Part 1
Labelling thoughts, feelings and behavior as psychological disorders is inaccurate and unreliable. Psychological disorders are associated with a combination of symptoms and sign considered to be abnormal. Normal people have many thoughts depending on the prevailing circumstances. These thoughts are not constant and are influenced by many factors sometimes beyond the control of the person. Similarly, feelings and behavior and behavior can vary among perfectly normal people. Feelings of hate, love or simply liking are influenced by the relationship between people. It is also normal for the feelings to change such as from love to hate based on changing circumstances. Therefore, change in thoughts, feelings and behavior is normal and should not be considered as psychological disorders.
Thought disorders arise when a person develops the inability to generate smooth and logical ideas both in speech and in writing. The ideas developed must be seen to not only be realistic, but also associated with rational feelings and behavior. For instance, it would be deemed abnormal for a person to discuss death in the midst of celebrations such as a wedding ceremony or a family gathering. The use of thoughts, feelings and behavior to rule out psychological disorders is very appropriate and professional. I belief that these factors show how the extent a person is in touch with reality therefore very appropriate in determining the severity of their diagnosis.
Diagnosis are necessary in order to come up with an appropriate management plan for given patient. It helps to ensure that all the staff involved in the management of the same patient use the provided plan of treatment. In addition, diagnosis is important in decision making regarding the regimen of treatment. On the other hand, making diagnosis of psychological disorders can be misleading due to the high level of inaccuracy. Psychological disorders are diagnosed mainly based on symptoms which lack adequate scientific and concrete evidence. Similar behavior and thoughts can be associated with numerous disorders with different management plans. Therefore, it is not impossible to wrongly manage a patient as a result of having made an inaccurate diagnosis. It is my belief that it would be prudent to manage a patient based on their symptoms as opposed to the overall diagnosis arrived at.
Part 2
In a bid to reduce the level of misdiagnosis, mental health practitioners are required to consider additional factors. Some of these factors may include the level of impairment which is a measure of the level of disability of the patient from undertaking his or her daily duties. Others are the level of distress of the patient and associated symptoms. Distress is a manifestation of the level of agony and discomfort that the patient is experiencing. The level of acceptance by the patient about their condition should also be considered. In my opinion, a patient who portrays an understanding of their disorder in addition to acceptance has a better chance of recovering within a short time. Such patients are milder in severity compared to those who do not accept that they are sick. Another factor that may be necessary for diagnosis is the level of cooperation of the patient especially with regard to their management plans. Those who willingly follow the treatment regimen provided by the mental health practitioner are of milder severity than those who blatantly refuse their management plan. The consistency of the symptoms as well as the history should also be considered when making the diagnosis. Mental health practitioners ought to be cautious when making diagnosis of psychological disorders for patients presenting to them for the first time with no prior history of mental health disturbances. Other minor factors that may increase the accuracy of a diagnosis may include the appearance of the patient, mood and affect as well as how they relate with other people in the society especially close friends and relatives.
In clinical practice, diagnosis of a patient starts from the moment they enter the room of the practitioner. The way they appear in terms of attire, composure and awareness of the surrounding is important in establishing a diagnosis. A quiet and dull patient can be easily diagnosed with a bipolar disorder even before the complete history is taken from them. There is a certain saying that no man is an island. I am not certain of its application in this context, but relationships and the social life of a person have a big impact on the personality and behavior. Getting to understand how a patient relates with their relatives, close friends, spouses and colleagues can be a good pointer to a diagnosis.
Part 3
Beliefs about mental disorders have evolved over time. Back in the days, mental disorders were considered to be a disease of the poor and less fortunate in the society. In some cases, patients of mental disorders were considered witches and wizards or victims of the art of witchcraft. In most European societies, mad people as they were popularly referred to were isolated from the interaction with the public and locked in cells together with delinquents and those considered less worthy in the society. In as much as many changes have been witnessed in the way mental patients are handled, there is still a significant level of stigma that is associated with mental disorders. In some modern societies, mental patients are considered as an embarrassment to their family. It is worth noting that some families completely detach themselves from such relatives and leave them to roam in the streets.
The society plays the main role in the management plan of patients. Stigma associated with mental disorders is a big setback to the potential that a supportive society has in the management of such disorders. While it is important to pride in the reduction of the level of stigma towards patients of mental disturbances over time, there are societies which still stigmatize the mentally ill. African societies are especially adamant to let go such barbaric cultures blaming the patients for being unholy and unclean in the eyes of their traditional gods and ancestors. Such societies are not only backward and retrogressive but also a derailment towards the gains made towards the management of psychological disorders.
Minimal stigma or even the lack of it is key to a speedy recovery or improvement of psychological symptoms and disorders. In this regard, efforts are necessary towards putting this practice in the past. Key towards achieving this is the creation of awareness of mental health and associated disorders among the societies with widespread level of stigma. This creation of awareness can be achieved through incorporation into the basic education curriculum, regular awareness drives and campaigns in addition to devolution of mental health services to the interior communities. Ignorance of the causes of mental disorders can be blamed for the stigma associated with such conditions. Awareness will eliminate such reasons and instead instill a culture of understanding of the health processes that are involved with mental disorders. Additionally, an enlightened society is more likely to understanding the necessity of social support in the management of these disorders. It will even be possible to mitigate against some of the disorders that result from substance abuse such as marijuana through the use of counselors and peer educators.
