If you have a physical illness, injury, and/or disability, it's not a part of who you are as a person, right? Right! However, the same is true if you have mental illness. You may have mental illness, but it's not a part of who you are. You are not your illness. The thing is that in our society, many people will say that if you have, say, bi-polar disorder, that "you are bi-polar." However, if you have a physical illness, like cancer, for example, nobody will say that "you are cancer." Just like someone with cancer isn't cancer, you are not bi-polar either. Instead, you have bi-polar disorder. Their is a difference. The same could also be said about your job or volunteer job. Like when I used to work as a janitor years ago, I wasn't a janitor. Instead I worked as a janitor. That menial job wasn't who I was.
I agree for the most part. However, if the illness is something incurable, then it is a part of you and thus, a part of who you are. For instance, when you have diabetes, you are a diabetic. But that isn't a problem at all, if that illness is continually handled properly and can be handled properly. Mental disorders that are incurable, but can be handled medicinally or therapeutically, are the same. As for jobs, I agree completely. Scott
