Psychology is something that I have always been extraordinarily interested in since a very young age. The thought of mental health and disorders always fascinated me. Sociology captivates me with it’s theoretical nature. As I matured however I gained a very different view on the concept of disorders. I realized how, while useful organizational tools, disorders tend to give people a label that doesn't fully suit them. Every case is different. You realize that there are a lot of people with depression that don't fit that stereotype. I came to learn that in a very personal way. Approximately a month ago I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I had known something was wrong for about a year. I kept telling myself that I wasn't depressed though because I could get out of bed every morning. I told myself I wasn't anxious because I didn't have panic attacks all that often. I kept blaming it all on my ADHD.

Now before I keep talking about my situation I would like to talk about labels. I don't like to think of myself as depressed or anxious. This is because disorders are labels. I like to think of myself as a kid who also happens to have these disorders. Labels are evocative and volatile. They put people into boxes because it's easier to wrap your mind around people when they can be put into a box. When people hear i'm depressed that seems so intense; ridiculous almost. That's due to the fact that labels are ineffective. I don't fit what people think of as a depressed person. Since I don't fit the label it shocks people. This is a dangerous thing. People with schizophrenia are called schizophrenics. That is a dangerous thing to do. You don't call a depressed person “a depression” for a reason. It’s because there is a lot more to that person. This is an interesting thing about society. Stereotyping people with certain disorders is fine for some nonsensical reason. If I however were to say that all Mexicans are short and love tacos that would be considered offensive. A disorder is not a static thing that defines a person just like a race or a gender. One thing that I think causes issues like this is sheer ignorance. If people don't understand something that is a bad sign for the future of how that situation will be treated. People don’t understand mental health largely. The worst part is a lot of people think they do when they don’t. I don't make any assumptions about any disorder I haven't researched thoroughly because I know I’m unqualified. Society makes assumptions about everything. News flash, people with depression are literally like everyone else from a distance. It's the close examination that shows the disorder. Just because I’m not crying and sad all the time doesn’t mean I’m not depressed. Just because I’m not thinking about killing myself every day doesn't mean I’m not depressed. These are the kinds of assumptions that are harmful. The reason they are harmful is because empathy is based off our ability to understand other people's positions. When everyone is so misinformed empathy is hard to achieve. Empathy is something that everyone needs and a lot of people can't give me any as they don’t understand what i’m experiencing.