Identity

How important is it to you to have an accurate term to describe yourself or your illness? I'm struggling a lot with this. My diagnosis doesn't seem to encapsulate everything that I'm dealing with, and I know objectively that the word doesn't matter, but it is bothering me that I don't have a word for it. I don't even really understand myself or what's going on, but still. I feel like I don't have anything to hold on to. I'm just floating around in drugs and therapy with nothing to tell me where I am or where I'm going. I feel like a hole where a person used to be.

😢

when i describe my illness to people i just say, " i have mental health issues", and that's it- and it works for me

if people want to know more, then they can ask

Since I have bipolar, ADD, PTSD, and anxiety disorder, I try to describe myself without using those terms. I am creative, sometimes lazy, funny, etc.

This is my experience. Once I had the diagnosis, it finally gave me the answer to what I was looking for all my life up until then. I struggled wanting to know what was wrong with me? Why did I feel this way? Why did I behave like that? I felt so alone, isolated, and miserable. Once I received a diagnosis, and my doctor actually explained to me why, I started to look it up to see what she was talking about. The meds started to clear my head, the more I read, the more sense it made. Now I don't look at it as me being bipolar, rather, I look at is "This is what I have. This is my illness that I struggle with." Now that I know that, I can use that knowledge to stay on top of and better manage my symptoms.
Since that has been taken care of in some respects, I can now focus on what it is I want to do with my life, what are my likes and dislikes, and just getting to discover what makes me, me outside of the disorder.
I hope that helps and/or makes sense.
Good luck and please take care.

I describe myself as having PTSD, that i have been through too much. That works for me, you can say that you are just coping in life for now and MOST people get it! (((hugs))) you don't have to label yourself, just be yourself. You don't have to explain yourself just state you are coping. And the rest is none of their business ...blessings and tc