{"id":7518,"date":"2013-09-04T08:50:21","date_gmt":"2013-09-04T15:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/?p=7518"},"modified":"2013-09-03T12:24:26","modified_gmt":"2013-09-03T19:24:26","slug":"abilitys-muse-when-diagnosis-becomes-an-identity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/2013\/09\/04\/abilitys-muse-when-diagnosis-becomes-an-identity\/","title":{"rendered":"Ability\u2019s Muse<\/em>: When diagnosis becomes an identity"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is value in diagnosis; it can be a source of comfort and a means to guide treatment. A diagnosis should be a way of defining a specific set of symptoms. But when a diagnosis becomes an individual\u2019s defining trait, a dangerous line is crossed. Who we are as individuals becomes compromised and we are reduced to little more than a label.<\/p>\n

The child playing in the park isn\u2019t an epileptic, and the neighbour across the way isn\u2019t a schizophrenic. That child has epilepsy, and that neighbour has schizophrenia, and the minute we as individuals start identifying ourselves and others as a diagnosis first, and a human being second, we have taken away from the very identity of whom we speak of, boiling down the multifaceted human self to an often negative and even stigmatic identity.<\/p>\n

When a label is assigned to an individual it can be demeaning, and although the notion that labels are empowering thrives in many circles, this mentality doesn\u2019t apply to everyone. We as a society deny the richness and complexity that we each hold, simply in the language we use, and our attitudes and beliefs tend to follow suit.<\/p>\n

To label is to refuse the very essence of who we are: a multitude of abilities, experiences, and passions. We are each so much more than a diagnosis. Don\u2019t be the label that we as a society are so quick to assign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is value in diagnosis; it can be a source of comfort and a means to guide treatment. A diagnosis should be a way of defining a specific set of symptoms. But when a diagnosis becomes an individual\u2019s defining trait, a dangerous line is crossed. Who we are as individuals becomes compromised and we are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columns","category-september-4-2013"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t