Labeling Theory In Psychology

Labeling theory is the theory of how the self-identity and behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by the terms used to describe or classify them. It originated from the work of W.I. Thomas who, in 1928, wrote, "If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences." Some would like to call it stereotyping. Stereotyping can lead to a lot of problems. If someone labels themselves as an anxious person, they may bypass the times that they are relaxed and lighthearted. If someone labels themselves as a depressed person, they will be at risk for making more excuses not to do things such as, “It’s okay that I don’t want to go out and socialize, it’s because I’m depressed.” The Human Givens model (Tyrell, 2004) questions the need for a label, labels for personality disorders in particular. These labels could just be fanning the flames for REAL
Does Jimmy really have ADHD or is he just a little on the hyper side and is now addicted to an upper such as Adderall due to an improper diagnosis? Jessica’s father passed away and now she’s depressed. The majority would be depressed after a tragic life event such as their father dying, but turning grief and other responses to loss into a mental disorder is a medical intrusion into private emotions (Dowrick & Frances, 2013). Bringing grief within the category of major depressive disorder adds unnecessary medication, with its inescapable side effects and holds added risks including increased suicidal thinking in children and young people (Hetrick, McKenzie, Simmons & Merry, 2012). Subsuming the consequent distress within a diagnosis of depressive disorder replaces loss with illness and individualizes previously social problems (Kokanovic, May, Dowrick, Furler, Newton& Gunn,