How do labels affect you, if at all?

[Daniel E.]

While it's true that blaming other people isn't going to help with recovery or developing self-efficacy, it's not like these are non-issues, e.g.

Modified Labeling theory has been described as a "sophisticated social-psychological model of 'why labels matter' ". In 2000 results from a prospective two-year study of patients discharged from a mental hospital (in the context of deinstitutionalization) showed that stigma was a powerful and persistent force in their lives, and that experiences of social rejection were a persistent source of social stress. Efforts to cope with labels, such as not telling anyone, educating people about mental distress/disorder, withdrawing from stigmatizing situations, could result in further social isolation and reinforce negative self-concepts. Sometimes an identity as a low self-esteem minority in society would be accepted. The stigma was associated with diminished motivation and ability to "make it in mainstream society" and with "a state of social and psychological vulnerability to prolonged and recurrent problems". There was an up and down pattern in self-esteem, however, and it was suggested that, rather than simply gradual erosion of self-worth and increasing self-deprecating tendencies, people were sometimes managing, but struggling, to maintain consistent feelings of self-worth. Ultimately, "a cadre of patients had developed an entrenched, negative view of themselves, and their experiences of rejection appear to be a key element in the construction of these self-related feelings" and "hostile neighbourhoods may not only affect their self-concept but may also ultimately impact the patient's mental health status and how successful they are".

Labeling theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(The above excerpt is another example of why self-acceptance is so important.)

 

[Jazzey]

I'm not disagreeing with you, on a premise-basis. I guess I wish that we were more careful on the presentation...

Makes me think of an old episode of the Cosby show...where he's talking about his daughter's engagement....He goes thru this whole thing where he talks about his favorite meal. And how his favorite meal is presented on the lid of a garbage can. He adds: "it's all in the presentation".

That's my thinking a little on this..."it's all in the presentation". It can never be a "woe is me" kinda deal. None of us deserve that. And that was my point in my post....

It can never be about "woe is me".

 

[wheelchairdemon]

If I'm really honest...I find this thread offensive. it's a means to perpetuating stereotypes...and promoting feeling sorry for ourselves. I've ignored it for some time now...because of my reaction to it. IMHO

I apologize for anything I said because I sure wasn't meaning to be offensive.

Let's try this another way.

What are people's experiences when they get a label or are mentally ill? For me, it has always been treated as a very negative thing; I must learn to ignore the negative, seek the positive, and figure out how to do this all on my own.

Maybe in other places the experience is different. I tend to believe I do need help because it's obvious that my level of frustration is high enough that the issues are never taken seriously enough. I just can't get the help because, in 2002, I did too well on testing for Employment Supports. The psychological tested ruled out evidence of BPD and Bi-polar and I was thrilled; so thrilled that I shared the good news with everyone.

What I didn't expect was that I would instantly lose the psychiatrist, the community mental health team support, indeed all support (even the crisis line) forever.

The repercussions of this, when I spent most of my life within a system, was I didn't have a clue what to do. I'd never lived alone before, let alone lived alone in an apartment using a wheelchair, and with absolutely no home health care support to help me figure out how to manage.

I also get criticized all the time when I ask for help, can't get it, and get down and depressed because I don't know why I lost every thing. I'm told to never talk about the negative - always talk about the positive - and so I do that. In many ways I find it helps to look for the good, but I'm still at a dead loss as to why I've been set adrift by myself on the sea just because I happened to do a little too well on the testing.

My frustration level is still too high and it is rendering me mute, so to be honest, I don't know how to communicate anymore.

I've been taught that mental illness is shameful and, although I don't agree that it should be, I still distance myself from the labels as much as possible because, when I have them, it is making things worse.

I hope this makes sense. I certainly never meant to offend anyone ever.

 

[Jazzey]

Oh...I'm sorry WD...I did not intend to make anyone regret this thread....I'm sorry for doing that. That was not my intent. I really appreciate people being honest..up front. So I'm sorry.

I get angry at times. But I appreciate that's more about me...it's not about any of you..so I'm sorry. I meant no offense.

 

[wheelchairdemon]

Oh...I'm sorry WD...I did not intend to make anyone regret this thread...

No worries. I'm in a situation that is very complex, and that no one, including myself, can understand. Please don't feel bad. My situation is far from normal. I'm just thankful that I, on my own, found a way to stay positive and move on.

No one, but no one, should have to go through the type of nightmare I went through for doing well on a test though. Enough said.

 

[CashmereCactus]

Have you ever noticed how people describe physical and mental afflictions differently? For example, "Bob has arthritis" vs "Amy is bi-polar". No one says "Tim is cancer." Why are folks with mental illnesses thought of as the disorder itself? That rules out the zillion other things a person might be. What a shame...

 

[Banned]

I agree, Cashmere Cactus. And I think I said it somewhere else - we are so much bigger than our diagnoses. Bipolar or depression or anxiety are symptoms of other things, but we're also intelligent, creative, insightful, funny, romantic, hard-working, etc. I find myself doing it to myself - "I'm borderline"...and I smack myself (figuratively) every time. That's just a very, very tiny part of who I am as a whole. We just need to teach the rest of the world to see and understand that as well. Just a bit of a daunting task...