In the grand scheme of things...

..do labels really matter?
I was driving home from my therapist appt. thinking about the progress I have made the last year, and I realized that my DOUBTS about the name and nature of my illness, (Is it bipolar disorder? Is it an anxiety disorder? Is it this or is it that, etc., etc..?), are counter productive and not really the point. I struggle with depression and anxiety on a pretty consistent basis, particularly when I'm not medicated. Storms pass through me bringing thunder clouds of irritation, and occasionally the sun comes out shining bright and happy bringing rainbows of energy and clarity. Do I really need to wrap this up with a bright shiny ribbon labeled bipolar disorder in order to manage my mental health? No. Regardless of the diagnosis, my current medications are working really well, and I am learning and practicing effective skills I have learned in therapy and the groups I attend. Labeled correctly or not, isn't that what's most important?

I didn't even know I was diagnosed bipolar 1 until 2014, after another hospital stay. My pdoc doesn't do labels; she just tries to mitigate the symptoms. It was like she threw in a mood stabilizer because the antidepressants by themselves weren't working anymore. At first I felt cheated, but I realized that she didn't want me to get wrapped up in the label because my illness is pretty complex. It doesn't mean I'm special or unique but I've got other things going on besides BP and I need to pay attention to how I'm feeling overall, not just on one particular MI.

Even after all of the mental health professionals I've seen, plus 2 stints in 2 different hospital psych wards & a partial hospital program I still have never actually been given a diagnosis. At this point it really just doesn't matter anymore... At this point I think I've just aged out of the system.

First of all sorry for the long reply but this is something I have also stuggled with tremendously.

My psycologist and psychiatrist have different views on labels.

My psycologist says that having a proper diagnosis can open the door for specialized treatment: Individuals diagnosed with specific conditions should not be so concerned about the label and the stigmatized information. But should be focused on the fact that treatment can be more tailored to the specific symptoms and challenges. The label does not have to be a “death sentence” but rather the beginning of a therapeutic plan designed specifically for the problematic symptoms. She told me this as I was devistated to learn only this year that I have borderline personality disorder in addition to bipolar and anxiety.

Exploration of the diagnosis can lead to greater understanding: Finally receiving a diagnosis can truly lead to relief, even if that relief is only psychological. Some people are very grateful for finally getting the correct diagnosis. Feeling like you are hanging in mid-air just waiting for some kind of understanding of what you are suffering from, can feel like a slow death. Having a label that makes sense, has a specific treatment plan, and has an evidence-based treatment plan can take a load of stress of your shoulders.

On the other hand my psychiatrist feels that the human mind is too complex to just place a specific diagnosis and label on it. She is also not in favour of diagnosing a patient but rather treating and relieving symptoms. She said that one could say that an individual would be more on one spectrum than the other but it would not be wise to exclude all other ilnesses from a treatment plan. So to say we all have a little bit of everything some aspects are just more prominent than others, some feature at certain times and other feature at other times.

I don’t know if I am making any sense, I might be a bit hypomanic right now.

I don't really care about my Dx. I only care that my medication works.

However, I think labels do matter if you want to get proper treatment without wasting time guessing which types of medication may or may not work for you.

Labels are more of a convenience than anything, but I do think they're important on some level.

I agree. And it helps facilitate self-education and therapy. For example, my bipolar 1 and GAD are different but have crossover symptoms. Panic disorder, C-PTSD, Social anxiety disorder, OCD, and Panic disorder...similar in ways, glaringly different in others.

I say treat the symptoms....the diagnoses serve as a template for treatment. I have to deal with all the above. I need all the info I can get.

Glad you came over to the forum. It's cool if you're hypomanic...we get you. I concur with your psychologist.

Totally agree - we need the info especially if there are multiple diagnoses!