Diagnosis Creep

You may have noticed that there’s an upswing in people identifying with mental health diagnoses lately. Here’s my take on this, I think there are 4 reasons.
The first is what I’m going to call diagnosis creep. People are using clinical terms much more broadly than was intended in the past.
You’ll see this when people say “I’m so OCD” or “I’m so ADD”. Or when you watch a video that talks about “High Functioning Depression” or “High Functioning Anxiety”. But, for a clinical diagnosis, with PTSD, Depression or Anxiety, the diagnostic requirements say “The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in… functioning.” Many people can experience traits of these diagnostic labels, but often not meet formal criteria for them when professionally evaluated.
In the past terms like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and trauma were used to describe a small percent of the population- maybe less than 5%, and it included the most severe forms that impaired functioning. But now people are casually using them to describe a much broader segment, maybe 30+% of people.
It’s easy to see diagnosis creep with the label of narcissism. My colleague Nevin runs a marriage therapy clinic and says that 45% of couples who come in have been told by friends or KZbin videos that their partner is a “narcissist”. But, estimates for Clinical Narcissistic Personality disorder range from .5%-2% of the population.
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In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
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[@dbencic]

My therapist couldn’t bill the health insurance unless she diagnosed me with something- I came to her as I needed support with grieving loss of a close friend to suicide. The therapist diagnosed me with depression. This in my opinion is another huge problem.

[@backyardbeautybrainsbirdsb4109]

You are correct. 100%.

[@airi75089]

Such an important topic that isn’t touched on enough in a nuanced way by actual mental health professionals online. Great video!

[@tammydiienno2751]

I agree, the “system” has trained many therapists n docters alike to just diagnose n prescribe, keeping us “sick” n on meds possibly for life. Therapy In A Nutshell sees progressive solutions, someone feeling helpless and hopeless may consider that a miracle, i certainly would hv many yrs ago. Dr mate gabor is another well known who empathically addresses the severity of a persons situation n has some real definitive solutions. I lov hearing his videos cus its so guided in a solution based hopeful prognosis just like Emma does here on her channel. TY TY TY Emma for bein U 💜🫶🥰

[@kajsablad8993]

THIS should have 25 million views.

[@maddie8415]

The internet needs far more videos like this!

[@geralldus]

While in therapy I was at first puzzled that the analyst studiously avoided giving any kind of diagnosis (label). I eventually realised there was a good reason for this, the patient will tend to identify with the diagnosis and thus adopting a passive attitude that can exclude change and growth.

[@alex___rhea]

But you can’t grow your way out of bipolar or major depressive disorder. In my case my diagnosis helped free me of the need to “change and grow” because it turns out what I really needed in addition to therapy was medication. I couldn’t grow without my current meds. Now I have the label of bipolar and I understand myself even more. I still “change and grow” but I know I will always be bipolar and need to make room for the sometimes really difficult symptoms. But I agree that diagnosis isn’t always appropriate especially if it’s a personality disorder, which you can actually grow out of no matter the age.

[@silvermoonuk]

Good video. I was dx with autism in 2009. I have noticed there's alot of people that sadly over diagnosed themselves with mental health conditions too easily these days. As we know, mental health disorders are real. I am happy that people are more aware about mental health issues. But I think it's important that we don't over diagnosed these conditions too easily. I'm glad we are more open in one way. Conditions like autism and adhd are real. But people can have traits of a condition, but it doesn't mean you have that condition. It is like conditions like depression/anxiety/autism/adhd, etc....are getting watered down, sadly. And I see some ppl using these conditions as a part of their identity or like a fashion statement. I have mental health issues myself. I understand that a diagnosis is important in some cases, especially if you need treatment, access to therapies, for insurance purposes, self acceptance, etc....but at the same time, we must be very careful not to quickly label ourselves to quickly at the same time. For me, I don't see my diagnosis of autism as my identity. Some ppl say autism is a superpower or a gift. But for me, it is definitely not a gift. I'm not ashamed with having mental health issues. But I definitely find it very difficult to live with autism.

[@elizabethhannah6836]

I enjoyed your response very much, right to the point, yet said with empathy and facts. I'd like to point out that Autism is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and is not considered a Mental Illness. There are good descriptions of each on the CDC and NIH websites, and I also like what the Dept. of Labor had online as well. If you're interested or even merely curious, Google has some good definitions of both PDD and Mental Illness with potential similarities, yet clearly explains the key difference(s). Also, it's great that you don't consider your autism dx as self defining. My 27 year old has ASD, dx during their 4th year. We were very lucky that our grade schools offered many different therapies (occupational, speech, etc) in addition to other services potentially needed. It wasn't until Middle School that his peers began to be negative in their reactions to him because of it, although really, mean kids (and adults) are just going to be mean. My son also doesn't feel ASD is a superpower, and while he's comfortable in his skin, there is no question that if given the choice he'd have chosen NOT to have it. Having autism makes life much harder in many different ways. I imagine that you know that there are many services available for those with autism, no matter the individual's age, but just in case you weren't, I figured I'd mention it. Also, sorry to be so lengthy in this, but my maternal instinct must have kicked in or something, and I wanted to help, even if it's just info.

[@asetto15]

Another incredible video. Love the professional, level-headed, "simmer down now" take that I think society really needs right now. Also appreciate the shorter length of the video, which encourages me to click without having to put in too much of a commitment. That's very ADHD of me, I know, but not enough to reach clinically significant levels 😉

[@ZPiiLe1]

The internet told me I have adhd and I firmly believed I did so until I went to therapy to help me with adhd I self diagnosed The therapist told me I have anxiety depression cycle and everything made since after it once I knew what’s wrong I identified the triggers and used the skills given by my therapist and it helped me not drastically but well enough to function day to day. Sometimes it’s the things you’re not aware of that makes it unbearable I always thought I’m just hopeless but now I understand my self more

[@CymruCreator]

having a diagnosis for ADHD has been incredibly helpful for me, because I've stopped expecting too much from myself, recognised that my strengths are in certain areas and that it's okay to seek help with the things I really struggle with. It's given me perspective that helps me understand that people aren't all assholes and that they just think and learn differently to how I do.

