Are Diagnoses Hurting Our Mental Health?

A mental health diagnosis can bring clarity—or confusion. For some, it’s a relief to have a name for their experience. For others, it can feel limiting or even stigmatizing. In truth, diagnosis is a clinical tool: helpful in certain contexts, but never the full story.

Let’s explore what diagnosis can offer—and where it falls short.

The Limits of Diagnosis

Mental health diagnoses are based on symptom checklists. These can provide structure for treatment and communication between providers. But they don’t always reflect the nuance of real life.

Take Major Depressive Disorder, for example. To meet the criteria, a person must report at least five symptoms for two weeks or more. If you have four symptoms—or if they last 12 days instead of 14—you technically don’t meet the threshold. But that doesn’t mean you’re not suffering.

In this way, diagnostic criteria can feel arbitrary, leaving some people feeling unseen or invalidated.

You Are More Than a List of Symptoms

A diagnosis identifies challenges—it doesn’t define you. When therapy centers only on “what’s wrong,” we risk overlooking your strengths, resilience, and capacity for growth.

For instance:

• Jeff, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, still brings humor and empathy to support a grieving friend.

• Biljana, who lives with social anxiety, succeeds at work by drawing on her reliability and focus.

  
  

A meaningful therapeutic process honors your challenges and your resources.

Progress Isn’t Always Measurable

Some clinicians use diagnosis to track treatment progress, moving from “severe” to “moderate” symptoms, for example. But real change isn’t always linear—or quantifiable.

Instead, many therapists look to more personal indicators:

• Do you feel safe and supported in your relationship with your therapist?

• Are you developing insight?

• Are you practicing show up more authentically in your relationships or day-to-day life?

These shifts can be subtle but deeply significant—and often more reflective of meaningful progress than a symptom score.

When Diagnosis Helps

While imperfect, diagnosis can also be empowering. It can:

• Offer a sense of validation

• Open access to medication, accommodations, or services

• Connect people to communities with shared experience

• Provide a framework for targeted treatment

  
  

For some, it’s a starting point. For others, it’s a key that opens important doors.

A Balanced Approach

Diagnosis can be part of the picture—but it’s not the whole canvas. Your emotional life, history, strengths, and goals matter just as much.

If you’re exploring a new diagnosis—or questioning one you’ve held for years—therapy can offer space to make sense of your experience beyond any label.

Curious about starting therapy or learning more about how I work? Reach out for a consultation, or inquire about our low-fee services. You deserve care that sees the full picture—not just the diagnosis.