Mental Health & Wellbeing Matters | The aftermath of a diagnosis

In our regular mental health spot, a few words on what happens once you’ve finally got an official diagnosis. Hello, and a very warm welcome to the spot on the site where we chat about mental health, wellbeing, and the things that may be affecting you, or the people around you. This is a weekly ... Mental Health & Wellbeing Matters | The aftermath of a diagnosis

In our regular mental health spot, a few words on what happens once you’ve finally got an official diagnosis.

Hello, and a very warm welcome to the spot on the site where we chat about mental health, wellbeing, and the things that may be affecting you, or the people around you. This is a weekly column that we’ve been running for years, and so there’s a big backlog of articles. Not everything is of use to everyone of course, but our hope is that there’s something in the archive that may be of help. Perhaps even this piece.

The topic in hand? The aftermath of a diagnosis. Not the actual diagnosis itself, and not the battle to get one (which would require several thousand articles, given the state of current mental health services): but what happens when you actually have one?

Firstly, it’s worth noting that the majority of mental health diagnoses are not a surprise. Many of us feel, just by say going to a GP, that there’s something wrong. It’s rare that there’s an outright surprise, although that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. If you fall into that camp, then there are few better ways forward than talking to people, and finding out everything you can about what you’ve been diagnosed with (although, as always, beware relying on Doctor Google, and be especially wary of Doctor AI.)

But assuming you’ve had a diagnosis that’s of something you’ve had some kind of inkling of, the usual emotion is one of relief. A lot of times, we think that there’s something inherently wrong, or that we’re rubbish, or rubbish at something. Paradoxically, it can be quite useful to know exactly what it is. More to the point, that the ups and downs that have been going on in life aren’t actually your fault. Stuff like that can help and matter.

Furthermore, when you have facts – and I’m a big believer in facts – then at least there’s the option of doing something with them. Be it letting the people around you know what you’ve been diagnosed with, perhaps to help them support you or at least understand you a bit better.

For you though, it gives you – Doctor Who parlance incoming – a fixed point in time. That post-diagnosis, the confirmation and hopefully added understanding you have will be a useful moment. That you have the choice to actively seek out support if you want it, but also, in possession of actual facts, you might just have a few more choices, and a bit more peace of mind.

Of course, you’re still dealing with a diagnosis. But usually, knowing what you’re dealing with is a whole lot better all around than the uncertainty of thinking there’s something wrong, but you don’t know what it is.

Thanks as always for reading. This column returns next week.