[@angelab4759]

Amen to that

[@user-co5dy6hl4d]

I am so glad you made this video. It is timely and brave to put yourself out there and advice not to listen to everyone on social is not qualified to diagnose mental health conditions. you point out that self labeling or labeling by non clinicians can be is so important that you probably are taking on these evaluations as truth. Yes, I have been diagnosed as bipolar by 2 highly qualified psychiatrists. And it is so hard to suddenly hear so many people say they are bipolar. There are so many media figures, entertainers who all self label themselves as bipolar. It normalizes and trivializes this very real, difficult medical mental health condition. Thank you.

[@Nonamedonchaknow]

As someone diagnosed with clinical OCD I just wanted to stop by and say thank you for saying the thing and making a huge valid point many people tend to overlook.

[@angiecas8180]

Ok funny story. I worked as a shift manager at a fast food joint. I had the night shift, so that meant most of my crew where tanagers. All of them were diagnosed with ADHD; all of them took adoral. One day my general manager pulled me in and asked if I have considered getting an ADHD assessment. I said no. Apparently my crew started noticing how I’d sometime start and stop tasks, forget things or rapidly click my pen or tap my foot. They were convinced that I had ADHD…. I didn’t believe them and neither did my GM. But then we both watch the security cams. I definitely did all those things. I still don’t have a diagnosis. I’m ok with not having one. It’s not imparting me. Especially now that I’m just a stay at home mom.

[@Hiphop618]

Bruh how'd you go from working in fast food to having the privileged position of being a SAHM and able to live off of one income?

[@zealiabella8553]

Thank you for sharing this. I feel compassion and empathy is needed for one another more than ever. I’m concerned with some of the popular experts on KZbin talking about narcissistic people as the bad people. When studies showed that these people were raised in an abusive environment. Yes, we can choose not to interact with them, but to condemn them doesn’t solve anything. It just creates more “us vs them” mentally. We have to ask ourselves, if we were raised in the same environment, how do we fair?💛

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

Feel bad for them at a distance. True narcissists are the most vile, evil people on earth. They are everywhere in these crazy times. Anyone who is recovering from their abuse has a mountain of emotional damage to try and repair. Many have narcissistic characteristics but can be helped if they actually self reflect and admit their issues. Feeling sympathy for them will usually only get you into serious trouble. True narcs will literally never change and are to be avoided as if your life depends on it.

[@farahb6368]

No one would ever put it this way better than this! Well said and informative. Thank you truly!

[@marjamerryflower]

Thank you, Emma, this was gold. Yes, i spent too much time on KZbin. Two days ago i started an experiment. To bed at 22.00 and leaving my mobile phone in the living room. I slept well. And felt rested in the morning. I have more time to think a little before going to sleep. I prayed a little with more attention. During the day i was a little more aware of the consequences of my behaviour. I love your good way of talking about SKILLS. The skills I learned from you help me a lot to improve my life and the life of my dear ones. Let's build our mental and physical health skill after skill after skill

[@Tinyteacher1111]

I agree! You are a voice of sanity!

[@skeptik-ci5xo]

I think it's important to distinguish between narcissistic personality DISORDER, and narcissistic personality STYLE (as referred to By Dr. Ramani Darvusula who is a renowned expert on narcissism). The latter might not be a disorder, in that the person who exhibits this personality style might not experience distress or inability to function; but the people in their lives most certainly do - my sister is 100% an abusive vulnerable narcissist. The reason she isn't clinically diagnosed is because she is in denial of her patterns of behavior, which are projecting, blaming others, and gaslighting. People who engage in these behaviors don't seek professional help, so they don't get diagnosed and they don't get treated. It's their victims who have to reckon with the destructive nature of being in a relationship with a vulnerable narcissist. It's a like "diagnosis by proxy," if you will.

[@cassie1264]

I agree. Everyone displays narcissistic traits to some degree. That doesn't mean everyone who has narcissistic traits has NPD.

[@Sandy-of6gq]

I agree. A "suspect narcissist" (lol) in my life dismisses therapy so they are probably never going to get evaluated for NPD 🤷‍♀️

[@sugarqbs]

I wish the best to you and your sister: you’ve clearly gone through a lot and your insight will help others

[@kierlak]

Yep. Narcissists very rarely seek therapy because they don't think there's anything wrong with their behaviour.

[@skeptik-ci5xo]

@@sugarqbs Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. Luckily we live in different states, I don't have to maintain contact with her. I feel terrible for people who are in domestic relationships with people like this. It is very toxic and damaging.

[@vividdreams7072]

Thank you for this . Am retired mental health nurse now listening to friends who are mainly self diagnosing ADHD, which 'absolves' them off mistakes they have made in their life. They are misunderstood and 'special'...these are ex colleagues who seem to have loss touch with reality alittle. Every conversation is about being triggered and validated...we are all late 50's 😮 what's going on..!!

[@nanasabia]

Well I would ask them to see a professional or stop talking bullshit 🛑

[@SimoneEppler]

This is such a limited and flawed view on the entire issue. A lot of people have been missed because for the longest time, it was a boy‘s condition. My adhd was missed and untreated until I was 40. Because apparently, my struggles weren’t annoying enough for others. I suffered in silence, until I hit a wall. And there are many, many others like me, and some are in their fifties.

