Diagnosis is not as useful as you might think.

I get where you are coming from @KirSa_EnigmA however for me diagnosis made an important part of my recovery journey. But I also understand everyone is different..

Being diagnosed with asd led me on a journey of self love and self acceptance. It paved the way for me to go 'hey, this isn't all just in my head' and 'there isn't actually something wrong with me, I just function differently and that's ok'

Diagnosis is a major part of medicine, I understand why it's used in psychiatric practices too. Without knowing what the problems or issues are you can't begin to understand them and work on them.

Saying that not every Diagnosis needs to be treated mentally, often therapy is much more effective.

It is important to find what works for you.

I found a holistic approach worked for me. I need some medication. Some therapy. And some life changes and adjustments. Nothing works on its own.

Morning @KirSa_EnigmA

Nice to meet you. I agree with @The-red-centaur on this one regarding how finally having a diagnosis is really the start of the recovery process. Finally having a reason why you are what you are. That for me was critical, I learned as much as I could about my diagnosis and the more educated I got the better I knew myself. For me it was taking ownership of my condition, yes medication does help, but its what you do for yourself that I think is the most critical part in any recovery process. Hope that makes sense...........Asgard

I hear what you're saying @KirSa_EnigmA while diagnosis can be very helpful and can really aid or begin the recovery process and self-understanding, like @Asgard and @The-red-centaur have described, for others it can feel limiting and unhelpful.

I do also agree that diagnosis should take a much more holistic view, considering the persona as a whole. For example, if someone is in unsafe living conditions they might meet the criteria for a mental disorder, but do they need therapy, or do they need assistance in securing safe and stable housing?

Perhaps for some practitioners and diagnosticians, such as the one's you've had experience with, over time there is a risk of falling trap to more set ways of thinking - 'to a hammer everything is a nail'. It's disappointing to hear that often they haven't taken the time to inform you or involve you in what's going on. Unfortunately sometimes we need to advocate for ourselves to get those answers and to have more of a say in our own treatment.

I know it can be a hard road, but I hope that in time you're able to find the support that is right for you with practitioners who are interested in exploring the cause as well as the symptoms

I think the word you're all looking for is 'indoctrinated'... or 'Stockholm Syndrome'.

But hey... enjoy the cult life.