Category: Mental Health

When people hear the word diagnosis, they often assume it means something is wrong with them. In reality, a mental health diagnosis is simply a clinical way for professionals to identify patterns of emotional, psychological, and behavioral symptoms so they can better understand what someone is experiencing.   Mental health professionals use the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) as a guide for recognizing patterns of symptoms. This manual helps clinicians identify conditions based on specific criteria that have been studied and documented in mental health research.   A diagnosis does not define a person. Instead, it helps…