Instead of a Label by Sharon Mogelberg Bull

Instead of calling me “mentally ill”

Call me beautiful

Instead of mentally ill call me capable, meaningful and real

Call me mentally ill if you must but call me responsible

Call me mentally ill but I have integrity

Call me nothing but mentally ill and I may grow angry

But I will love myself as well

Call me mentally ill but call me equal

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Mad in America hosts blogs by a diverse group of writers. These posts are designed to serve as a public forum for a discussionā€”broadly speakingā€”of psychiatry and its treatments. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own.