We all want to be accepted for being ourselves. Our talents and skills don't go away because we have a mental health diagnosis. We all want to have our own choices in our lives. We all have different abilities. Nobody wants to be labeled because of their life experiences. We are all unique individuals. Even people with the same type of mental health life experiences are unique. Labeling creates a stigma about a person based on one part. That's why it's important to recognize everyone as an individual rather than a label. A person is not an illness. We all deserve respect and acceptance. Disability Rights California created this simple fact sheet on people-first language to teach us all how to refer to people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness in ways that are respectful and free of the labels that can so easily create stigma.