---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A diagnosis is burden enough without…"
description: "\"A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by secrecy and shame.\" — Jane Pauley"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg"
---

#  A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by…

![“A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by secrecy and shame.” quote by Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg)

> “A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by secrecy and shame.”

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Being diagnosed is hard enough; secrecy and shame make it worse.

**In simple terms:** Secrecy adds pain to illness.

Key Takeaway

Seek openness and support.

Themes

health stigma communication

Mood

empathetic reflective

Type

advice inspirational

When to use this quote

- doctor visits
- support groups
- family discussions

Key Concepts

patient empowerment social support

Questions to Reflect On

- How does secrecy affect recovery?
- What can reduce shame around diagnosis?

A Different Perspective

Stigma can deter people from seeking help.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Burden Burdened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden-burdened-3168246/) [Burdened Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burdened-secrecy-3168245/) [Diagnosis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diagnosis/) [Diagnosis Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diagnosis-burden-3168244/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Secrecy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secrecy/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/)

## Related quotes

> [“Mental illness" is among the most stigmatized of categories.' People are ashamed of being mentally ill. They fear disclosing their condition to their friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elyn-r-saks/mental-illness-is-among-the-most-stigmatized-of-categories-people-are/)

[Elyn R. Saks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elyn-r-saks/)

> [ Portray \[people with mental illness\] sympathetically, and portray them in all the richness and depth of their experience as people, and not as diagnoses. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elyn-saks/portray-people-with-mental-illness-sympathetically-and-portray-them/)

[Elyn Saks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elyn-saks/)

> [“What daily life is like for “a multiple” Imagine that you have periods of “lost time.” You may find writings or drawings which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-miller/what-daily-life-is-like-for-a-multiple-imagine-that-you-have-periods/)

[Alison Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-miller/)

> [My goal is to see that mental illness is treated like cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/my-goal-is-to-see-that-mental-illness-is-treated-like-cancer/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [Hauntings are memes, especially pernicious thought contagions, social contagions that need no viral or bacterial host and are transmitted in a thousand different ways.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitl-n-r-kiernan/hauntings-are-memes-especially-pernicious-thought-contagions-social/)

[Caitlín R. Kiernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitl-n-r-kiernan/)

> [The Lourie Center eases the burden of children and their families through early intervention and diagnoses and treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-sills/the-lourie-center-eases-the-burden-of-children-and-their-families/)

[Beverly Sills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-sills/)

> [I've been trying to diagnosis myself on the Internet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-hobbes/i-ve-been-trying-to-diagnosis-myself-on-the-internet/)

[Miranda Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-hobbes/)

> [I can tell that in Refuge the question that was burning in me was, how do we find refuge in change? Everything around me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-can-tell-that-in-refuge-the-question-that-was-burning-in-me-was-how/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [An untreatable diagnosis is a statement about the medical system, not the patient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brennan/an-untreatable-diagnosis-is-a-statement-about-the-medical-system-not/)

[Barbara Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brennan/)

> [When you have a diagnosis of cancer, or any serious illness, your choices are basically to be passive and kind of accept whatever is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/when-you-have-a-diagnosis-of-cancer-or-any-serious-illness-your/)

[Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/)

> [I have never gone for a diagnosis and I don't consider myself to be bipolar, but I have extreme moods. I get heightened. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-quentin/i-have-never-gone-for-a-diagnosis-and-i-don-t-consider-myself-to-be/)

[Caroline Quentin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-quentin/)

> ["The Diagnosis" is by far my most ambitious book. I such great hopes for it... there was so much I wanted to do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/the-diagnosis-is-by-far-my-most-ambitious-book-i-such-great-hopes-for/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [I have been extremely pleased to support the Trust's work in the Lupus Unit ever since. Personal experience also motivated me to become involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-paige/i-have-been-extremely-pleased-to-support-the-trust-s-work-in-the/)

[Elaine Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-paige/)

> [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/)

[Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/)

> [And then they sign an affidavit swearing that she's not in a vegetative stage. I'll tell you. That's a doctor you really want; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-schiavo/and-then-they-sign-an-affidavit-swearing-that-she-s-not-in-a/)

[Michael Schiavo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-schiavo/)