[@Ginabina76]

There's 2 sides..mental health issues run deep.. genetically and "environmentally" so if a parent has stuff and doesn't get help, the cycle continues. Then there's the self diagnosed who throw around the buzz words. Lol I think its talked about way more openly now, so we are seeing more. We took our daughter's phone away from summer 10th-11th and gave it back summer 11th-12th. The growth in her was ASTONISHING. She was not impressed by our power move.😂

[@bunglejoy3645]

I've got severe m3ntwl health issues my mum and dad wernt like that my dad's mother yes she had severe mental healthnisdues if your brains wired wrong wgen the neurons get messages if they font fire together there not wired together it's like all cars in car park colliding

[@Ginabina76]

@@bunglejoy3645 🙌

[@elizabethhannah6836]

What a smart and brave thing that you did. I hope that someday your daughter will see the wisdom of your decision as well as appreciate how it helped her.

[@priyankaramesh309]

Totally understand it. Both my teen girls didn’t have a cellphone until high school. They truly didn’t ‘need’ it. And they can speak with other hoomans without too much trouble. 😅

[@johannanguyen9101]

Actually mental health is biopsychosocial. There's no coincidence that the same timeframe we are told that we can be happy "alone", or to be focused on to be independent is the same timeframe there's a lot of depression, anxiety and self-diagnoses.

[@nerudaad]

My ADD diagnosis eight years ago empowered me to get help, support and education. ADHD is of course still my daily companion, but I now know how to navigate my life with it.

[@VickiCataldo-gy4bn]

I find so much value from your KZbin channel. I have dug deep into my mental/emotional health issues via counseling and other resources. I am heartbroken by my youngest daughter's evaluation/judgment of me via her therapist who has assigned multiple diagnoses to me ( and to my daughter ). This is very dangerous. I am very tuned in to my issues and shortcomings but to be "diagnosed" and labeled by someone who does not know me has been devastating. This therapist has also assigned many labels and diagnoses to my daughter, some accurate, some not. She is very heavily medicated. This has been heartbreaking. Thank you for what you do.

[@eugenandreismaranda5677]

Some of the things said in this video should be shared by mass-media as public announcements!!

[@cassieoz1702]

Mass media have no interest in accurate portrayal of these matters, just sensation and 'shares'

[@jeffreyzie]

As soon as I seen the title I knew I had to click. And im not mad I did. People need to hear this

[@redflag0477]

There's so much media out there a lot of it feels really good at polarizing people. People are stressed and there is so much information that it is confusing. I really just want to improve myself and be happy and help others to be happy. But that seems very hard when people seem so polarized in their ideas of what's best. In what's the right way to live and improve.

[@flickwtchr]

One thing that is for certain, people diagnosing each other with mental disorders doesn't help.

[@chlorophyllheart]

​@@flickwtchrSometimes it does help though. Like an auntie with diagnosed ADD and then recognising it in her niece, and then the niece can get the help she needs. Blanket statements rarely work. Just encourage others to be self aware, work on improvement and ask questions.

[@chlorophyllheart]

Differing ideas on how to live and improve have always been and will always be around. It definitely seems more difficult now because we have access to more opinions. No system or ideology is perfect, but values can be perfected. Honesty, courage, self worth, empowerment, kindness, etc. Do what seems best in your situation.

[@wisdomofthewolf]

Excellent and helpful video considering the current psychosocial climate

[@craigmerkey8518]

Thank you for your input. I have worked with special needs families for over 30 years. I explain to especially young parents the diagnosis isn't as important as the treatment plan.

[@jamessawyer9018]

I feel like I have a pretty good sense of what is BS for your mental health and what's not. I always double-check with my therapist from what I learn. I think it's great that you mention your credentials in your videos.

[@xret789]

Why do you need your therapist's approval to know what is BS or not?

[@jamessawyer9018]

@xret789 it doesn't hurt to have confirmation from a professional. It's not about asking or needing approval. it's more like checking to see if it's something that aligns well with your treatment. It's no different from asking your PCP if certain exercises , diets, or supplements will be beneficial for your physical health or not.

[@bleachelf]

Almost all my fiends claimed to have ADHD and, then after a few years decided they had autism as well. One uses it to empower herself, and every other uses it to disempower themselves. According to the internet, I have these diagnoses too, and no, no, I do not. I’m simply human, and distraction can have a strong pull.

[@maddie8415]

Yes, especially in such an increasingly distractable world. Nearly everything I see on the internet about ADHD would suggest I have it. I think it's extremely insulting to the people who truly have ADHD and really struggled through school since they were a little kid.

[@sugarqbs]

let’s not forget that the written criteria in the DSM (for example) and purposefully vague and flexible to allow doctors to use their best judgement in deciding what classifies as “significant impairment.” The overall community of scientists is still undecided on rather basic questions like what constitutes depression: does it have to be disordered or is it sometimes (or even always) the body’s way of responding to a stressor (like a fever, which the body does to itself in the presence of some pathogens). The questions keep coming and while they give me a notion of job security in my future career we should remember what every first year psych student is taught: don’t go diagnosing people in your personal life in your overconfidence

[@tendollarbanana1]

Yes but you can’t say any of this or else you’re ~invalidating people.

[@jeffreyzie]

PREACH!

[@salkashoura4928]

​@sugarqbs the DSM5 for ADHD is not that flexible. One has to have had many symptoms present from childhood which have continued through adulthood to be diagnosed with ADHD and it has to be impacting your life significantly in several areas.

[@biasedknowledge]

This video is incredibly timely and vital. I remember coaching someone who came to me fully convinced they had Narcissistic Personality Disorder after watching countless videos online. They were paralyzed by the label and felt stuck. However, after a thorough evaluation, we realized that while they had some difficult relational patterns, NPD wasn’t part of their story. We instead focused on healthy boundaries and self-awareness, and they’ve since rebuilt their confidence and relationships. Your breakdown of diagnosis creep and the dangers of self-diagnosing based on misinformation is spot on. Thank you for bringing such clarity to an issue affecting so many today!

[@pyasta1]

This video makes me so so happy. I love the way you combine compassion, intelligence and evidence-based information to discuss really tricky topics.

