Are you happy being diganoused?

Hello @Former-Member amd @Eden1919

This is a really interesting topic, I think it really depends on the person as like you said @Former-Member it helps to understand more about your reactions to certain things which allows you to be more kind to yourself and possibly more aware going into the future of what you need to do to cope as that may have helped in the past.

A mental illness is basically a description of the general symptoms that you experience, you said it has made you more aware of your triggers @Former-Member ? But also that you wish you weren;t aware so that you didn't have tp pause all the time, I guess that sounds hard if you find yuourself struggling to do things or always focusing on the past and might not be helpful moving forward in your life.

The best you can do is still be yourself and try not to overthink things but notice when you are not coping and work through that with someone else so you are not alone in all of those thoughts, that can be exhausting.

Lunar

Hi @Former-Member,

For me, getting a diagnosis (borderline personality disorder) was initially hugely validating. It enabled me to go and read up on it, find there are other people who struggle with the same things I do, understand the underlying causes of it, and learn about the most effective treatments. It also helped me to know I wasn't just "behaving badly" as oh-so-many people were telling me.

However, as time went on, I realised how much stigma there is towards the diagnosis of BPD WITHIN the mental health system. I have experienced a lot of horrible stuff because of the negative attitudes and stereotypes that a lot of mental health professionals have towards people with BPD. Also, I strongly believe that it is because of this stigma, that the fact that I have Asperger's syndrome, was missed by about a bazillion mental health professionals. A lot of the things I struggle with, I now understand are more to do with my aspieness than BPD. However, these things were always viewed through the lens of BPD and thus seen as me being "difficult" or "acting out."

So...in answer to your question, overall I am glad I got the diagnosis. Also, it has practical implications - for example I am on the disability pension, which I would not have got without a formal diagnosis. I also sued a church on the basis that I developed BPD due to abuse I experienced there.

So yep, I'm glad I got the diagnosis. And I am SUPER glad that there are SOME awesome mental health professionals out there like @Former-Member @Former-Member @NikNik @CherryBomb who don't hold the horrible stigmatizing attitudes towards the diagnosis. I am counting on them to educate every mental health professional in the country so that those of us with BPD can stop being so hurt by the system...no pressure guys.

Haha I will try @Phoenix_Rising..one mental health professional at a time

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@Former-Member wrote:

Haha I will try @Phoenix_Rising..one mental health professional at a time

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Thank you @Former-Member. As I said, no pressure. If you could just educate every mental health professional in the country by the end of next week, that will be fine.

Wow @Phoenix_Rising such a strict schedule! I will do my very best but have a sneaky suspicion that I may not succeed Totally up for the challenge though

I think it very much depends on how that diagnosis is going to be used sometimes. As has been mentioned some diagnoses have so much stigma attached. And there are many times with diagnoses are used against people, i.e. in all court types, whether you are a victim or perpertrator, in family court (have been told by family court officials that anyone with BPD can not be a good parent). etc... then there is the fact that mental health professionals don't agree with one another even about the same person with the same information. I do not know if i am happy to have a diagnoses, mostly the effect of the labels has just caused me difficulties.

I definitely think you can take it too far @Former-Member, it is a tricky balance of being self protective but not too protective that you get stuck in negative thoughts and fear and not experience any new stimulus. The brain needs to be continually stimulated and have something to look forward to, this can be little things like trying a new cafe for coffee, or walking a different way home. And sometimes these things don't go well, and that is okay.

Because in many ways the things that cause fear and anxiety can be the most fulfilling and rewarding, so perhaps it is about pushing yourself sometimes to try new things then looking after yourself, the best you can do is try and be kind to yourself.

Overthinking can also be a positive thing but to a certain degree, like it is good for researching car insurance (haha) but then there is a point when you just need to buy it otherwise you are not covered and none of the options are perfect but you just need to go with the best one for you and your car.

But I do get it, there is no right answer, only what is helpful for you and your mental health

@Former-Member

I hate the whole concept of "are you ok" day. I think it minimises the issue of mental illness. I think there needs to be a LOT more focus on what to do/say if someone says "no" to the question of whether they are ok. To me, that day encapsulates the idea that society likes to think the stigma of mental illness is being broken down, but when push-comes-to-shove, the stigma is VERY much alive and well.