‘Diagnosis creep’ is pushing people towards ‘illness identities’
Not every little thing is a serious medical problem. Illustration: Getty
These days, instead of describing someone as feeling sad, we say they’re depressed. If they’re a bit nerdy or emotionally undemonstrative, we say they’re on the autistic spectrum. And if they’re chaotic or disorganised, we say they have ADHD. We need to stop doing this, says consultant neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan.
Diagnosis creep – when the line between normal and abnormal, between healthy and unhealthy, keeps shifting – is pushing more and more people into what Dr O’Sullivan terms an illness identity. She’d like to see more people in a recovery identity.