Who is normal?

There may be times when you think you’re crazy. And you may be right. But it’s far more likely that you’re just going through a stressful time; or that you’re experiencing distressing emotions; or that situational factors are making it hard for you to function well; or that you think, feel or act differently from others in your circle.
If any or all of the above are true, therapy may very well be helpful to you. But does that mean you have a “mental disorder”? It all depends.
Enter the mental health system (by using your health insurance benefits), and you will be labeled as having a mental illness. If you are shy, you will have a “social anxiety disorder”; down in the dumps, a “dysthymic disorder”; nervous and jumpy, a “generalized anxiety disorder”; difficulty focusing, an “attention deficit disorder”; recovering from a major event, a “post-traumatic stress disorder.” And the list goes on.
Though you wouldn't know it from all the diagnoses, the boundary between normal and mental disorder is fuzzy. Of course, there’s no doubt that if you are a paranoid schizophrenic, you’re mentally ill. But if you are experiencing the emotional pangs of life that emanate from your childhood, or from trying to do it all, or from meeting everyone’s expectations (including your own), or from struggling with loss, anxiety, guilt or shame, should you really be considered anything less than normal?
Of course, if you want to seek out therapy and pay for it on your own, you can escape the labeling and protect your privacy. Two great benefits! But not everyone can afford to do that.
So, if you end up with a diagnostic label, be aware that it can trigger residual feelings from your worst high school days. You know, when the really cool kids stigmatized you because you weren’t as cool as them. You felt less than. You weren’t okay. You didn’t measure up. You didn’t fit in. You thought something was wrong with you.