This is Self-Work, and I'm Dr. Margaret Rutherford.

At Self-Work, we discuss psychological and emotional issues and what you can do about them,

whether that's learning self-acceptance, taking action, or seeking therapy or treatment.

Eight years ago, I extended the walls of my practice to reach those of you who might already be knowledgeable about middle

health treatment, but also to those of you who might say, you'd never darken the door of a therapist.

And yet, you are here. I'll answer your questions while I invite you to take a few minutes for your

own self-work. Please remember trust is earned and before on social media you begin following

someone or listening to someone's advice before you honor them as an expert, please give them

time and space to earn that trust. What are they

saying or doing or suggesting that's truly helpful to you? Do you feel better about yourself

when you watch or listen? Welcome to this week's edition of self-work. Given the wave of mental

health and wellness awareness that has occurred over the last decade or more,

is talking about revealing depression getting any easier?

In some ways, yes, I think so.

But in some very important ways, it doesn't seem to be.

There are plenty of reasons that are essentially the same as they may have been for a while,

but there's also one that's emerged only recently, the idea that a mental illness diagnosis

becomes an identity you have. I'm bipolar, so this is really hard for me, for example. It can even

become your brand on social media. I want to talk about those reasons today. Are we moving

in a direction where mental and emotional struggles are easier to accept and talk about? What about

the apparent backlash that's occurring as a response to this kind of mental illness branding?

Many people labeling themselves as traumatized or using a diagnostic label as their way of selling

...