Breaking Free from the Label of "Crazy"
For years, I carried a word with me that weighed more than I could bear. That word was "crazy." After my mental health diagnosis and a suicide attempt when I was 20, that label was used by others—and eventually by me. It was whispered behind my back, said to my face, and embedded in my own mind until I started to believe it. It’s a small word, but it packs a heavy punch. The hardest part? Trying to escape it.
For a long time, I felt like that word defined me. It was in the glances I’d get when I spoke too openly about my mental health, in the awkward silences from those who didn’t know how to respond, and worst of all, in my own self-talk. I couldn't shake the word because the people around me kept it alive. The relationships I had at the time only reinforced that narrative—friends, family, coworkers—they unknowingly (or sometimes knowingly) perpetuated the stigma, making it impossible for me to break free from the "crazy" label.
It’s hard to admit, but sometimes the people we surround ourselves with play just as big a role in our mental health as the diagnosis itself. I had to come to terms with the fact that in order to heal, I needed to let go—not just of the label, but of the people who kept it tethered to me. It’s no different from cutting out toxic substances, like drugs or alcohol. I had to detox from relationships that weren’t healthy for my mind and spirit.
Changing my surroundings wasn’t easy. It meant making some tough decisions, distancing myself from certain people, and ultimately learning that my worth wasn’t tied to someone else’s opinion of me. Slowly, as I began to step away from those who saw me through the lens of my diagnosis, I started to see myself more clearly too. I wasn’t “crazy”—I was struggling, but I was also healing, growing, and finding strength I didn’t know I had.
Mental health struggles are not a reflection of someone’s worth. It took me time to realize that my diagnosis didn’t define me, and neither did that word. The more I embraced my own healing journey, the more I realized how important it is to shed the labels others place on us, especially when those labels keep us trapped in a cycle of self-doubt.
If you’ve ever felt defined by a label or surrounded by people who don’t see your worth, know that it’s okay to step away. Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is change our surroundings, just like we would change any other harmful habit in our lives. The journey to mental wellness is about more than just recovery—it’s about reclaiming your identity from the labels that no longer serve you.
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