Many people collect mental health diagnoses over time, like stamps on a passport. The author shares their journey from childhood A. D.
H. D. diagnosis due to sensory overload, to adult diagnoses of bipolar, depression, and O. C.
D., which later made sense as autism spectrum traits. Sensory overload, intense intellectual obsessions, social difficulties, and self-soothing behaviors all pointed to autism rather than separate conditions. Research shows over half of people qualify for multiple diagnoses during their lifetime, especially when disorders begin early.
Genetic risks for brain disorders aren't confined to specific conditions—risk for depression may increase chances of anxiety, autism, or schizophrenia. Psychiatric diagnoses often lack clear distinctions, unlike medical diagnoses. Thomas Insel compared psychiatric labels to 'chest pain disorder'—symptoms may stem from different causes.
Mental health experts are revising the D. S. M. to focus on shared factors rather than separate categories.
Avshalom Caspi's 'p factor' suggests an underlying cause of most mental illness. Childhood trauma and genetic factors affecting brain development, like excessive frontal connections, may contribute. During adolescence and early adulthood, when 75% of mental illnesses emerge, brain pruning occurs.
The author's experience shows how diagnoses can reinforce each other—sensory issues led to bullying, contributing to depression, then addiction.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing