Working without a diagnosis

Our diagnostic system exists to guide treatment. It works very well to categorise people in research studies. Prior to a diagnosis people can hope that the diagnosis will change their lives by providing certainty and a plan.

This can be the case  but I also meet people for whom the diagnostic system feels restrictive and would unhelpfully limit thinking about their experience. I am more than happy to work with a symptoms based approach, where we pragmatically look at the problems and do not aim to find a ‘label’.