I am not my illness.

Labelling an individual an alcoholic presents a picture of someone homeless, drinking in parks, or lying passed out in alleys when this is not always the accurate picture. Labelling an individual or a group of people leads to stigmatisation. There are so many reasons why an individual will be living with alcoholism. However, living with alcoholism does not define the individual. They may have a problem, but they are not their problem.

There are many reasons a person would become dependent on drugs and alcohol; this is not their identity. It is an illness.

"He is a depressed person". No, "he is living with depression".

"She is Bipolar". Incorrect! She has "bipolar disorder".

"She is OCD." No, OCD is not a person. She is living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

"He is a druggy". No ", he is not a druggy. He is living with a mental or physical illness that may have led him to substance abuse".

People living with schizophrenia are labelled as psycho, crazy, dangerous, or schizo, which is humiliating and harmful to the individual's self and social identity. Rather than saying ", I am a schizophrenic," say, "I live with schizophrenia.

According to Howard Becker (1963), self-fulfilling prophesying is an individual's concept of how they view themselves because of labelling. This attached label by society also changes how others view the individual.

People often say, "I am OCD" or "I am Bipolar", but you live with the illness and are not the illness. Your condition does not define who you are as an individual. Your conditions may restrict you and affect areas of your life, but it is not who you are.

Individuals displaying signs and symptoms of a health condition are given a Diagnostic Label. Even though this helps understand what the person is experiencing to get adequate treatment, this can lead to individuals being stigmatised and isolated from communities when diagnoses are disclosed.

Having a diagnosis of an illness releases feelings such as fear, grief, anxiety, resistance, confusion, and sadness for the person affected. However, in addition to these feelings, they now must worry about what society stereotypically believes of a person with such illness. Their first thought is, often, how they would tell their family and others or how others will view them?" Next, will I still have a job or my place in society? Therefore, many hide their conditions and resist seeking help, suffering silently.

Mental health stigmas shame and disgrace people because of their illness, which is no fault to them. Mental health stigmas lead to people being isolated, rejected, discriminated against, and abandoned by society.

Therefore, it is essential to recognise, challenge and eradicate these labels and stigmas. Everyone, including ourselves and our beloved family members, will be experiencing some form of mental health disorder at some point. Let us create a world where people are not victimised and ostracised due to an illness beyond their control.

References:

Becker, H. (1963). Overview of Labelling Theories, www. Hewett, Norfolk. Sch. uk/curric/soc/crime/labelling/diakses pada, 10.

Becker, H. (1963). Outsiders-Defining Deviance. In: BECKER, Howard. Outsiders: Studies In The Sociology of Deviance. New York ….

Hoftman, G. D. (2016). The Burden of Mental Illness Beyond Clinical Symptoms: Impact of Stigma on the Onset and Course of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry Residents' Journal, 11(4), 5–7. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2016.110404

Sims, R., Michaleff, Z. A., Glasziou, P., & Thomas, R. (2021). Consequences of a Diagnostic Label: A Systematic Scoping Review and Thematic Framework. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 725877. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.725877