Positive or Negative: Self-Diagnosis

One of the benefits of finding health care, which might be, mental health or any other is that a professional is much better suited to be accurate in his or her diagnosis and would know what would be the best for your treatment. A diagnosis is a term given of an illness and are defined by certain symptoms. Mental Health diagnosis can be found in the DSM or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and each diagnosis has a category, such as mood disorders, schizophrenia, psychotic disorder, or anxiety disorders and others. http://www.mentalhelp.net/  From the start of your visitation to a clinician or therapist, the first thing they do is to perform a diagnosis. They listen to you about any problems or complaints you have and place them into a certain category in the DSM. This is important because it lets the therapist know what to suggest to you and what will help you recover from your illness. They have a vast background of information to match with what you have described and many diagnoses to sort from.
If you were to diagnosis yourself or think to do such, you should know that you may lack the knowledge to understand your problem or problems. You might not have the objectivity or perspective to make true judgment about your possible illness and their causes and you should know there are many ways people distort the truth or even deny such about their lives. In such matters we use defense mechanisms and rely on a type of denial to suit our needs of not facing the truth. Some people resort to varying extremes so they have no time to think of their personal problems. Even though we may lack the ability to “fix” the problem or problems we have, we accept in ourselves to try to solve them. Yet it takes resources and the willingness to read and study before you can determine the best way to help yourself. Even so we may lack the motivation to stay in tune with a self help plan and creating a self help plan is very hard to do, because not everyone has the motivation or discipline when confronted with problems that are painful that they may want to solve.
We should accept the fact that Therapist and counselors are trained to be objective in their observations of people who pay them visitation and that they are trained to know concepts relating to illness and are capable of guiding their clients in ways that would help their clients find solace. These therapist and clinicians can help their clients with the proper feedback which, they or we as consumers might not be able to give ourselves, through self-diagnosis.

Writtena by Donald S.

Mental Illness and It’s Toll

This is an interesting article titled “The Neglect of Mental Illness Exacts a Huge Toll, Human and Economic” The article says: “Mental health care is one of the biggest unmet needs of our time.” There are a lot of people with untreated mental illness in our society today. In recent years the federal government has been trying to right this wrong. Although progress has been slow. One reason is all the budget cuts. Another reason is legal wrangling. It is a drag that everyone cannot be treated. Of course there are some who do not want to be treated although that is a different story.
Mental illness can strike anyone regardless of how rich or poor you are. Although the article states: “…but the strain is acute for people with low incomes. About one in six adults living at just above the poverty line or lower have severe mental health problems.” Then besides getting a mental illness they find they cannot work because of the negative symptoms of this disease. The article goes on to say: “The human and economic toll is enormous yet often hidden. Untreated mental illnesses in the U.S. cost more than $100 billion a year in lost productivity…” That is a lot of productivity lost. With the recession it is hard enough to find work then lose your job to mental illness is tough.
They have been a little successful with insurance, although if you do not have insurance then you are out of luck. “But equalizing coverage means little to those who lack insurance altogether and states are increasingly failing to make provisions for them.” With budget cuts they are making it even harder. The article does say: “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law in 2010, should help fill these holes. It requires that insurance plans offer “behavioral health” coverage, including mental health and addiction and substance abuse help, as an “essential health benefit.” That should bring some help to some that have insurance or are trying to get it. Hopefully this law will stay even if President does not remain in office.
There is Medicaid for people who do not have insurance. Although if there are cuts to the federal or state budget theses are usually one of the first areas where they feel they can cut is Medicaid and help for the indigent, that, as you know means cutting dollars for people who, according to the article might have mental illness.