Diagnostic Labels
Don’t let them determine who you are
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is challenging to live with and accept. Once you accept it, you are left with a sense of being different or strange. One side-effect of DID is becoming wrapped up in your diagnosis, which hinders healing.
This article will explore how the diagnostic label of dissociative identity disorder can become your identity.
Receiving a Label
People who seek professional help when they recognize something is wrong with their mental health suddenly find they meet the diagnostic criteria for a disorder like DID. Receiving a mental health diagnosis can cement in someone’s mind that they are damaged goods that need fixing or are sometimes so profoundly injured they can never recover.
The stigma surrounding dissociative identity disorder diagnosis is palpable with television programs, apps for your phone, and movies portraying people living with DID as animals to be feared.
Giving someone a diagnostic label is controversial among clients and mental health professionals because of the stigma and how the person sees themselves.
Search engines like Google make receiving a diagnostic label even worse because you can explore what your symptoms should be, and this search can lock in…