## More by Jane Pauley

> [My son has been known to throw a book at the television set when he called for me to come play and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/my-son-has-been-known-to-throw-a-book-at-the-television-set-when-he/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I see myself as life-sized, certainly not a supersized personality, and apparently after 30 years of television, that's what the audience thinks of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-see-myself-as-life-sized-certainly-not-a-supersized-personality-and/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I have a very good sense of tone, and it's possible to talk about very personal things and maintain a level of dignity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-have-a-very-good-sense-of-tone-and-it-s-possible-to-talk-about-very/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I'm sorry, but I can't imagine being an American icon! It would be pretty difficult to look at your face in the mirror and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-m-sorry-but-i-can-t-imagine-being-an-american-icon-it-would-be/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [Twins are a high-risk pregnancy, by definition. The quieter I am, the longer I can keep them growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/twins-are-a-high-risk-pregnancy-by-definition-the-quieter-i-am-the/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [My goal is to see that mental illness is treated like cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/my-goal-is-to-see-that-mental-illness-is-treated-like-cancer/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I probably am more shy than people realize. But I'm shy when I leave a studio and I am just myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-probably-am-more-shy-than-people-realize-but-i-m-shy-when-i-leave-a/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [In the beginning when I sat next to Tom Brokaw on the 'Today' show, the stories I was interested in were those having to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/in-the-beginning-when-i-sat-next-to-tom-brokaw-on-the-today-show-the/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I'm excited about going back to 'Today,' but, at odd moments, I'll grit my teeth in anxiety. I feel like a student before the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-m-excited-about-going-back-to-today-but-at-odd-moments-i-ll-grit-my/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [Many people come to reinvention when life changes around them, but people come in all different stripes. I'm oriented to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/many-people-come-to-reinvention-when-life-changes-around-them-but/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [There might be false starts and do-overs.You are entitled to experiment before you find your calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/there-might-be-false-starts-and-do-overs-you-are-entitled-to/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder the year I turned 50, it was certainly a shock. But as a journalist, knowing a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/when-i-was-diagnosed-with-bipolar-disorder-the-year-i-turned-50-it/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I've come to recognize what I call my 'inside interests.' Telling stories. And helping people tell their stories is a sort of interpersonal gardening.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-ve-come-to-recognize-what-i-call-my-inside-interests-telling/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [My guess is that people look at me and project their own values - importance of family, ego is healthy but not the biggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/my-guess-is-that-people-look-at-me-and-project-their-own-values/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

> [I was an unusually private person - in a way, kind of insufferably so. I think I thought the celebrity thing when it happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/i-was-an-unusually-private-person-in-a-way-kind-of-insufferably-so-i/)

[Jane Pauley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

[Explore all 68 Jane Pauley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/)

## More Burden quotes

> [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/)

[Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/)

> [I am at a point in my life where everything I have worked for starts to look like a burden, a weight on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-abou-samra/i-am-at-a-point-in-my-life-where-everything-i-have-worked-for-starts/)

[Simone Abou Samra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-abou-samra/)

> [Trump's enduring appeal is a resource to be harnessed by the Republican Party, not a burden to be jettisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-devine/trump-s-enduring-appeal-is-a-resource-to-be-harnessed-by-the/)

[Miranda Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-devine/)

> [We want to free our citizens from the burden of excessive paper documents in every office. We want paperless transactions. We will set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/we-want-to-free-our-citizens-from-the-burden-of-excessive-paper/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [We cannot go back in time and change the past, but we can repent. The Savior can wipe away our tears of regret and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/we-cannot-go-back-in-time-and-change-the-past-but-we-can-repent-the/)

[Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/)

> [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/)

[Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/)

> [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/)

[Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/)

> [“What a burden it must be to know all the terrible things you've done and support it with arms unfit to carry it all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-weikel/what-a-burden-it-must-be-to-know-all-the-terrible-things-you-ve-done/)

[K. Weikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-weikel/)

> [And that, in a way, was the burden of being a philosopher: one knew what one had to do, but it was so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/and-that-in-a-way-was-the-burden-of-being-a-philosopher-one-knew-what/)

[Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/)

> [Wherever I am, I see the yoke on women in some form or another. On some it sits easy for they are but beasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abby-may-alcott/wherever-i-am-i-see-the-yoke-on-women-in-some-form-or-another-on-some/)

[Abby May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abby-may-alcott/)

> [It's a burden trying to keep a secret. It's hard. It probably takes more out of you trying to hold it and keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/it-s-a-burden-trying-to-keep-a-secret-it-s-hard-it-probably-takes/)

[Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/)

> [I've always liked artists like Chris Burden, who would take performances, put them in galleries, and then do things that were on the edge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blaine/i-ve-always-liked-artists-like-chris-burden-who-would-take/)

[David Blaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blaine/)

> [Our office...subjects us to great burdens and labors, dangers and temptations, with little reward or gratitude from the world. But Christ himself will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/our-office-subjects-us-to-great-burdens-and-labors-dangers-and/)

[Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/)

> [The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/the-debt-immense-of-endless-gratitude-so-burthensome-still-paying/)

[John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/)

[Browse all 2,567 Burden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by secrecy and shame.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jane Pauley"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-being-burdened-by-secrecy-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Burden"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-being-burdened-by-secrecy-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/03d/jane-pauley-10071_burden_a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-bei_1139341.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A diagnosis is burden enough without being burdened by secrecy and shame.” — Jane Pauley",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jane Pauley",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-pauley/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A diagnosis is burden enough without...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-being-burdened-by-secrecy-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-pauley/a-diagnosis-is-burden-enough-without-being-burdened-by-secrecy-and/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