[@paulam3988]

My 16 year old daughter was diagnosed with ADHD a few weeks ago. It makes so much sense why she struggles with things that many people don't. Your advice is spot on!

[@mandyc9136]

Another plainly spoken, extremely real and helpful video on a topic that affects a majority of people. Thank you!

[@IrishMexican]

Been watching your videos for a while now. This was probably the most eye opening video for me.

[@wehavegottalent]

Thank you for this. Took over a year to confirm ADHD, but along the way I learned a LOT of great tools to deal with the symptoms as best I could without medication. Leave the diagnosis to the professionals, ask for an evaluation of you feel or think you have something... Some will find that all they have is a good case of hypochondria 😊

[@sugarqbs]

If I have you correct, I’d summarize your four reasons as: * Increased use of historically medical terminology in common vernacular * Increased awareness amidst decreased stigma * Increased stressors in aspects of the modern world * Overwhelming amounts of misinformation Broadly speaking, I completely agree and these would all be in my top 5 based on what little I’ve read. I’m wondering if you’d agree that access to and standardization of care are also significant in explaining the trend in diagnoses: I’ve been exposed to alarmism claiming that conditions under the autism spectrum diagnosis are far more common than they used to be (going on to imply that it is some combination of overdiagnosed/a consequence of the modern environment). I usually feel comfortable dismissing these claims with the misinformation they’re bundled with as even the former diagnostic categories of autism are relatively new and still being characterized but I want to ask since you are more capable of understanding the current research: of the increase in diagnoses of conditions like ADHD or ASD, is there a greater increase in historically mischaracterized demographics (for example, an increase in diagnoses of young girls and older adults who may have had ADHD despite not fitting a certain image of the condition)? I love psychology deeply but between a history of questionable research methods and campaigns of misinformation I find it exceedingly difficult to find reliable information sources so if you could provide me with a direction I would greatly appreciate it.😅 Thank you if you got this far

[@sagstar]

I’m a millennial with a family background from a culture that doesn’t believe in therapy or mental illness. Learning about the different diagnosis was imperative to getting the help I desperately needed. And it’s what led to me seeking therapy in the first place. Overall I’m all for people learning about mental health issues and seeking treatment without the stigma of the past, and for treatment to not just exist for people who are the worst of the worst.

[@lfleia]

Yeah, in the choice between 'too many people knowing about it and possible misdiagnosis' and 'no one thinking you have anything severe enough to warrant help' I'll choose the former. My family growing up didn't much believe in therapy, and I'm technically 'functioning' enough by standards in that I've kept myself employed and have a moderately stable marriage, except I was sliding into a deeper and deeper depression/anxiety cycle and giving up on everything in life. I believe my ADHD diagnosis and subsequent therapy have probably saved my marriage and definitely empowered me to use a wider skillset to try to be the parent I want to be and live the life I want, which I wasn't doing before, no matter how 'normal' it may have seemed.

[@chelzan]

This entire video is worded so well and so important! Thank you Emma for everything you do with this channel! :)

[@noodles1090]

Thank you so much for talking about this!!! I'm really fed up with people using whatever terms they feel like - such as NPD, probably the most common one used!

[@priyankaramesh309]

Hey Emma, Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! - for talking about such a pervasive issue impacting teens, young and older adults. It was really helpful to hear you dismantle such difficult issues in simple terms, and… that you do it in less than 10 minutes!!🙏

[@debbieclaassens771]

The problem with so many people ‘having’ these issues, is that it can diminish the real impact on life and functioning that people who are actually unwell/diagnosed have to manage. Ppl who are suffering can get dismissed.

[@josephine7624]

Thanks for your nuanced perspective on this topic! For a couple years, I was convinced I had depression (self-diagnosis) and the diagnosis I got in therapy was way less than that. At first I was unsettled and I didn't know how to make sense of it because of the symptoms overlap.... But now that I am starting to see progress, I feel like my prior beliefs were standing in the way of feeling better. Self-diagnosing myself with something stronger than my actual problem pushed improvements away and was bringing my motivation down... So thanks a lot for your videos (I watched one on forgiving recently that really helped me)!

[@Anlonn]

on one level we are all narcissists but on different intensity in the spectrum scale.

[@cassie1264]

I agree. Calling someone a "narcissist" isn't the same as diagnosing them with NPD either. It drives me nuts that people act like they are the same thing.

[@bunglejoy3645]

I think its a very very fine cline between when is someone toxicity becomes narcasstic traits abd when it's a disorder its usually aaid when it's having intact on uour life but usually people with narcistic traits don't think they have a problem

[@Anlonn]

@@cassie1264 if someone steals your pen, he is a thief. but he is still called a thief if he steals your car. when a narcissist through his behavior brings suffering into the home whether he is diagnosed or not, the partner suffers the same. the world is full of undiagnosed people, also is very rare for a narcissist to go to therapy. he is better then anyone else, why he would go. ideally, a true adult will not show narcissistic traits.

[@maddie8415]

I don't think you truly understand the term.

[@4theLoveofCurls]

@@AnlonnI agree

[@Nidhi.Kapoor]

This was such an insightful discussion on a topic that doesn’t get enough attention! The concept of 'diagnosis creep' really makes you think about how labels and overdiagnosis can affect not only individuals but society as a whole. It’s important to raise awareness around this issue and have more balanced conversations about mental health. Thank you for shedding light on this-it’s given me a lot to reflect on.

[@WishfulThinkingArt]

While I believe that I may be autistic (and my therapist believes I might as well), I'm not going to call myself autistic unless I have a clear-cut diagnosis from a professional trained to diagnose that specific disorder. It feels wrong to call myself by a label that isn't professionally given.

