I am not the DSM

My therapist also told me to stop defining myself by the DSM. The way I talk about myself is in therapy terms, like I'm bipolar, have some psychosis, am a cutter, etc. I always look at myself through the eyes of the DSM, putting my feelings in the descriptions of illnesses. Instead, I need to focus on who I am, not what I am. So who am I?

I'm a good person. I'm smart and capable. I'm loving. I'm open to change and willing to listen to others. I'm a recovering cutter and a recovering alcoholic. I may have bipolar, but it doesn't define me. I am not my illness.

I am a person with feelings, not illnesses. It's ok to feel a little down and not be depressed. It's ok to have weird thoughts and not be psychotic. I need to work on identifying my feelings and just feeling them.

What am I feeling? Scared. A little worthless and useless. Excited for the future. Really.