the world of labels

still_crazy · Sep 07, 2017, 06:36 PM

My official diagnosis is still (somehow...) Bipolar I, plus some ocd-ish stuff. My counselor leans towards Schizoaffective, manic type. I'm guessing that the clinic I go to puts the psychiatrist in charge of the official diagnosis.

In the community, I'm regarded as a "nothing special, typical 'mental patient,' Schizophrenic," etc. Can't complain. At this point, I'm on disability. Granted, a lot of that is because I live here, and I'm slathered in labels, stigma, etc., so I highly doubt I could get a job, much less one that would keep me going and cover treatment, etc.

My parents and I have reconciled. I thank God for that! They're good people. On the practical side of that, they're now considered "upper class hippies," for this area, anyway. I don't spend tons of $$$ or whatever, but their status provides some much needed "breathing room." I was driven out of an apartment in a nearby city, so I'm living with them right now. Ideal? No, not really, but still: I am blessed.

Labels, labels, lables. I sometimes wonder if my parents and I would have reconciled w/o some sort of serious mental illness label involved. Like I wrote above, they're good people, its just something I think on, now and then.

What's the -real- difference between a community-wide label of "Schizophrenia" vs "Bipolar I" ? In my case, "Schizophrenia" is a label that simply means: he is --not-- a member of this community. Its DSM-speak for "non-entity," basically.

ugh. thanks for reading. :-)

Sep 07, 2017, 07:01 PM

Hi Still Crazy....it's always nice to hear from you and read your story. Every time you tell your story I'm saddened on your behalf. I'm disgusted with the ignorance and bias of the people in your town. It's not the professional labels which seem to haunt you as much as the labels of an ignorant and down right stupid public. There is not much that can be done to avoid stupid people unfortunately. I really wish your parents could help you get your own place out of town where you could start fresh and new with a real chance to avoid the labels you so wish to avoid. (((Hugs)))

still_crazy · Sep 07, 2017, 07:18 PM

thanks, elsamars.

im thankful for my parents. its...interesting. i was definitely state mental hospital material for a good, long, while...and i was labeled a "loser." now, by a --miracle-- , ive "recovered," to use mental health-speak. result? I'm --now-- labeled "Schizophrenic."

there's a lot of power in labels, especially from mental health, inc. in my case, docs at a private, for profit hospital figured they'd bilked the insurance company about as much as they could, so...that was that, for me. i was not even 21 years old then.

now, my current counselor says i was 'sick' from a young age, for a long time. i dont have much faith in 'treatment' now, but i do like this dude. the tranquilizer helps, a whole lot. that's another blessing.