I began by explaining that mental disorders are illnesses caused by biological changes in the brain. From there, a very important question naturally follows—how does one actually get diagnosed with a mental disorder? How does it happen that someone is finally told, “This is what you are dealing with”?
This question is not as simple as it sounds, because mental disorders are not diagnosed in the same way as many other diseases. There is no blood test that can be taken to show that a person has depression, schizophrenia, or anxiety. There is no physical scan or routine examination that can clearly point to a specific mental disorder. This alone makes mental health diagnosis complex and, at times, confusing.
What I have come to understand is that only a mental health specialist can make a conclusion that a person has a mental disorder. When I say a mental health specialist, I mean trained professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or other qualified mental health clinicians. These are the people equipped to assess, evaluate, and interpret what is happening in someone’s mind.
The process usually begins with a conversation. The mental health specialist sits with the person who is affected and discusses their symptoms. This conversation is central to everything that follows. The person talks about what they have been experiencing—changes in mood, thoughts, sleep, emotions, behavior, or daily functioning. However, this is where one of the biggest challenges appears.
Many people do not realize when mental disorders begin. When symptoms first start to show, the person affected often does not recognize them as signs of illness. They may believe they are just tired, stressed, or going through a difficult phase in life. In many cases, it is the people around them—family members, friends, coworkers—who notice that something is not right. They observe changes in behavior, emotions, or thinking long before the individual does.
Because of this, diagnosis often depends not only on what the person says about themselves, but also on what others have observed. The mental health specialist listens carefully, asking questions that help reveal patterns and changes over time. Alongside this discussion, mental status examinations are used. These are structured assessments that evaluate things like mood, thought processes, perception, memory, and awareness. Some of these tools are even available online, but their proper interpretation requires professional training.
Another critical part of diagnosis is personal history. A mental health specialist looks at a person’s past—previous symptoms, family history, life experiences, and any earlier episodes of mental health struggles. Some mental disorders are closely linked to history, meaning they develop or reveal themselves over time. This is why understanding someone’s background is essential to making sense of their present condition.
Using a combination of symptoms, mental status examinations, and personal history, the mental health specialist makes an initial diagnosis. But this diagnosis is not always final. One of the realities I have learned is that mental health diagnosis is not exact science. Even specialists can miss a disorder or misidentify it, especially in the early stages.
Mental disorders often overlap. Many of them share similar symptoms, which makes it difficult to clearly separate one from another. It is very common for a person not to have just one mental disorder, but several at the same time. Someone may have anxiety alongside depression, or schizophrenia alongside another condition. These overlapping disorders make diagnosis even more complicated.
Because of this complexity, a person may sometimes be treated for a disorder they do not actually have. When that happens, treatment may not work as expected, and the situation becomes more confusing and frustrating. This is not because mental health specialists are careless, but because mental health itself is deeply complex. The brain does not always present clear lines between conditions.
That is why diagnosis is an ongoing process. A person is evaluated, then re-evaluated after several months. Over time, as more information becomes available and as symptoms change or become clearer, the diagnosis may be adjusted. Mental health care is dynamic. It evolves as understanding deepens.
There is no blood test. There is no physical examination that can give all the answers. Diagnosis relies on careful observation, honest communication, professional judgment, and time. It is a process that requires patience—from both the individual and the specialist. Despite all these challenges, mental health professionals do their best. Through repeated evaluations and close monitoring, they are often able to identify what a person is dealing with and guide them toward appropriate treatment and support.
This question is not as simple as it sounds, because mental disorders are not diagnosed in the same way as many other diseases. There is no blood test that can be taken to show that a person has depression, schizophrenia, or anxiety. There is no physical scan or routine examination that can clearly point to a specific mental disorder. This alone makes mental health diagnosis complex and, at times, confusing.
What I have come to understand is that only a mental health specialist can make a conclusion that a person has a mental disorder. When I say a mental health specialist, I mean trained professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or other qualified mental health clinicians. These are the people equipped to assess, evaluate, and interpret what is happening in someone’s mind.
The process usually begins with a conversation. The mental health specialist sits with the person who is affected and discusses their symptoms. This conversation is central to everything that follows. The person talks about what they have been experiencing—changes in mood, thoughts, sleep, emotions, behavior, or daily functioning. However, this is where one of the biggest challenges appears.
Many people do not realize when mental disorders begin. When symptoms first start to show, the person affected often does not recognize them as signs of illness. They may believe they are just tired, stressed, or going through a difficult phase in life. In many cases, it is the people around them—family members, friends, coworkers—who notice that something is not right. They observe changes in behavior, emotions, or thinking long before the individual does.
Because of this, diagnosis often depends not only on what the person says about themselves, but also on what others have observed. The mental health specialist listens carefully, asking questions that help reveal patterns and changes over time. Alongside this discussion, mental status examinations are used. These are structured assessments that evaluate things like mood, thought processes, perception, memory, and awareness. Some of these tools are even available online, but their proper interpretation requires professional training.
Another critical part of diagnosis is personal history. A mental health specialist looks at a person’s past—previous symptoms, family history, life experiences, and any earlier episodes of mental health struggles. Some mental disorders are closely linked to history, meaning they develop or reveal themselves over time. This is why understanding someone’s background is essential to making sense of their present condition.
Using a combination of symptoms, mental status examinations, and personal history, the mental health specialist makes an initial diagnosis. But this diagnosis is not always final. One of the realities I have learned is that mental health diagnosis is not exact science. Even specialists can miss a disorder or misidentify it, especially in the early stages.
Mental disorders often overlap. Many of them share similar symptoms, which makes it difficult to clearly separate one from another. It is very common for a person not to have just one mental disorder, but several at the same time. Someone may have anxiety alongside depression, or schizophrenia alongside another condition. These overlapping disorders make diagnosis even more complicated.
Because of this complexity, a person may sometimes be treated for a disorder they do not actually have. When that happens, treatment may not work as expected, and the situation becomes more confusing and frustrating. This is not because mental health specialists are careless, but because mental health itself is deeply complex. The brain does not always present clear lines between conditions.
That is why diagnosis is an ongoing process. A person is evaluated, then re-evaluated after several months. Over time, as more information becomes available and as symptoms change or become clearer, the diagnosis may be adjusted. Mental health care is dynamic. It evolves as understanding deepens.
There is no blood test. There is no physical examination that can give all the answers. Diagnosis relies on careful observation, honest communication, professional judgment, and time. It is a process that requires patience—from both the individual and the specialist. Despite all these challenges, mental health professionals do their best. Through repeated evaluations and close monitoring, they are often able to identify what a person is dealing with and guide them toward appropriate treatment and support.
