To what limit are laymen required to ignore manifest reality?
If someone writes that he is sneezing, has a sore throat, runny nose etc., are we allowed to infer that he has a cold?
If someone writes that he is sneezing, has a sore throat, runny nose etc., are we allowed to infer that he has a cold?
That reason is partly so that they can be recognized as doctors. Making an observational deduction has nothing to do with medicine nor imitating a doctor, per se.
In the case of a suspected cold, it’s perfectly reasonable to keep one’s distance to try to avoid catching it, whether the supposition is correct or not.
Suspected depression? Harder to say, but at minimum I hope that appraisal engenders understanding and compassion. I think gently suggesting someone seek professional help is reasonable. I also think we have a tendency to overly pathologize perfectly normal mental states, however, and especially if (as the OP states) a person appraises themselves to be OK, then suggestion should not become insistence.
This is not support for your previous sentence. A large portion of doctors' training consists of making sure they will treat someone with a runny nose for a cold before they'll even consider other explanations.