Diagnoses and their criteria change as the fields of psychology and psychiatry discover new information through research and over time. The new edition of the diagnostic manual (DSM 5) eliminated some of its previous diagnoses, changed criteria for others, collapsed some categories, and introduced new diagnoses. Diagnoses often change as developmental changes occur within the body. In addition, new research on brain plasticity tells us that our brains can change throughout life and can reorganize themselves to form new connections between brain cells.Providers qualified to give a diagnosis may be required to diagnose after the first appointment when information about a patient is incomplete, which speaks to the flaws in our medical system. Many of the diagnoses have overlapping symptoms and it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact diagnosis, especially after the first visit with limited information due to time constraints or other factors, like trust between patient and therapist. In the spirit of overlapping symptoms and misdiagnoses, here are some disorders that resemble depression but aren’t depression.
LINK - 4 Disorders That Resemble Depression, But Aren't by Ralph Ryback, MD from Psychology Today.