Are We Facing A LABELLING EPIDEMIC?

Last year the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) topped the Sunday Times bestsellers list. Why would a manual which has a main purpose for communicating diagnosis among mental health professionals become a bestseller among the general population?

- Victoria Stokes

YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD IT IN CONVERSATION WHEN A RELATIVE JOKES ABOUT BEING "A BIT OCD". PERHAPS YOU'VE SPOTTED IT IN A PARENTING FACEBOOK GROUP WHEN CONCERNED PARENTS RUSH TO TELL A WORRIED MUM THAT HER SON'S BEHAVIOURS SOUND LIKE ADHD.

Maybe you've noticed it in the comments section of viral social media posts about autism, anxiety, or bipolar, with numerous people chiming in claiming to tick all of the boxes.

These days, labelling is everywhere. It can be helpful for people who have never quite been able to put a finger on why they feel the way they do, but haphazardly using these terms to describe yourself or others, with little understanding of what these conditions actually are or how people experience them, is problematic-and it seems to be on the rise wherever you look.

Charlotte Armitage, a registered integrative psychotherapist and psychologist, says it's something she's seeing more and more of. "I think that social media has a lot to answer for, as there are many videos online with people describing traits of certain disorders," she notes.

"It's easy for someone to watch these videos and identify with the traits without truly recognising or appreciating the context in which these traits would require a diagnosis. It leads to people overidentifying with what is posted online and then attributing those traits seen to themselves."

If you've done your research and genuinely feel that you have some form of neurodivergence or mental health concern, then finally having a name for your behaviours can be a great thing. Seeing content that reflects your experiences online can be a comfort as well.

But the risk is that many people will seek labels for any behaviour, pattern or emotion that's outside of the perma-happy bubble that society has set as the norm.