Being able to obtain medication for various medical conditions usually requires some kind of medical diagnosis. This process can be extremely beneficial in many situations and circumstances. Although oftentimes when we think of the process for seeking out any sort of professional help for our mental health, we assume this also means having a diagnosed problem. When people struggle with intrusive thoughts or have a bad day, they feel that they must have conditions or problems to hide behind. These “problems” can vary in severity. They can include, but are not limited to:
- anxiety
- depression
- psychosis
- OCD
- alcohol addiction
- drug addiction
- eating disorders
- PTSD
However, what if you have not, or cannot be diagnosed with a condition? What if you are struggling and need help, yet have not been diagnosed with any particular condition? In situations like these, it may be tempting to think that you have no options available to you. However, this popular mindset is not true.
Diagnoses Do Not Always Help
Luckily enough, you do not need a diagnosis in order to get help. This highly popular expectation is made up and does not actually hold much truth, especially when it comes to addiction. While for some, being told that having a condition such as addiction or depression is beneficial for their treatment, for many others this is not the case.
Sometimes being diagnosed with a condition can create a belief that something is inherently wrong with you. A diagnosis may insinuate that you need to change who you are, fundamentally. Having this mindset stay with you as you try to navigate your recovery can be particularly problematic because it could make the recovery process even more difficult.
By telling someone that a part of themselves is designed “wrong,” that can do lasting damage to the way a person views themselves. Even during treatment, they may consciously or subconsciously carry this belief with them. This may even hold them back significantly from reaching their goals in recovery. If a person feels chained down by having a diagnosed condition that is beyond their control, the belief that they could ever recover is far and few between, leaving them susceptible to relapse.
Healing Means More Than Sobriety
It is common for conditions such as addiction and anxiety to serve as indicators of something deeper inside of us that is calling for our attention. For example, when childhood traumas are not fully addressed in our adult years, they can manifest into anxiety, addiction, etc. The suppression of these memories and feelings creates various coping mechanisms that do not completely serve us.
Living a sober lifestyle is such a wonderful accomplishment. Part of this lifestyle also means processing difficult memories, feelings, and situations throughout our lives. In this way, sobriety is much more assured because you are addressing the root of the problem rather than just the coping mechanism of the issue.
Diagnoses can be helpful to identify and better understand yourself and the way your mind tries to protect you. However, oftentimes this process neglects to get at the root of what a person is experiencing. When this is the case, complete healing becomes an even more difficult experience.
Trust Yourself and Your Body
No one knows you and your body better than you do. Even though that phrase is considered to be a common cliché, it still holds so much truth. If you feel that you need assistance with substance abuse, intrusive thoughts, suppressing emotions, etc., you do not need a professional to allow you to do so. You are in control of your recovery, and you are allowed to get help without being diagnosed with a condition.
Despite what society may say, you are fully capable of deciphering whether or not you need to get help in order to become a better version of yourself. It is possible for doctors to miss finding certain physical ailments such as cancer or a stroke. This is similar for mental health as well. There is the possibility that you may be experiencing things that make it difficult for you to live the life you want to live that doctors or mental health professionals may not be able to realize. If you feel that you are struggling and need assistance, be confident and trust your intuition and your body. You are allowed to trust yourself again.
Being diagnosed with a condition such as anxiety, depression, or addiction may be helpful in various ways for some people. For others, however, this may not be the case. Doing so could make their recovery process more even more complicated, unfortunately. Sometimes being diagnosed with a condition causes one to feel as if something is inherently wrong with them that they are unable to ever fully change. This mindset can lead a person to feel as if they will never be good enough as they are because there are things that are objectively wrong with them. Living with a diagnosis could also cause one to never address the deeper causes of their behaviors, thus preventing essential healing. At Rickard Elmore Treatment Strategies, we offer healing without the need for a diagnosis. At our facilities in Newport Beach, California, we offer several different services in order to give you the best care possible. These include interventions, transformational recovery coaching, psychedelic support and planning, and more. Your healing is our top priority, and we are here to help by giving you the tools you need in order to succeed. Call us today at (877) 387-7197 to begin healing in a way that fits your individual needs.