I’ve lived under clinical labels that never quite fit. I’ve also worked inside the systems that assign them. Both shaped me—and neither told the whole truth. A diagnosis can bring relief. A name for your pain. A path toward care. Sometimes, even a sense of belonging. But it can also become a cage. A story you’re expected to live inside—even if it no longer reflects who you are. The system likes what it can measure. Progress charts. Symptom scales. Predictable steps. But healing? Healing is ra...
