Currently reading the book “Why Am I Still Depressed” by Jim Phillips MD and came upon this passage.
sometimes even use Depression NOS for patients with bipolar features that might otherwise be coded Bipolar II, hoping that Depression NOS is the least stigmatizing of all these labels.
Doctors who would misdiagnose to avoid stigmas, actually serve to perpetuate stigmas against mental health. Imagine what would happen if a doctor didn’t want to stigmatize a cancer patient and improperly treated them. The results would be catastrophic, the same can be true with mental health as self medicating can be deadly and the wrong treatment can increase risk of suicide.