[@whome3530]

I noticed this trend with labeling difficult children as Autistic or ADHD, and obnoxious selfish people as narcissists. Hundreds of KZbin advice/diagnostic videos from people spreading false information. Thanks for your discernment and honesty, and advice for putting out some of the ‘fads’ in mental health. I think a lot of it is the trend for avoiding personal responsibility for ourselves. Blame it on a health diagnosis label rather than using self control to become a better person

[@Surreal452]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a teen in the late 1990s, and I've always kept it private because I was embarrassed by it, not proud. My own in-laws don't know I have it. These days, if I told anyone, I'd probably be lumped in with the self-diagnosers who can't concentrate because they're addicted to their phones

[@michelyalba4364]

I love how you cover everything so broadly in so little times without being biased, either completely against or completely for. I agree with every single aspect of it, we need to be careful but we also can learn good improvement methods. I feel that going to a psychologist helps because in my case for example, 3 of them already said I don’t fit in any official diagnoses so that means that I gotta do my homework and work on my symptoms, I can’t accommodate and say “I can’t, because I have this or that” because that would be a lie and I have more control over the situation than the ones that are severely affected by a real diagnosis.

[@Tj84000]

Thank you, important video. While true diagnosis and awareness are up, too often these words are simply used as buzz words. Too Often they are used to excuse self behaviors or pass blame to others. People casually and improperly using these can be quite offensive.

[@flickwtchr]

The trend pushed by so many youtube channels is the discussion of how to diagnose friends and family members. It's a very toxic trend no matter how well it is intended.

[@beatrixbrennan1545]

It's also offensive when people claim to have anxiety or panic attacks to describe everyday issues. Most will never truly realize what it's like to have a genuine panic disorder and not be able to even leave your house, or drive, or work, or sleep, or to be unable to stop obsessive-compulsive thoughts. People drink a damn energy drink and claim they have issues with anxiety. People need to realize the difference between stress and caffeine related issues and an actual anxiety disorder.

[@PomForCalm]

Nowadays it feels like everybody is getting their doctorates in armchair psychology.

[@Tinyteacher1111]

So true!!!

[@lovewillwinnn]

People like to judge and label others to feel superior and important. The regular run of the mill coworker, friend, etc.

[@nataliemarshall7158]

These days we seem to have very vocal armchair experts in every field. And for whatever reason it seems one of the criteria for being an armchair expert is that you also have to be Nasty as Nasty can be 😢

[@princeenweani4019]

And Experience in Googology

[@sahdogwrangler5594]

You are the voice of reason! There's a certain SM site I go to where pretty much everyone talks about their diagnoses. I understand the reasons for this now. I have wondered, though, if people are so disconnected now that they crave belonging so much that this gives them a sense of belonging. Recently, I was discussing an issue on a gaming sub. I was told it sounds like I had this certain condition. I looked it up. It sounded like me! Then I saw my therapist & she said no, you may share some characteristics, but you don't have that. There's a dedicated sub for this condition. I feel like this is the "finding your tribe" that my old doctor used to say. I'm sure some people do have these conditions & it's helpful to talk to others who have it. That would be a positive side of SM.

[@ladymonstergirl]

I saw that my friend where showing traits for autism. So I recommended her to talk to a professional because I'm not a doctor.

[@oxigen85]

My problem is me trying to get help and then the doctor telling me I can't because I'm not disfunctional enough. THAT makes me want give up on trying to get better.

[@flickwtchr]

I don't of course know if such resources are available to you at your location, but one thing that helped me so much years ago was finding a support group utilizing cognitive behavioral therapy along with inexpensive personal counseling that I found through a local organization. No psych meds involved at all.

[@SammieHQ-og5ii]

TikTok would have everyone believe they are adhd, autistic and their parents are narcissists, lol.

[@Dan0948]

It seems plausible that more people in the United States are getting diagnosed, because more people have insurance to seek treatment for their conditions?

[@benreed4957]

That's possible in the USA. Europe and other parts of the world this would be a poor explanation

[@Dan0948]

​@@benreed4957interesting perspective ... but I think this commenter and this KZbin channel is talking about the perspective of American Health Care

[@Dan0948]

You're going to have difficulty convincing me this video is about Healthcare across the world ​@@benreed4957

[@flickwtchr]

Most people aren't motivated to seek care in the US because they are already pressed to afford just the monthly premiums to begin with. Also, compared to every other western country, the US has the worst access to affordable healthcare with a large percentage of our population having no access to affordable healthcare whatsoever.

[@flickwtchr]

@@benreed4957 Far fewer people as a percentage of the population have affordable healthcare in the US, unlike most people in Europe.

[@snoop3318]

Seriously the mental health media is ridiculous, one of the reasons i cut off my media intake

[@littlestbroccoli]

As a person who didn't get treatment for PTSD for a very long time and now have the ability to finally pay for therapy, I am for one glad that diagnosis has happened and I was not gaslit out of it. I would think trauma is getting diagnosed at high rates because we're finally waking up as a society to how drastically people have been abused and everything being pushed under the rug. So of course there will be tons of people going undiagnosed and then when it's more socially acceptable to get treatment, they will be diagnosed in higher numbers. That's just common sense. Who are any of us to say it's overkill?

[@faithacrefarm2621]

Well said. I went 38 years wondering why I couldn't pull things together like other people. (And believe me, I tried really hard.) When I was finally diagnosed, things made so much more sense. And to be honest, therapists need more education on all of these conditions because they're part of the problem with gaslighting.

