A narrative of my lived experience of a whole series of psychiatric diagnoses and their impacts on me, ending with a discussion of clinical recovery from psychosis. Issue 3 (17th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tomlinson, Peter
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing. Volume 28:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 476
• Page End: 480
• Publication Date: 2020-09-17
• Subjects: clinical recovery -- lived experience -- narrative -- psychiatric diagnosis -- psychosis -- recovery; Psychiatric nursing -- Periodicals; Psychiatric nurses -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- nursing -- Periodicals; Psychiatric Nursing -- Periodicals; 616.890231
• DOI: 10.1111/jpm.12683
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1351-0126

Abstract

Accessible Summary: What is known on the subject?: All health service users in Belgium have the right to be informed about their diagnosis. There is a whole spectrum of prognoses for psychosis, but many practitioners show a bias towards believing that psychosis is always regressive. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: This paper is a first person narrative of one thread through my experiences as a mental health service user: the story of my diagnoses. A case study of the functions and impacts of diagnosis. What are the implications for practice?: Practitioners need to reflect on the impact diagnosis can have on a person and avoid assumptions that the experience and prognosis is universal. A diagnosis can play a positive therapeutic role. Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to stimulate nurses and other mental health professionals to reflect on what they understand by a psychiatric diagnosis and how they use this understanding. Background: I have twenty years' experience as mental health service user, and in this time, I have received numerous diagnoses which have had a variety of impacts on me. Methods: The paper began as notes drawn from introspection. I ordered my memories and reflections chronologically to reconstruct this narrative. Keypoints: My case makes the point that psychiatric diagnosis is not an established, universal science like in somatic medicine, but a still evolving complex of contradictions and opinions and should not be treated as authoritative. I aim to challenge what I see as a general overestimation of how much a diagnosis tells you about a person and how you should treat them.