What Ails us...
Ironically, or perhaps appropriately, the only two things I remember very well about my undergrad. abnormal psych class are the two caveats issued by the teacher.
1. Diagnosis’s can be a Catch 22. Helpful because they help us understand ourselves or others better and (possibly) know how to better help people, yet harmful because they can reduce a person to a label that comes with a whole lot of assumptions and enable people to falsely believe that the diagnosis IS the person.
2. We would all most likely contract Medical Students Disease…you know, the disease where everytime you hear all of the symptoms of a “disease” or “disorder”, you are SURE that you or someone you know has it.
I did indeed contract Medical Student’s disease, but thank goodness, have since recovered from it. Gosh there was some rough going there, but I am happy to say that I am finally completely Medical Student Disease Free.
1. Diagnosis’s can be a Catch 22. Helpful because they help us understand ourselves or others better and (possibly) know how to better help people, yet harmful because they can reduce a person to a label that comes with a whole lot of assumptions and enable people to falsely believe that the diagnosis IS the person.
2. We would all most likely contract Medical Students Disease…you know, the disease where everytime you hear all of the symptoms of a “disease” or “disorder”, you are SURE that you or someone you know has it.
I did indeed contract Medical Student’s disease, but thank goodness, have since recovered from it. Gosh there was some rough going there, but I am happy to say that I am finally completely Medical Student Disease Free.
posted by Alana at 8:26 AM
4 Comments:
heehee...I remember my first psych class and how I thought I was completely insane afterward. Thank god that's over! :)
I'm came down with Aspberger's disease at my first Autism conference.
The great thing about contracting Medical Student's disease and recovering is that you should have built up a natural immunity. Now you won't need the vaccine for it (and we can be reasonably sure that Merck has been working on the vaccine).
I know what you mean about diagnosis being a Catch 22, I have multiple diagnosis and for me it is helpful in understanding myself but when I tell people what the dx is then they see it as defining me as being bipolar, ADHD,PTSD & APD. They tend to stereotype me and stick me into a category strictly by my dx instead of getting to know me as an individual.I have learned the hard way to not tell just anyone what my dx is in order to avoid this situation. I am not ashamed of my dx but at the same time I have to protect myself from those who tend to be so judgmental. Hope that made sense. BTW, I love your blog
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