the cost of labeling

​I’m all for taking responsibility for our mental health. It’s not a fault and it’s not anyone’s fault. Pathologizing folks is dangerous. On the one hand, labeling allows us to treat/intervene. On the other hand, labels tend to follow people for a long time, often to their detriment. It creates a sense of “us” and “them” and this leads to othering; a phenomenon whereby folks marginalize or oppress others outside of
their own social identity who may be different.
Our society is built on a system of hierarchy and pathologizing facilitates a distinction among us. Mental illness is real. It creates a struggle and those who don’t suffer from mental illness should serve as allies or at the least, be empathic. Increasingly, we tend to overuse and ascribe pathological terms to common behavior. If someone is moody, they are called bipolar.  If someone has a poor attention span, they have ADHD. If someone is self-involved they are narcissistic. These are sweeping generalizations made from an observed characteristic that most times does not represent a true diagnosis. This tendency also undermines the severity or reality of symptoms of those who do carry these disorders.
We need to be aware of a few things:
-          One behavior trait does not make a diagnosis
-          There are several categories of behavior or symptoms to accurately diagnose
-          Labeling/pathologizing is hurtful
 Another aspect of pathologizing is placing responsibility on the individual and as a result, treating the individual. At times necessary! But when we see an increase in diagnoses for example anxiety, depression, ADHD, we need to also question our environment and explore contributing factors. The pandemic has given rise to an entire generation of folks who are isolated, depressed, anxious and have social anxiety. Moodiness can be impacted by seasonal changes, economic stressors or a host of situational or environmental circumstances. Social media plagues our ability to delay gratification. Lighting, temperature, sounds, smells, and color can create discomfort, agitations, or one’s sense of safety.  Climate change has been shown to be linked to increased mental health issues including aggression and depression. Crime impacts anxiety. Poverty, toxins, bullying, technology, structural racism and so on. 
Let’s open our minds to considering the difference between environmental and individualistic challenges.  Environment can impact mental health which impacts the individual’s well-being. Do we work on the individual or the environment? Sometimes the former, sometimes the latter, and sometimes it’s a combined effort.

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