Key points

Labels can help or harm depending on how responsibly they are applied.

Generations differ in how they view mental health labels and self-identification.

Avoiding labels allows harmful behaviors and conditions to remain unaddressed.

Responsible labeling requires accurate knowledge and careful context.

Labels, particularly when applied to human beings and their behavior, can have a surprisingly polarizing effect, regardless of the label’s efficacy. Some people resist labels altogether, while others embrace them so entirely that the label itself becomes an integral part of their identity . Both extremes are tempting and deeply human.

For many, avoiding labels feels like freedom, refusing to be reduced to a diagnostic code, a stereotype, or a box someone else can put you in.

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