[@flickwtchr]

Thank you for making this video! A friend of mine was recently invited to join his adult daughter in a co-therapy session with a psychologist that she had been seeing for about a year. He agreed being the supportive father that he has always been to his daughter. Within one hour, the psychologist had "diagnosed" him of being "on the spectrum" of autism. Let's just say, that diagnosis within an hour of meeting him didn't go over very well, related in civil behavior of course. I mean, is there a possibility? I suppose. But a legitimate diagnosis after having met the person just an hour prior? Absolutely not. So much of anxiety and depression disorders in my opinion can be accounted for because especially in the US most people have become over stressed with the overwhelming pressures of affording housing, medical care, child care, and the list goes on and on and on. In countries like Sweden where there is a cohesiveness in society built in because of the structure of their government/economy (Nordic Economic Model), the masses have much more security no matter what economic level they are at. They just don't have the same pressures such as worrying they might lose literally everything with one major illness. Regarding Autism, I recently ran across a youtube channel (of which there are many) dedicated to discussing autism, and over and over the discussion turned to diagnosing their friends and family as being "on the spectrum". There is a growing culture of people who think they can listen to someone on youtube and then bring up the subject in the context of suggesting to a friend or family member that they are autistic of course usually in the context of "that's why you don't understand how you negatively are affecting me". It's a dangerous cultural trend. My two and one half cents.

[@mariaroche31]

Emma, eres una persona increíble. Me has canviado la vida. Llevo viendo tus videos y escuchando tu pódcast des de hace tiempo y mi vida va cambiando para mejor, poco a poco voy aprendiendo las estrategias que explicas (que son fáciles de entender) y las voy aplicando a mi vida, y estoy construyendo buena salud mental después de años de depresión y ansiedad. ¡Muchas gracias por todo lo que haces! ❤

[@SimoneEppler]

My late ADHD diagnosis has saved my life, after I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder, a personality disorder, depression (some of them are just wrong). Finally I understood why I struggled so massively and nothing really helped. I feel empowered. I changed things for the better. By the way, the cited study only looked at content claiming to be educational, it excluded a massive amount of content from lived experience. So it’s not that 83% of all the content is misinformation. There is a lot of great stuff from people with lived experience. Let’s not forget, the primary sources can be very limited, outdated, still focused on male traits (looking at you, autism criteria) and it really helps to see how something looks and plays out in reality. The most misinformation I heard so far shockingly stems from mental health professionals, because their knowledge is outdated or they have internalized stigma. For example: My psychiatrist nearly didn’t diagnose me because, at first glance„I wasn’t struggling at school“. So yeah, there’s that.

[@cassieoz1702]

While it's vital to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma, we've overstepped the line and now a diagnosis/label is a socially necessary badge. Anyone who's anyone has a diagnosis to validate them and compare with other folks

[@Keepprayingthebattleisreal]

Thank you for talking about this.

[@DWSP101]

A lot of people confused BPD with narcissism, although it only has narcissistic traits not full-blown narcissism narcissism is much more rooted also autism spectrum get compared to narcissist also other cluster B personalities get confused back-and-forth people use terms way too easily but if you know your stuff, you can actually understand the psychology on a academic level meaning you’ve studied for quite a few years, which I have And I can tell you right now. I know what a narcissist is more than ever and I know what BPD is and I know the difference between the two I can even spot it antisocial negative behaviors as well. Their psychopath or their as sociopath or are they uncaring and feeling person when they actually have trauma and built-in trauma defenses that protect them because of their childhood trauma Everything has so much overlap people do use the terminology to openly and to freely but it’s been pushed into the mainstream through TV TV shows and people using the terminology to freely. Yes, that is true. It’s more of a cultural phenomena than anything mostly just because of TV shows and everything when you understand the stuff on a psychology and sociology and everything else in between including philosophy, you can be able to formulate an idea of what really is everything And this is coming from person who has actually and factually studied psychology, philosophy, cluster B personality, sociology, antisocial behavior, autism, Neurodiversity, ADHD, dyslexia, and all kinds of other different types of disorders, neurological disorders, psychological disorders, mood disorders, identity, problems, inner emotions, Affective empathy, cognitive empathy, as well as the real meaning of perception, which is flawed, and its nature which means peoples perceptions are not reality their opinions versus being perceptive and being aware of how much people use these terminologies is mostly a cultural phenomena mostly due to big box movies and TV shows social media and people boasting about these things although I do have to say one thing that is actually true. That isn’t a phenomena autism ADHD and Neurodiversity traits are starting to become, more parent from a biological standpoint and not just because people think they’re different. They actually biologically are in their way of thinking and processing and yes I’m Neurodiverse. No I’m not bias. I don’t think biased nature I like first principal thinking and the truth and clinical studies I’m actually multiple different Neurodiversedisorders as what some people would call them so I got a weird brain. What you said about ADHD if people think that craving salt and those other things you said is ADHD I fear for the IQ of the human race. I have an IQ around 140 and an IQ of 136 I think and I’ll tell you right now, only in particular areas of interest , but not completely all the way knowledgeable trust me. I’m still an idiot in some areas but if people think those few little examples which I’m pretty sure it’s not everyone, but it just makes me feel like I wish I lived on another planet.

[@nebster333]

This is such a useful video! I started watching your videos in August and they are super helpful. Due to personal circumstances I'm unable to visit an actual professional, although I'm planning to visit someone as soon as I can! In the meantime, your videos have been incredibly helpful to understand more about myself and be responsible. Thank you for making such valuable videos!

[@snowscapephile4709]

Beautifully carved out the quintessential points on this topic. Thank you.

