Is Labeling Someone “Neurodivergent” Helpful — or Harmful?

 I’ve been thinking about this lately.

More and more young people I meet – clients, students, even friends – describe themselves as neurodivergent. Sometimes with relief, sometimes with quiet uncertainty.

And I find myself asking:

Does this label truly help? Or could it also hurt?

On one hand, naming our difference can feel liberating.
It can say:

·       “You’re not broken; you’re simply wired differently.”

·       “There are others like you.”

·       “Your challenges and strengths have a context – you’re not alone.”

It can open doors to support, accommodations, and self-understanding.
It can help someone let go of years of shame for “not being normal.”

But on the other hand …
Labels can also become cages.

·       They can turn into fixed identities: “This is who I am — nothing more, nothing less.”

·       They can become shields: “I can’t help it; I’m just neurodivergent.”

·       And sometimes, society hears the label and sees only limitation, rather than possibility.

So, I wonder …
Is the power of the label not in the word itself, but in how we hold it?
Not as a box, but as a lens – something that clarifies, but doesn’t confine.
A starting point for self-compassion and curiosity, not an ending point for growth.

Perhaps what matters most is remembering:
You are always more than any label — even one that helps explain your story.

These are just my musings today, as I sit and reflect.
What do you think?
If you’ve been labeled – or have claimed a label for yourself – did it feel freeing, limiting, or a bit of both?

Feel free to share if you’d like.
I’m still learning, too.