SkiptomaincontentEMAILUSVISITUS415.952.0290CloseSearchServicesOnlineTherapyTherapyIndividualTherapyCouplesCounselingFamilyCounselingChildTherapyCo-FounderTherapyPsychiatryProgramsCommunityPartnershipPsychotherapyTrainingProgramAnti-RacismTaskForceBlackLivesMatterLandAcknowledgementOurTeamBlogAboutTestimonialsBillingBCorpPrivacyPolicyContactBookaFreeConsultNewAppointmentsLocationsCareersHowtoSupportSomeoneWhoIsInDenialofTheirDiagnosisByWellClinicJune12,2019July8th,2019RelationshipsNoCommentsItisverycommonforpeopletoexperiencedenialofdiagnosisshortlyafterfirstreceivingthenews.Whethertheillnessismentalorphysical,themindmayneedsometoadjust.Yougothroughsomeshock,whichincludesdenial,untilyoucansettleintotheideaofwhatitallmeans.However,denialcangrowtobecomeabigproblem.Peoplewhocontinuetodenytheirillnessareatriskofinsufficienttreatmentandsuffermanysymptoms.Unfortunately,denialcanbeacommon,recurringissueforsomepeoplewithmentalhealthstruggles.Theircaregiverscanbecomefrustratedandoverwhelmed.Understandingwhatthedenialisallaboutisagoodfirststepinfiguringouthowtocopewithit.WhatisDenialofDiagnosisAsthenamesuggests,denialofdiagnosisbasicallymeansthatanindividualhasreceivedacrediblediagnosisfromoneormorelicensedhealthprofessionalsbutrefusestoacceptthatdiagnosis.However,it’simportanttounderstandthatdenialisn’tawillfulact.It’snotasthoughthepersonisadamantlyrefusingto“facethefacts”althoughitcanfeelthatwaytocareproviders.Therearemanyfactorsthatcancomeintoplay.AnosognosiaAnosonosiaisamedicaltermforapersonwholackstheinsightorawarenesstounderstandtheirowncondition.They’reindenialofillnessbecausetheirbrainisn’tcurrentlyorfullycapableofunderstandingtheillness.Inmanycases,theindividualwillseethetruthoftheirowndiagnosisattimeswhileatothertimesexperiencedenial.Anosognosiaisaparticularlycommonformofdenialforcertainmentalhealthdiagnoses.NAMIreportsthat50%ofpeoplewithschizophreniaand40%ofpeoplewithabipolardiagnosisexperiencethisformofdenial.Forpeoplestrugglingwiththis,it’sasiftheyarelookinginamir