question on situational depression

My therapist this week said that I didn’t meet the criteria, that my coping was currently at a level that didn’t align with adjustment disorder or acute stress disorder. It’s a precursor to depression or several anxiety disorders though, so since I’ve been diagnosed with both of those chances are I’ve had adjustment disorder.

Then again, being in therapy for as long as I have makes it hard to diagnose a low level disorder. Other disorders in my diagnosis have similar symptoms, so it’s considered a relapse of that disorder and not anything lighter. Once you get a major depressive or generalized anxiety disorder diagnosis, and it is verified by more than one mental health professional the diagnosis sticks.

Then again, a diagnosis is just to give the therapists and doctors ideas about how to treat. It doesn’t mean they get to be lazy and lean back on the diagnosis. It’s a label for insurance companies, as to why you need treatment.

If you’ve got negative symptoms and they are willing to treat those symptoms, that’s probably why they didn’t diagnose something more severe. The biggest reason is to avoid diagnosing someone without a long term problem with a long term problem.