You are something or you have something. What is the difference and what does that mean to you and the world we live in? How do people respond to language that communicates a mental illness and what is the difference between you are X or you have X? For example, I am diagnosed with Bipolar II. Some people say “Oh you have manic depression” or “Oh you are manic depressive.” Recently, I pondered this slight twist of diction in a sentence because there is a difference. When someone says you ARE something it tends to define you. You tend to think of yourself as the disease when really it is simply one aspect amongst a long list of attributes that constitute our being. When you HAVE something there leaves room for other aspects of your individuality to be recognized and leaves little room for your mental illness to define you which can result in you being stereotyped or discriminated against. When you told you ARE something, you might lose sight of the fact that there is no such thing. Your mental illness is something you HAVE but it’s not something that you ARE. It doesn’t define you.

Despite what people say about you or “call you” it’s important to remember that whatever your mental illness diagnosis is, it is one aspect of your being. Human beings are complicated and a sum of personality attributes coupled with personal experiences which are constantly in flux. And more specifically, the changes one undergoes having a mental illness makes it impossible to be a mental illness which some of society outside the mental health world simply do not understand. Hence, the simplicity of you ARE mentally ill. It’s a convenient title. When you say you ARE an illness it stops the ability for people to be educated on mental health, and may cause you to define yourself as your illness. Keep that in mind and pay attention to the verbiage of others. There is a big difference from being something and having something, and knowing that difference will help you better understand your mental health experience and help you better be aware of the unfortunate fact that others saying you are something only perpetuates isolation and stigmatization and impedes societies ability to learn about mental health.