Developing a Common Vocabulary: Questions of Purpose and Priority

The “Standards and Guidelines” provide much-needed considerations for any agency or group undertaking the project of creating diagnostic/descriptive categories, including the vital assertion that those with lived experience of mental distress must be a valued part of the process. However, to fully take into account the unique needs of those with lived experience, we must also question the very assumption that diagnostic and descriptive systems are necessary to promote well-being. This article addresses the current tension in diagnostic priorities and explores the benefits of encouraging personal expressions of mental distress in the context of activism and peer support