each other about your medical needs, including the medications you’re taking for your mental health, and why.
- Removal of Diagnosis – We don’t “Cure” a person’s mental health diagnoses with medicine and therapy. But the end goal is still to reach a point where you may not need the medication or therapy anymore. Using a diagnosis allows us to also, hopefully, remove the diagnosis someday, allowing us to confirm that you have been successfully able to manage your mental health.
Psychiatrists work in the field of medicine which – while it addresses many of the same disorders as psychotherapy – also has other requirements to make sure that you’re getting the treatment you need and that we’re able to communicate that to other medical professionals.
Your mental health diagnosis doesn’t define you, yet there is reason we still use it in the mental health world. If you’re looking for help with a diagnosis, or to manage your mental health, please contact Aware Behavioral Health, today.