The cost of over-identifying with your mental health issues: Therapist explains

From stagnation in personal development to increased anxiety and stress, here are a few negative impacts of over-identifying with our mental health issues.

Published on: May 08, 2024 7:00 PM IST

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Published on May 08, 2024 7:00 PM

Fear of abandonment from childhood can have traumatising impact on our adult relationships as well. We learn to internalise that fear and it shows up in our behavioural patterns. "Abandonment wounds run deep, often shaping our self-esteem in profound ways. ⁣From internalising rejection to fearing intimacy, the impact is real," wrote Therapist Allyson Kellum-Aguirre. (Unsplash)

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When we start to identify with a mental health condition overtly, we restrict ourselves from having self-perception and growth.  (Unsplash)

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This further causes stagnation in personal development as we stay consumed in our mental health issues, rather than seeing beyond it.  (Unsplash)

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Constant focus on mental health challenges can accelerate stress and anxiety for us and make us feel frustrated and overwhelmed.  (Unsplash)

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Over-identification with mental health issues can make us feel powerless. We develop a powerless mentality where we feel that we cannot do anything to make our lives better.  (Unsplash)

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People often depend too much on the diagnosis and see it as a w3ay of explaining personal and interpersonal issues, restricting a comprehensive understanding of themselves.  (Unsplash)