Originally Posted by
Pup
I define myself by my diagnosis' & labels & difficulties & problems etc.
That's all I've ever known.
So, that's who I think I am.
I list them out & have an urge for them to be serious, severe, "worse" than others, sick but whatever, that's how I am.
OK, so you say you define yourself by your labels, but also by your difficulties and problems. Could you ignore the labels bit and discuss more about the difficulties and problems you are going through; a label or diagnosis doesn't define what you are, it is merely a part of your character, you are not that problem unless you see yourself that way and then it can lead to that.
The fact that when you list them out you have an urge for them to be more serious makes me think that for you writing them out would in fact only make you worse as you'll forever think "but if I had x too then I'd need more help, I've only got..... therefore that isn't enough". That ends up you getting into the mindframe of needing to be worse, mentally than you are as perhaps a 'coping mechanism' but at the end of it it will jst worsen factors as you'll never be totally happy that you're not the worst you could possibly be and then you won't be able to function at all.
That's the worry with writing out labels; others will see them and think "well I've not got enough" and then they look into others and start to find parts of those they fit into and low and behold they concentrate on negative things of a new disorder rather than trying to tackle the one they have. If you have that urge then you can bet many others do. As well as that, though you may define yourself as labels, would you like other people to define you as that, see you only as a list of diagnoses?
I've got several health problems, some mental, some physical. Some I have diagnoses for, some I don't. One of mine can be seen as a very negative label to have because of the connotations and I used to be terrified of anyone knowing and when people have found out, even recently, I've had some bad reactions to it. That is without them knowing everything. And being labelled for me and a lot of other people is not a good thing. I hate it and with one of my conditions I've actually 'tinkered' with the way it is written so it's not seen as the typical condition seen in the media but is one more suited to my own condition and that has become what a lot of people including doctors, use, if they use any because they know that like most, I like to be seen as a person first. One with problems yeah, but those don't necessarily have to be named and I don't feel the name of them defines who I am at all. Actually with one of my diagnoses, the image that instantly comes to mind in most people's heads is something totally different to what I am, yet I still have the right diagnosis, people's perceptions are just warped.
Diagnoses are there as a helpful medical tool so they can guide you through treatment and help you to know why x is happening. They are something that can be viewed badly and I know personally I'd prefer to answer a post where people put their current problems in, possibly as well as saying how they are causing such great problems right now, rather than them just putting a list of diagnoses that could be seen totally out of context.