Understanding Your Mental Health Diagnosis: Beyond the Label

Being diagnosed with a mental illness is difficult for many people, and it happens more often than most realize. According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 1 in 8 people lives with a mental health disorder.

Until recently, society heavily stigmatized mental illness, therapy, and the act of asking for help. More recently, however, mental health providers, podcasts, and increased education and insight from social media have begun to reduce that stigma. This shift has made people more open about their experiences, and, in turn, that openness has empowered others to accept and share their own struggles.

What a Mental Health Diagnosis Really Means

A mental health diagnosis is based on a set of symptoms, or a pattern of symptoms, that affects how a person thinks or behaves. While these symptoms can significantly shape certain traits, they do not define the whole person. There will always be more to someone's identity than the label of a diagnosis.

This is important for both the individual and those around them to remember, as some people may over-identify with their diagnosis, relating to it to an extreme degree. For example, they might use it to excuse behaviors or to explain away aspects of their personality that may have other origins.

When clients receive a new diagnosis and express fear of judgment from others or from themselves, I remind them of something crucial: a mental illness deserves the same care and attention as a physical illness. We don't define people by their physical conditions, such as high blood pressure or cancer. Mental health should be no different.

Dr. Kristen Wheeler's Bio

Mental health providers and social media have helped reduce stigma, enabling people to be more open about their experiences and empowering others to accept and share their own struggles.