Symptom Overlap and Misdiagnosis: Serious Side Effects of Womanhood

Valerie Rice | July 29, 2021

If you are female, or AFAB, raise your hand. Okay, if you have been to see a mental health professional and been given a series of diagnoses raise your hand. You are not alone. The reasons for this are many. Not only is diagnosis an art form and not a science, but the diagnostic criteria is for men. White ones. With money. This means that the stereotypes for women are strong as are misconceptions and that leads to a whole host of misdiagnoses. Let’s play a game…

Diagnostic Criteria

I am going to give you a list of diagnostic criteria and I want you to guess what I am talking about. Ready? Here you go.

• Irritability and anxiety
• Difficulty controlling emotions
• Impulsivity
• Intense emotions
• Difficulty with interpersonal relationships
• Dissociation
• Self harming or damaging…