Owning Your Labels

If you’ve struggled with anxiety, depression, or any other mental health challenges, and you’ve been open about it – there’s a fair chance that you might be labelled that way by people. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, to your face or when you’re just being described, you might be known as “that girl that has anxiety” or “the guy with depression”. It’s something we naturally do – we label and group things together – but sometimes, those labels carry a negative weight or connotation with them. Or, more than that, you might even just come to be known for those labels, rather than who you are as a person. While labels can be helpful, they can also be damaging. In this episode, we’re chatting with Mary, one of the voices from Season 1 of Anxious Faith. We’ll hear more of Mary’s journey with mental health, and the labels she’s lived with. We’ll also learn about how we can begin to own those labels for ourselves, and the freedom that can come from being vulnerable with people about what the reality of your label is – something they may have never considered. We hope you’ll be encouraged by and take something from this conversation with Mary. You can read a shorter version of Mary’s story, I’m Anxious and I Know It -- Anxious Faith is a production of Our Daily Bread Ministries. If you, or someone you know, are struggling with anxiety or your mental health, we’d really encourage you to speak to a doctor, mental health professional, or reach out to one of the organisations on our Help page.