These worries and confusion often trouble people who’ve been given the label of a “psycho” diagnosis. It’s also one of the reasons why many people are afraid to see a professional about their mental health struggles. Even though we are now more open to diversity, a psychiatric diagnosis still carries a certain stigma that we fear. But what are diagnoses actually for? And can these labels be helpful in any way?

What’s behind the term “psycho” diagnosis?

A “psycho” diagnosis can be understood as a description of certain human traits or behaviors that are typical for a specific group of people. These manifestations are so pronounced that they limit the person in normal integration into society or otherwise complicate their life. Simply put, it’s a way of categorizing people based on types of behavior, which helps with better orientation and understanding of why certain individuals or groups act in a particular way.

But is it actually useful to us? Since ancient times, people who were different in some way have been stigmatized and pushed to the margins of society. This aspect and fear of psychiatric diagnoses are still deeply rooted in us. The fear that we won’t be accepted as we are. So we’d rather pretend and fight with ourselves.

A diagnosis helps to make sense of the situation

Sometimes the manifestations of “our” self are so strong that those around us notice them, and they affect us so much that we suffer because of them and feel strange, bad, or inadequate. We’re talking, for example, about anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and other mental difficulties.

And it’s precisely in these situations that a diagnosis can help us better understand ourselves. If a professional told you that you suffer from, for example, an eating disorder or anxiety, they placed you into a statistical category describing the behavior of a larger sample of people, which can help explain why you behave in a certain way. You don’t have to feel bad—maybe it will help you understand yourself better.

Diagnosis historically emerged not only to help us better understand ourselves, but mainly so that we could work with it, find the right type of treatment, and ideally recover. So if a professional has told you that you have a “psycho” diagnosis, don’t fight it. See it as a path to finding the right treatment for your difficulties.

What’s certain is that you’re not alone in this

Sometimes, having an explanation for why we feel and behave a certain way can be relieving. We’re not alone, we’re not that strange. Self-help groups of people with the same diagnosis have been proven to bring very positive healing results. It’s on these foundations that well-known groups like Alcoholics Anonymous were formed.

The main goal and meaning of a diagnosis should be the acceptance that something is happening with me, and that I don’t have to be alone in it—that there are others like me. If an alcoholic didn’t accept that they’re an alcoholic, it would be hard for them to start attending group therapy for alcoholics. And they probably wouldn’t help themselves much—in fact, the shame of that label could deepen the stress, they would avoid people, and the symptoms could get even worse.

We are not the diagnosis

At the same time, it’s important not to forget that a diagnosis is just a description, but we are ourselves. It’s healing to accept that we have some problems, but identifying too strongly with a diagnosis can be devaluing. We might start using it as an excuse: „I can’t go to school because I have anxiety,“ or „I’m mentally ill, so I won’t do that.“

It doesn’t have to be a central part of your identity!

When a “psycho” diagnosis becomes a large part of our identity, it only prolongs the healing process. For example, in people suffering from eating disorders, if their family tolerates many things because of the illness—things they wouldn’t normally allow—it only leads the person to start seeing the illness (sometimes even unconsciously) as an advantage and they won’t have a reason to want to recover. The same goes for anxiety and other difficulties.

Whether we have a diagnosis or not, it’s important to know that no label defines who we are. Treatment with a professional shouldn’t happen just because we’ve been diagnosed with an illness. Personally, I turn away from naming diagnoses and instead focus on who the client is, what they perceive, and what they need. A diagnosis only shows me the way to the client, but the rest is about listening. And that’s how everyone who has a “psycho” diagnosis should see it—as just a signpost on the road where we explore the “personal map of life.”

The article was created under the auspices of Alive Cares. 

Author: Mgr. Lucie Holubičková – addiction specialist, therapist