In traditional medicine, if someone fell and hurt their arm, the first step would be to take an X-ray to understand the injury. Imagine how harmful it would be to splint a broken bone or cast a sprain without knowing the actual condition. The wrong treatment could worsen the injury, delay healing, or cause unnecessary pain. Unfortunately, in mental healthcare, we often skip this critical diagnostic step. Patients are frequently placed in facilities or treatment programs without a clear understanding of the root causes of their struggles. Treating symptoms like substance use without fully understanding the underlying mental health issues is akin to treating a sprain when there’s a fracture—it’s ineffective at best and harmful at worst.