Identifying with ‘Labels’

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Labels assist with communication in all arenas of our lives, identifying products and consumer services, and also help us to identify with each other personally and within work and social groups.
In fact, people often live according to the labels they have been given or chosen to adopt, i.e. job role. Labels also help us to function within perceived societal norms, and highlight the expectations placed on us at work, school or college, and at home. We therefore tend to live within the confines of ‘labelling’, which impact on the way we go about our daily routines.
A young child recently remarked to me on how people spend so much time within boxes, meaning buildings of all shapes and sizes and various forms of vehicles. This then led us to discuss the subject of labels, which also identify the role of buildings, and the roles of the people living or working within them.
It is interesting that many people tend to live the labels they are given by the medical profession or other establishments. We often hear statements such as ‘I’m asthmatic’; or ‘I’m obese’. We have become a nation of individuals that are identified because of conditions or behaviours, rather than the unique people that we are.
This is becoming more apparent with younger children who come to see us for Hypnotherapy and Counselling. We get informed about their problematic behaviour or their medical condition, which is causing problems at home or school, and are asked to find a solution to the problem. This is before we even get to meet the child and hear from them what it is like to be them. The child may have already been labelled as a’ problem child’. However, the problem is most likely to do with their environment and the expectations placed upon them. The child will be left with this label unless something significantly changes.
It is important to identify the many expectations placed on children, and how difficult it is for them to just be themselves, no matter how different that may be to what we expect as ‘normal’ behaviour. As babies and toddlers we think it is wonderful when we witness unique and creative behaviours, however, as the child commences school, the same behaviours we have encouraged, now start to be discouraged, and may also become unacceptable or seem odd within the home. The child may then negatively react to people and situations, resulting in an increase in problematic behaviour, then poor health conditions may arise due to the stress they are under, and family relationships become fraught.
Problematic behaviour and resulting mental and physical health problems can then affect children as they grow into adulthood, and by this time, may be living with multi labelled identity.
If this strikes a chord personally with the adults who are reading this, or for those who are parents concerned about a child, we would be happy to talk to you about your concerns. Please contact either Cate for child and family work, or myself, for the adults out there, who want to be finally free from their unwanted labels. Please contact us to arrange an Initial Consultation. Tel: 01925 658322.


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About Author

Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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