Disorders?

Today, it seems like there is a disorder for everything(especially for mental illnesses), and out of all those disorders, you are bound to have one of them:  ADD, ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar, OCD, PTSD, PMDD … you get the picture.  But I wonder if it is better now or back when there weren’t names for all these things.  Back in the day, people may have just been called crazy, or weird, but now it is completely different.  When someone has a disorder, you have to be more understanding towards them.  But those of us who haven’t been diagnosed, don’t get the luxury of having a reason, or excuse for acting a certain way.  Being labeled by a disorder is good in a way, because it gives people a clear reason why you are a certain way, and then they aren’t as freaked out by you.  It is also nice because it gives you justification of why you are the way you are, and then you aren’t so hard on yourself.  On the contrary, it could cause you to act a certain way, like a self-fulfilling prophecy (You are expected to act a certain way, which leads you to actually acting that way).  If you had no idea that you had a disorder, your mind wouldn’t be subconsciously thinking about it, and making you act in ways that fit that label.

Before all these disorders had names, people had to just go on with life and try to make the best of whatever they might have been dealing with.  Now I can’t help but think that people today are kind of pathetic (myself included).  Everyone wants some type of special treatment and they want things to be easier for them than everyone else because they have something wrong with them.  But everyone has something difficult to deal with.  Its annoying watching certain people get special treatment when everyone is special. 

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this subject.  I suffer from depression.  I think I might even be bipolar.  It seems like I’m always trying to figure out what’s “wrong” with me.  I get sad a lot, but so do a lot of people.  When people are so diverse yet similar, how can you even determine what is normal?  Is there even such a thing as normal?  If there is no such thing as “normal,” do disorders even exist? 

I don’t know.  Sometimes I confuse myself.  I’m not even quite sure if what I wrote makes sense.  I enjoy pondering, but I’m not the best a putting my thoughts and feelings into words.

I guess I just want to know:

If you had the choice to be diagnosed as having a disorder or not know that you had one, which would you prefer?

Or

If you do have a disorder, are you glad that you know, or would you rather be oblivious to it?

I am always trying to diagnose myself, but I don’t know if knowing would even make a difference.