Have you ever caught yourself saying things like, “Why am I like this?” or “What’s wrong with me?”? When you live with anxiety, depression, OCD, or other mental health conditions, it is easy to internalize the struggle—to confuse the symptoms with your identity. But what if you could talk to the struggle, instead of being the struggle?
One powerful technique I often use in therapy is personification—the practice of giving your mental health disorder a name, personality, and other human characteristics. This act of personification creates distance between yourself and your mental health struggles and helps you see that your intrusive thoughts, your inner critic, the urge to check or ruminate, aren’t you. They are actually something happening to you.
When we personify a disorder, we take something abstract and overwhelming and make it tangible. This gives us more control and also creates space for self-compassion. For example:
- Anxiety might become “Worry Wanda”—always catastrophizing, always butting in with unhelpful “what ifs.”
- Depression could be “Dan The Downer”—constantly dragging you down, criticizing you, and coloring your days with despair.
- OCD might be “The Doubt Bully”—loud, relentless, convinced you’re always on the brink of doing something wrong.
When you give your struggles a character, you start to relate to them differently. Instead of thinking, “I’m such a screw-up for having this thought,” you might say, “Oh look, there’s Wanda again, doing her thing.” This aids in self-compassion, because instead of over-identifying with your symptoms, you can step back and observe them with curiosity, not shame. When your mental health struggles are personified, this separation leaves room for you to reclaim your true self.
To practice personifying your mental health struggles, you can utilize the following techniques:
- Give it a name – You can call it something silly or playful if you would like, or you can be more serious. Whatever makes your struggle feel less powerful.
- Describe its personality – Is it a nag? A know-it-all? A whiner? What does it sound or look like? Who or what does it remind you of?
- Start a dialogue – You can journal to it, speak to it aloud, or just think through what you would say back to your struggle. Try phrases like:
- “Thanks for your input, Wanda, but I’ve got it from here.”
- “I see you, Dan, but I’m still getting out of bed today.”
- “Nice try, Doubt Bully. I’m not falling for that trick again.”
- Practice noticing when it shows up – You might even say, “Ah, there you are” and keep going about your day.
- Use imagery – Picture yourself carrying your anxiety around, holding its hand, or telling it to get in the passenger seat of your car. Visualize your struggle being a separate entity from yourself.
Personification is not about mocking yourself or denying the real pain you are experiencing. It’s about gently loosening the grip your symptoms have on your sense of self. It’s about reclaiming your voice. Because you are not your disorder. Rather, you are the one responding to it, which is a powerful shift! Dealing with a mental health condition can feel so heavy, so I hope this technique of personification can add a little lightness, creativity, and even humor to your defenses against your struggles.
Lauren is a clinician at The Center for Mindfulness & CBT. She is passionate about the mind-body connection and using a whole-person approach towards healing. She also believes that knowledge is power when it comes to mental health and is an advocate for spreading mental health awareness. She primarily treats clients with OCD, anxiety disorders, and BFRBs, and she additionally has developed a strong interest in helping clients who struggle with body image issues and Body Dysmorphic Disorder. She is currently accepting new clients. To learn more about Lauren or to inquire about scheduling with her, please click here.