[@MissingInAmericaThe1st24Hours]

It takes away the validity of people who actually have it

[@tinaperez7393]

EMMA: I had a diagnosis creep once - an older allergist doctor guy who tried to hit on me during an appt. Needless to say, my first and last appointment with THAT doctor! But what a diagnosis creep! 😂😂😂 Okay maybe that joke wasn't as good as it was in my head. Huh. I think I'll take that as proof I have Joke Disohoria Disorder. 😁👍 Actually great / v. useful video btw. Thank you. ❤ -- also, in the TMI category, that doctor appointment with the creep doctor DID actually happen - fortunately he was just bizarrely talking inappropriately and at length about things that had nothing to do with the appointment and that sounded as if he was clearly hoping I'd answer in a way that would signify some kind of mutual interest - basically he was talking extensively about Tiger Woods and other famous cheaters how their cheating was completely justified - even necessary - basically it was pretty clearly implied that he was very open to cheating himself - on his own wife - with any takers - including and definitely his female patients (as he sounded ilas if he thought they'd be most impressed with his being a DOCTOR and in a doctor's office was the perfect way to meet). And I tried to think if I had contributed to any of that and I hadn't - I never mentioned or brought up the subject of any of the odd, inappropriate stuff he talked about during the bulk of the 45 minutes I was there. So, as diagnosis creeps go, that one was fortunately pretty innocuous at least for me - nothing "serious" occurred, nothing too verbally graphic, and nothing physical. And I did report him to prevent it from happening to others. And sure enough, others reported him cuz same thing happened to them too and the clinic fired him. I know cuz I had a friend who worked for that healthcare provider in the same building and she told me what happened to him. Don't know what happened to him or any more details after that.

[@user-df2ue1tw2r]

For media, best tip i ever got (might be from your videos actually), is "Stop being a consumer and become a creator", which to me equates to using social media with a purpose. Look up ideas for a project or to laugh or to learn in general.

[@austeja.bernatovic]

Happy belated birthday❤ thank you for being and creating things✨🐝🌿

[@timbeussink9196]

I was diagnosed with major depression and anxiety disorders back in February after I went to the hospital for thoughts of suicide after my first cousin died

[@mostlyvoid.partiallystars]

Identifying Narcissistic behaviors != diagnosing NPD. Good to remember because those of us who experienced narc abuse become very good at seeing those behaviors and those behaviors feel a lot more imminent and “loud” colloquially.

[@BEE4JOY]

We are living in narcissism epidemic.

[@ophelaur3701]

This was very informative. Thank you!

[@gail9566]

Two words: social media. Suddenly everyone has hard diagnosis and not just traits. Also self diagnosis MUST be accepted, despite people being unable to detect their own biasis and self perceptions.

[@natewatl9423]

I had both the diagnosis and an impossible work environment for someone with adhd, and had to retire on disability 3 years before my normal retirement date

[@AnnieKG3]

This put into words concepts I’ve struggled to articulate. I’ve resisted getting diagnosed with ADHD despite multiple people suggesting I have it bc I have this feeling of “ugh everyone has ADHD these days what does it even mean.” I use a lot of tools and take an upper initially prescribed for depression (Wellbutrin). And I function mostly quite well! Labels are optional tools.

[@alexxx4434]

Narcissism does not impair functioning in modern society. Narcissism is an adoptation to the current society.

[@darrengarriga-haywood5179]

Thank you for doing this video Emma! Fellow colleague 😊

[@BipolarCourage]

These days, there are a heap of social media influencers with no actual impairments claiming late onset autism, ADHD etc. Then generalising to common non-impairing traits in half the population & encouraging them to self-diagnose.

[@MarianneVakiener]

Going through divorce. My lawyer's practice offered free weekly support on Zoom. The therapist facilitating assumed that everyone in the group had a narcissistic spouse/ex-spouse. Nope. That was not my situation. I left the group and told my lawyer that it would be a good idea to check out what the therapist was doing since the lawyer's practice was paying for it.

[@Pakchikpakrajababuu]

I need more videos of the same topic

[@thewitchyprepper8396]

GREAT video! VERY helpful! Wise consumer!! 🤩💕

[@FitLadyJoy]

Thanks. People misuse terms.

[@jamiewade4156]

🎉🎉Awesome video!! These cancel culture labels are so very damaging taking away everyone's best character qualities for goodness connections and goodness communications and goodness relationships.

[@kierlak]

Often people struggle to access mental health and the support they need. Or if they manage to find mental health professional they sometimes have bad experience. There's misinformation not only on the internet/social media. If anyone is familiar with history of the DSM, dark side of pharmaceutical industry and dark side of psychiatry in general you know what I'm talking about. Basically lot of people suffer and they just need answers and help. I also like what Emma said in this video: "be a wise consumer". I'm also curious who's done and funded this study that was mentioned here about misinformation on social media. There are pros and cons of those so called "labels". Solely relying on social media and self-diagnosing yourself can just prolong someone's suffering. But also people are misdiganosed by professionals too. Then there are other reasons too: e.g. insurance companies in the US. Its difficult to really tell why we have more people being disgnosed with mental health condition. I personally feel like people are being given a label too quickly without psychiatrists actually understanding the person/context. And there is lot of stuff in the DSM that is contributing to that too. Take for an example PGD (Prolonged Greif Disorder). In the current edition of the DSM if you experience grief for over 12 months you then are given a diagnosis, possibly medication. Which to me is ridiculous, who decided that grief should last 12 months ?! And if it's more than that then there's something wrong with you. Many so called "mental health conditions" are normal reactions to let's say a loss or a result of traumatic experience/s. I think it's all down to the culture. And social media is an example of different culture (sometimes counter-culture). People just want the truth, they want answers, they want to understand themselves. But absolutely I agree with what Emma said: it's vital to take responsibility, learn skills, etc. You cannot just say: I have this or that and this is who I am, or making it as an excuse for everything you do in life. And personally the internet trends that we have actually reduce the stigma. They can sometimes lead to positive outcomes: e.g. someone watches a video about let's say ADHD - perhaps it's not totally accurate. However this can make the person start reading about it from reliable sources, perhaps joining a support group, perhaps grabbing a book written by a professional who also have lived experience with ADHD, etc. I think it's not necessarily about what information we consume. It's about WHAT WE DO with it.

