#191 Question your diagnosis

Categorizing and naming medical conditions is essential to get treated, but when it comes to your personal healing journey, being pinned down by a chronic diagnosis may be very limiting. Giving something a name has a very stigmatizing effect, and if a doctor says that "This is incurable" it can be almost impossible to maintain hope and activate your own healing system.

That's why it is essential to question your diagnosis, and get a second, third or fourth opinion if you feel that your doctor is not correctly identifying your symptoms.

"As any doctor can tell you, the most crucial step toward healing is having the right diagnosis. If the disease is precisely identified, a good resolution is far more likely. Conversely, a bad diagnosis usually means a bad outcome, no matter how skilled the physician." says Mind-Body Medicine expert Dr. Andrew Weill.

Many people are misdiagnosed, and because of that are treated for the wrong condition. If your symptoms don't get better with treatment, that may be reason to question your diagnosis - according to CNN Health.  Unfortunately, even when we are sick we need to be strong and stand up for our rights. "A diagnosis is a process of give and take, and no matter how skilled or committed your practitioner, no one else has the same commitment, drive, and persistence as you can have in assuring that your course of treatment is the best possible option for you." - Jake Mayer - aka The Unruly Patient