How to Use Your Diagnosis (Without It Using You)

Published: Aug. 22, 2022, 10 a.m.

Receiving a diagnosis can be emotionally challenging, and leave a person with a lot of understandable questions: What does this mean? What do I do now? How do I relate to this?\nOn this episode Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore what a diagnosis is, how the diagnostic process works, the limitations of diagnosing someone, dealing with the emotions that come up, and how we can better think about and relate to receiving a diagnosis. Throughout the conversation they focus on how we can come to understand ourselves better, and be liberated by that understanding rather than burdened by it.\nADHD is used a number of times during this conversation as an example, so if you have an ADHD diagnosis this episode could be particularly interesting.\nWatch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You\xa0can watch this episode on YouTube.\nKey Topics:\n0:00: Introduction\n2:55: What is a diagnosis, and what is the process used to give a diagnosis?\n6:50: What is the purpose of diagnosing someone?\n8:50: Situating what defines pathology within our evolutionary and cultural context\n11:40: Origins of mental health conditions, social environment, and privilege\n14:40: How diagnosis done, and differentiating between different diagnoses\n25:05: More discussion on environmental and cultural effects\n31:10: Three subtypes of ADHD\n33:00: The emotional complexity of receiving a diagnosis\n42:30: What helps people in working through the emotions that come up?\n46:35: Paying attention to your emotional experience as much as solving your problem.\n49:35: Mental health awareness, resources, and support from others\n51:00: Rick\u2019s response when someone is given a diagnosis\n58:50: Recap\nSupport the Podcast: We're now on Patreon! If you'd like to support the podcast, follow this link.\nSponsors:\nMDbio is a plant-based medicine company with natural products that address sleep, anxiety, pain, and immunity. Get your FREE 10-count sample pack by going to mdbiowellness.com and entering the promo code BEINGWELL at checkout!\nJoin over a million people using BetterHelp, the world\u2019s largest online counseling platform. Visit betterhelp.com/beingwell for 10% off your first month!\nWant to sleep better? Try the Calm app! Visit calm.com/beingwell for 40% off a premium subscription.\nReady to shake up your protein Ritual? Being Well listeners get 10% off during your first 3 months at ritual.com/WELL.\nConnect with the show:\n\nSubscribe on iTunes\n\nFollow Forrest on YouTube\n\nFollow us on Instagram\n\nFollow Forrest on Instagram\n\nFollow Rick on Facebook\n\nFollow Forrest on Facebook\n\nVisit Forrest's website