S4E164: Water Cooler Chat: DSM, ICD & WTF: How Diagnoses Actually Works
In this Water Cooler Chat, Nicole breaks down what it actually means to receive a mental health diagnosis—and why it’s about much more than checking boxes or assigning a billing code.
Using the Lindsay Clancy case as a backdrop, Nicole explores the DSM, ICD, differential diagnosis, and her three-legged stool of diagnostic criteria, the overall clinical picture, and clinical judgment. She also discusses why diagnoses can evolve as new information emerges and why one symptom—or one code—can never tell the whole story.
The takeaway: The DSM and ICD give clinicians a shared language, but the person is always bigger than the diagnosis.
Important Disclaimer & Crisis Resources
The OCD Family Podcast and accompanying blog content are provided for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for individualized mental health assessment, diagnosis, treatment, medical advice, or crisis intervention. Nicole Morris, LMFT, has not evaluated or treated Lindsay Clancy, and discussion of this case should not be interpreted as an opinion regarding her diagnosis, treatment, mental state, legal responsibility, or the actions of her family or healthcare providers.
These episodes may discuss sensitive topics including intrusive thoughts, harm, suicide, self-harm, psychiatric hospitalization, psychosis, and the deaths of children. Please engage with this content with care.
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, may act on thoughts of suicide or harm, or cannot stay safe, please seek immediate professional help rather than relying on this podcast, blog, social media, or other educational content.
In the United States: Call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If there is an immediate or life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
Outside the United States: Contact your local emergency services or nearest emergency department. You can also visit FindAHelpline.com to locate verified crisis and emotional-support helplines available in countries around the world.
If you are concerned about your mental health or that of someone you love but are not experiencing an immediate crisis, please contact a qualified mental health or medical professional in your area for individualized assessment and guidance.
