Diagnosis or No Diagnosis

Personally, I have felt uncomfortable whenever the topic of my diagnosis comes up in conversation. People ask me, "What do you have?" I honestly don't have a definite diagnosis. I've received mixed opinions from even the most qualified mental health professionals in the country. They seem to agree that I have traits from different disorders, but I don't show all the symptoms for one specific disorder.

Unfortunately, this is something I have struggled with; I've wanted so desperately to have a definition of what was going on with me and to feel like I had a place and a voice in the realm of mental health. I thought that I would be able to identify myself if I could identify my mental illness. I am now learning to accept the fact that I don't have a distinct diagnosis. It does not invalidate my psychiatric disorder, and it doesn't mean that I don't have a voice.

Some people have symptoms that fit the "textbook definition" of a specific mental illness, and others don't have a clear answer. Just because someone is undiagnosed, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be taken seriously. We all feel things differently.

"You never know what someone is going through. Be kind, always..."

-Allie


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