What helps reduce mental health stigma?

I constantly hear other therapists talking about how we need to be careful with how you phrase things so that we don't cause clients to "pathologize" (to represent [something] as a disease). That can make sense in certain contexts. I think the more helpful approach is to associate their diagnosis with people who are able to function with it.

What if instead of associating autism with someone who's minimally verbal we associated it with people who are autistic and successful? Like this google search.

I don't think people need things "phrased gently" to feel okay about a diagnosis. I think people want to know how to live well with a diagnosis.

I think people want to know how to live well with a diagnosis.

Pathology refers to:

• the science or the study of the origin, nature, and course of diseases.

• the conditions and processes of a disease.

• any deviation from a healthy, normal, or efficient condition

Can it be okay to admit we have a problem?

When I help people understand how autistic brains process things differently it's like a light bulb comes on for people and they're able to understand themselves and how their brain processes thoughts, emotions, and problem solving.

I think many times people think of a diagnosis as the end of a road instead of opening up options for treatment. In the field of medicine correct diagnosis of an issue determines treatment options. In mental health we should have the same attitude. Diagnosis opens options to help improve function.

Let's make mental health more tangible

What can help us think this through?

If someone gets a body injury they may go to a physiotherapist to assess their muscle strength and learn about treatment options. That can include massage, ultrasound, tens machine, but often includes exercises to help strengthen a specific muscle group. If one muscle group is weak then the stronger ones have to find ways to compensate and this can cause an injury that needs treatment.

We go to specialists because they understand things we don't understand about our illness and how to treat it. We think of it as a good thing when someone gets treatment for a physical problem. We should have the same attitude towards mental health treatment.

The challenge comes when someone is so unaware of their mental health needs that they don't know what kind of specialist they need.

The human tendency to misdiagnose

When we face a problem it’s natural to develop a theory about cause and effect.

A couple personal stories:

I broke my wrist in Feb 2024. My wrist was still in pain when I would try to lift things so I assumed my bone was still broken and went to see my physiotherapist for guidance to help my bone heal. My physiotherapist looked at my arms and taught me that I had lost a lot of muscle and taught me exercises to increase my muscle strength. Two months later the pain had significantly decreased and I had moved in exercises from struggling with 1 pound to lifting 7 pounds.

Original thought: My wrist hurts because the bone is still broken.

Lesson: Weak muscles can cause physical pain.

I told my dentist that my teeth had become sensitive. I thought she’d give me a free sample of Sensodyne tooth paste to make my teeth feel better. She suggested wearing a “night guard” at night to stop my teeth from grinding. I was skeptical, but months later, regularly using the night guard has stopped the pain in my teeth.

Original thought: Sensodyne is the primary treatment for sensitive teeth. Afterall it's advertized all the time!

Lesson: A specialist can identify root causes that may not be easily spotted by others.

How do mental health professionals diagnose?

Formal diagnosis occurs when specially trained practioners follow diagnostic standards and assess for a specific diagnosis or sets of diagnosis. This is about seeing if someone fits the definition for a specific diagnosis. This is done by a limited number of people, often by psychologists.

Informal assessment is done by all mental health practioners. This is the "case conceptualization" the therapist observes. A therapist looks at the client description of the problem and listens for the "diagnosis" in between what the client is saying. We hear the symptoms of what often seems like an unsolvable problem and help the client see the solvable parts of the problem.

Some parts of a problem can be so sensitive that the person does't want it touched. Some people choose to sit in pain instead of taking steps to resolve the pain. If resolving pain was easy then people wouldn't take steps to avoid it.

Symptoms of our problem can come up because of our desire to avoid pain. In relationships couples may avoid senstive topics bcause they're afraid it will cause a fight. This is what they often tell me. However, the root of that issue is that they often don't have the skills to have sensitive issues. This could be because of how they were raised or their expectations of their partner. Sometimes it's as simple as being stuck in a habit that you need to be broken out of.

Whatever the root issue may be, the longer a problem goes unadressed the worse it tends to get. A leaky faucet doesn't fix itself!

Mental health problems are solvable and treatable. Let's talk about your specific needs today!