Distinguish between your diagnosis and who you are as a person
Don’t say, “I am depressed.” … If you want to say that depression is there, that’s fine; if you want to say gloominess is there, that’s fine. But not: I am gloomy. You’re defining yourself in terms of the feeling. That’s your illusion; that’s your mistake. -- Anthony de Mello
A common criticism of the mental health field is that its practitioners label people in an overly simplistic manner, reducing complex individuals down to a set of diagnoses or diseases. While the diagnostic process is certainly important for the purposes of treatment planning and understanding pathology, it doesn’t explain a person’s entire existence.
In my opinion, problems arise when a person thinks in diagnostic terms or labels. An example of this would be wanting to work on a project or towards an important goal, and then backing away from it, thinking “Well, I have depression, so what’s the point, I might as well just forget about it.” Another example would be a person getting anxious before having to give a speech, and then deciding to avoid it altogether due to a belief that they “have anxiety.” Obviously, an individual might have symptoms that at present prevent them from progressing toward their goals. But by thinking about themselves in clinical terms, they are creating a set of limiting beliefs that hinder them from reaching their full potential. It’s very important to be aware of this phenomenon, because the mind can be highly deceptive, and a diagnosis can become yet another form of self-criticism if one is not careful.
It’s usually much more helpful to think about yourself as a whole person, not just as a label or as a diagnosis. By taking a more holistic approach, you inherently acknowledge the complexity of who you are, because you’re no longer reducing yourself to the limits of your beliefs about anxiety or depression. Instead, you accept the entirety of your being, which gives you a higher-level view of your situation. Something like “major depressive disorder” then changes from an all-encompassing definition of who you are back to what it should be: a diagnosis that should be accepted and treated, but not lived by.
Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. -- Rabindranath Tagore
Just like music, life consists of a range of emotions, both high and low. You can’t take away the bass and expect the music to remain melodious, just like how you can’t have all the high notes dominate the sound. By keeping this in mind, you’ll be able to put your emotions, both high and low, back into the proper context, contributing to your personal growth and a more harmonious way of living.
References:
Wikipedia Contributors. Emotional reasoning. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_reasoning. Published September 19, 2019. Accessed September 22, 2019.
4 Steps to Release “Limiting Beliefs” Learned From Childhood. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/focus-forgiveness/201311/4-steps-release-limiting-beliefs-learned-childhood. Published 2013. Accessed September 22, 2019.
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