[@bobkerman3280]

During my childhood I had a lot of problems in school, from attention deficits to difficulty to make friends, felt misunderstood even by therapists during the years, labeled from borderline to what not. Was at my early 20s when at the University one teacher decided to put me in contact with a colleague from his. I was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and funny thing that they evaluated my intellectual capacity and far from being borderline my IQ was far above average. Whilst I understand that trying to label themselves with a mental condition, I think a lot of people try to understand themselves when the system fails to them. In my case, if wasnt for this teacher I'll be sitting in my room thinking that I was stupid because many therapists during my childhood failed to asses the real condition.

[@pibbles9]

There is way too much casual throwing around of the title narcissist

[@defj660]

It seems to work though

[@pibbles9]

@@defj660 how do you mean?

[@solarwinds-]

Absolutely. You can't let the algorithm determine what you believe. You have to be responsible. Fact check what you hear before you accept it as fact. I have been surprised at some of the things I believed when I fact checked them to find out they were or were not true.

[@isetmefree]

Thank you so much for your great information you given us so many times🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@marbles05]

Well said. Does the self diagnosis lead you to work on the skills needed to cope or improve yourself?

[@srijetade]

It's really easy to convince myself that I have some problem through thousand of video and articles but it's hard to actually do the work that'll help.

[@johnege7352]

In my experience the person who labels their partner ‘narcissist’ is probably the one that needs a diagnosis. I think we blame others and external influencers more than identifying how we may contribute to our own problems.

[@maddie8415]

Sometimes this may be true, but other times they are spot on. Best not to make generalizations.

[@renfairegoddess]

Agree. Had enough of my longtime friend slamming her most recent (3rd) exhusband for behaving like a normal human being (just like the other two husbands), and started calling HER out on her BS. Naw, girl. You're the common denominator here. It's your undiagnosed BPD sabotaging yourself. Go to therapy and heal from your significant childhood trauma. And, FFS. Don't get married again!

[@celestepiccolo6586]

A diagnosis always (at least for me) led to a psychiatric drug. The drugs were a nightmare and caused the paradoxical reaction in some cases. I wish drugs were not the first thing given following a diagnosis. I was a teenager when I was first given a drug for nerve pain. The withdrawals from that drug when I was taken off abruptly led to my first diagnosis.

[@frlfda]

False diagnosis getting in the way of solving what is actually going on... One of the truest statements I've ever heard on the subject. With regard to my own mental health, and yes I've seen a therapist, I have been much more aware of and curious about many things, especially the "I have anxiety and depression" that it seems like everybody has. From lots of first hand experiences and hundreds of hours of research of papers and studies by Phd's as well as just trying to chart and note what I observe, I have come to the conclusion that I'd say 98% of the anxiety and depression is just worry and sadness. Yes, there are extreme cases where there is an issue, but all but one person that I have looked at, talked to, listened to and studied, including myself, are wanting an excuse, a reason for their feeling and behavior. Some way to justify what we are feeling and doing. I know I was until I put this together, then I was able, with the help of my therapist, to get a proper perspective and learn some skills to use to look at things differently. Also, I had to accept the fact that sometimes, life is stressful and sad, but it will pass and we will be able to enjoy the good times that much more. The system has been made to convince people that they are not responsible for their own actions, and then charge them... I don't blame most people, I lay blame at modern society that thinks we should always be happy and have no stress.

[@lovewillwinnn]

👏👏👏👏Excellent, informed. Good job.

[@kklock9057]

Because you need a diagnosis to get insurance to pay for therapy, right?

[@myinmyin1997]

THIS.

[@justpeachy4393]

I do think I have ADHD (but haven't received a diagnosis), and that motivates me to work with my brain to change/be able to function better

[@mlouw8218]

Thanks for making this video! It also makes me wonder about misdiagnosis (provided someone is having obvious challenges). For example, I hear stories of people being diagnosed with bipolar or some type of personality disorder and then later rediagnosed with adhd or ASD. Since the treatments are quite different, this seems like a problem. On the other hand, I have a lot of symptoms that might qualify me for various diagnoses, but they could also just be side effects of sleep disturbances and an eating disorder that I’ve now had for fifteen plus years… On the other hand, I may have these issues because of an underlying condition. It seems kind of complicated and challenging to figure out what’s causing the phenomena.

[@oksanakaido8437]

Good sleep and eating habits are so fundamental to mental (and physical) health, I feel like they should be the first step in treating mental health issues, but they often seem to be an afterthought at best. Hell, getting these things in order may even take away the need for a diagnosis in some cases.

[@mlouw8218]

@@oksanakaido8437 I absolutely agree about the enormous impact. The difference between my mental health now and even what it was ten years ago is pretty extreme. I hope I can reverse some of the negative adaptations 🤞

[@oksanakaido8437]

@@mlouw8218 I had an eating disorder for over 10 years and my mental/cognitive health really deteriorated, especially toward the end. Thankfully, I've been able to get to a much better place in the last couple of years and I'm pretty happy with how much my health has improved, even if I still struggle quite a lot at times. Really hoping you can find a way to overcome the ED in favor of a healthier and more sustainable way of living, don't give up🧡

[@kathynaylor4357]

No casual use, if you can help it , please.

[@user-df2ue1tw2r]

Another reason, I think, is that most mental health traits are a spectrum, so in a way everyone can partially identify with all of it, based on their character and experiences

[@29aaronjones]

Such a great video. As always !!

[@photovincent]

Seems like many commenters at least suffer from selective hearing. At first I got the impression that this was going to be a “this is a bad thing” video, but I shouldn’t have worried with Emma as this was very balanced. I also love the simplicity of the criterion presented: if self diagnosis, whether according to a narrow or broad definition, leads you to apply proven aids or seek help how can that be a bad thing?

[@oumtekir5612]

i am on 1.53 minutes very interesting topic. i think narcisissm is low diagnosed because those type of people have trouble reflecting on them selves so they don t see they have a problem and dont feel the need to get a diagnose. maybe the stories of traumatized people can in some cases better indicate how high the level of narcissism diagnose is.