Receiving a diagnosis can be emotionally challenging, and leave a person with a lot of understandable questions: What does this mean? What do I do now? How do I relate to this?
On this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore what a diagnosis is, how the diagnostic process works, the limitations of diagnosing someone, dealing with the emotions that come up, and how we can better think about and relate to receiving a diagnosis. Throughout the conversation they focus on how we can come to understand ourselves better, and be liberated by that understanding rather than burdened by it.
As a note, ADHD is used frequently during this conversation as an example, so if you have an ADHD diagnosis this episode could be particularly interesting.
Key Topics:
- 0:00: Introduction
- 2:55: What is a diagnosis, and what is the process used to give a diagnosis?
- 6:50: What is the purpose of diagnosing someone?
- 8:50: Situating what defines pathology within our evolutionary and cultural context
- 11:40: Origins of mental health conditions, social environment, and privilege
- 14:40: How diagnosis is done, and differentiating between different diagnoses
- 25:05: More discussion on environmental and cultural effects
- 31:10: Three subtypes of ADHD
- 33:00: The emotional complexity of receiving a diagnosis
- 42:30: What helps people in working through the emotions that come up?
- 46:35: Paying attention to your emotional experience as much as solving your problem.
- 49:35: Mental health awareness, resources, and support from others
- 51:00: Rick’s response when someone is given a diagnosis
- 58:50: Recap
