Good morning !
I know this isn’t mental health awareness month anymore – but after reading a few chapter of “My heart and other black holes”, a thought came to me .. when your recovery is as far ahead as mine seems to feel, is it still alright to keep thoses labels anyway ?
While I know we aren’t our diagnosis, mine is still very much a part of me nonetheless.
Saying “I’m in recovery” or that it doesn’t affect you as much as it once did seems like that’s gone and you don’t have any need to say «I have anxiety and depression» anymore. At which point, if at all, shall we drop thoses labels?
Of course it may be easier to get over some issues rather than others; and it also have to do if it’s from an outside source (like a burnout for exemple) or an inside source like a chemical imbalance. The outside source may be way easier to figure out how to recover from than an inside one, unless you’re lucky to find the right thing right away.
Have you ever felt ready to drop your “label”?
While i’m still medicamented, and do NOT plan to leave it anytime soon – I still feel the same way with my labels. In fact, I still have my higher dose that I asked for last winter; as my Doctor prompted it was usually the case in winter because of the lack of vitamin D and that we can bring it back down once summertime would arrive — but I never did it.
Though I no longer need the therapy anymore, and I feel significantly better; I still cannot imagine letting go of thoses. Even if for the moment my anxiety and depression peaks up once in a while as if to say «Hey! We aren’t dead yet, do you remember us?». I do feel more in control and somewhat know how to deal with them more properly instead of being scared or overwhelmed; it’s just once of thoses moment you need to rock yourself and wait for it to pass.
Thoses labels feels very much like comfort blankets too in a way. Though i’m in the path of recovery, this doesn’t erase what i’ve been through; although sometimes I may wonder of Things would’ve been the same if I made different choices, I very much claim it as mine. Living with thoses demons for so long make it harder to say goodbye to them.. which is part of what make some people so wary of getting better.
*While this has been more a ramble-y post on my part – i’d very much like your imput on that matter!*
This is a very interesting perspective… I’m not sure when, if ever, one has or should drop the mental health label. After all, it’s kind of a part of yourself and chronicles a very painful, if important, journey of yours. It does feel good to say “I’m x free” but if you stop talking about it, it’s like it never happened and that takes away from the gratification of recovery in my opinion.
But, still, it’s hard to say! You should just do what feels right for you 🙂
You have a point, there! Talking about stuff definately make them more real. And we shall never stop talking about things like that! But for ourselves and others
I think it depends on the individual whether the labels can be dropped or not. If it’s a reoccurring thing that happens every winter, it may be seasonal depression instead of a recovering depression.
I can only speak for myself. There are times when my illness gets better or worse and I don’t think it’ll ever go away completely. It can be managed, but once it’s ignored it tends to crop up again.
Yep that’s true! It’s also my case, the medication helps alot but sometimes it just decides to peak up and seems flagrent; other days it’s better.
Always one day at a time is my belief. Of course I also don’t necessarily believe in labels. But that isn’t the point. Your recovery is based on your diagnosis, no? And if you didn’t believe in your recovery you believe there was something to recover from? If you no longer believe that something applies then why continue with recovery.
Just a thought … definitely not a professional.
Wait.. you lost me there.
I do believe in my diagnosis, I also believe in my recovery per say as I am feeling way better with my meds and couldn’t take it off. Do I believe my diagnosis is gone with the care though? not really.. part of the recovery is how to manage living with it and absorbing most of the constant so it comes only once in a while instead of always living in it.
I guess I just answered my question now xD but for me, I still do wanna keep my labels. As they still flare up regardless – and frankly I’d be scared of what i’d turn like if I were to remove all my medication entirely.
I think that sometimes people just want to label things because it makes them comfortable, but, I also think that we now know so much more about our brains and bodies and what goes on with our mental health and that’s fantastic. I definitely know that for me, I don’t need to use the label when speaking to others about myself but I do find it comforting to know what measures I need to better myself. Great post!
Thank you !
Yeah, I see what you mean – I guess it’d depend on the circumstance of speaking about myself. I wouldn’t ALWAYS speak about it, but sometimes ithink it may be important to.
This is a very interesting post! I can see why it would feel like a security blanket. I think the label is not important IF it does not cage you into something but gives you room to breathe!
Right, i see what you mean!
I often refer to myself as a survivor. An anxiety survivor. I’m proud of both; the anxiety made me someone who does not fear failure anymore. The anxiety was… an upheaval almost of all that which I did not need inside me. It was a hard healing and there was no way around it.
I’d woken from it a better person. A stronger person. Maybe I’m a little rougher around the edges, but that’s alright. I read a quote somewhere that said, if your pain helps you help one other person who’s going through what you had… perhaps it wasn’t all for nothing.
Mental health is a large part of all our lives. Being a Psych major, I know awareness is big part of understanding and moving on. It helped me, to label what I was going through simply because I’m someone who likes to think through and understand things. I am far far away from where I was, but I appreciate every single second that I’m not anxious and I’m more appreciative of everything. Now I try as much as I can, to appreciate every sunset, sunrise, every approval, every step..
Sorry for the late reply, love ! I was thinking of what to say to you. (and I was working..)
I quite like that; survivor has a bit of a different meaning than recovery. While recovery might imply the said illness is gone, the survivor does not. Or atleast less to me.
I love your comment so much ! i’m so proud of you ! ❤️ ❤️ That’s mostly what drives me to openly talk about anything I went through, and would take any chance to talk about it.
Yep, I am absolutely the same way. Having a name to relate and search around it to understand what’s going on inside me.
Reply whenever ❤️
Thank you. I love your post so much.