Quote:
Originally Posted by amandalouise
here in NY which is in the USA a diagnosis and a person's identity are two different things....
a medical doctor gives a ...diagnosis...of having a cold. flu, broken bones.....physical ailments...
a mental health treatment provider gives a person the ....diagnosis....of having depression
A person's identity is who or what the person is...male, female, doctor, lawyer, christian, American, Yankee, lesbian, gay, bi,......
a person is not a diagnosis, they can have a diagnosis (have a mental disorder, have a physical problem, have a mental problem)
example
my identity is...
I am a mother
I am a wife
I am a lesbian
I am a treatment provider in the state of NY
I am a woman....
my diagnosis is
PTSD (I have problems with anxiety and other PTSD issues)
Bipolar disorder (I go through phases of depression, mania...)
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I am also from NY. The differences the physical and mental illness is that regardless of how much treatment you get for a mental illness, you're perspective on yourself and your life won't be like it was before, it changes parts of you and the way you behave. Getting over a flu doesn't change who you are. Of course I am not arguing that we should walk around saying "I'm a depressed person, feel my wrath", but I also think it's unfair to pretend like mental illness is comparable to physical disorder. We know so little of the brain, so to come to such claims is scientifically absurd.