Congrats! You're not mentally ill, you just have feelings

How pathologizing emotions makes you weak and helpless

Have you felt sad lately? A little anxious? Perhaps frustrated that the world isn’t a gentle, utopian day spa designed specifically to accommodate your every mood? Fear not! Society has a solution. You’re not just experiencing life, dear friend—you have a disorder!

Yes, in today’s world, every human emotion is up for diagnostic review. Feeling grief? It’s probably depression. Nervous about a job interview? Might be an anxiety disorder. Tired of your insufferable coworker? Clearly, they’re a narcissist. And if you even think you might be the problem? Don’t be silly. That’s internalized oppression!

Now, before anyone gets their trauma responses in a twist, let’s be clear. Mental illness is real and serious conditions deserve real attention. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.

What we’re dealing with is a cultural epidemic of over-pathologizing—where instead of feeling our emotions, we label them, medicate them, and use them as an excuse to avoid personal growth.

Because, let’s be honest, I have anxiety is a far sexier excuse than I never learned how to deal with stress like an adult.

The Victimhood Olympics

Somewhere along the line, we decided that being a victim was the ultimate currency. The more labels you collect, the more socially untouchable you become.

Got three or more conditions? Amazing! You now have moral immunity. No one is allowed to criticize you, challenge you, or—God forbid—suggest that maybe you should do something about your situation.

And if someone dares to suggest that you are not, in fact, a fragile woodland creature incapable of navigating the mild inconveniences of daily life? Well, that’s violence.

Yes, emotional resilience is now considered aggression. Which is ironic, because Jesus got nailed to a cross and still managed to say, Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do. Meanwhile, someone disagrees with you on Twitter, and you’re in therapy for six months.

Turning Life Into a Diagnosis

But the real tragedy to all of this is that when we pathologize everything, we cheapen the reality of actual mental illness and rob people of the chance to grow into the best versions of themselves.

• Feeling anxious about an exam? That’s not an anxiety disorder. That’s a sign you should study.

• Lonely? Maybe it’s not "crippling social anxiety." Maybe you should put down your phone and talk to an actual human being.

• Feeling stuck in life? That’s not a permanent mental condition. It’s called a Tuesday.

The healthy, normal thing is to acknowledged it, challenged it, and rise above it. This life is hard, but you were built to handle it.

So What’s the Alternative?

Instead of labeling every emotion, maybe—just maybe—we could try…feeling them. Instead of saying I have anxiety/trauma/name-your-obstacle, say, It’s hard right now, but I can rise above this with the right mindset.

Because you are not just a walking diagnosis. You are a human being. Messy, complicated, one-of-a-kind, and perfectly capable of navigating the absurdity of life.

“Often, when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
—Mister Rogers

Now go forth, embrace your discomfort and stop trying to turn having feelings into a personality trait.