"OCD", "schizo", "sociopath", "bipolar" are terms you likely have heard or used before. However, while these terms are designed in theory to describe diagnosable and treatable psychiatric disorders, in reality they have become a disturbingly normal part of our everyday language as society is becoming more and more well-versed in medical jargon. Unfortunately, as is the case with these psychiatric terms, the public most often does not use them appropriately. Rather we are quick to use these words as a way to describe certain traits in ourselves, or more commonly in other people, that we don't like or have difficulty understanding.
The problem with this, as the article below discusses, is that our misuse of these terms can be damaging, not only to those we are wrongfully applying the terms to, but to those with real mental illnesses, as such harmful use of these words can worsen stigma and prevent people from seeking the help they need. The article also provides a powerful reminder of what disorders such as OCD, bipolar, and schizophrenia are truly like, and compares that with normal personality traits that we often link these names to instead.
With the new year on the horizon, let's resolve for 2015 to be more mindful of the language we use, particularly when using these mental health terms, as they have the power to be hurtful and upsetting to many when used in the wrong context.
"We misuse (psychiatric terms) all the time and it could be harmful," said Emanuel Maidenberg, clinical professor of psychiatry and director of the cognitive behavioral therapy clinic at Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Improperly dropping those sorts of words into conversations only perpetuates an existing stigma surrounding mental illnesses and vilifies certain forms of conduct that many people dislike or just find disconcerting, he added."
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2014-year-in-review/shes-ocd-hes-schizo-how-misused-health-lingo-can-harm-n275381?cid=sm_twitter_feed_health
The problem with this, as the article below discusses, is that our misuse of these terms can be damaging, not only to those we are wrongfully applying the terms to, but to those with real mental illnesses, as such harmful use of these words can worsen stigma and prevent people from seeking the help they need. The article also provides a powerful reminder of what disorders such as OCD, bipolar, and schizophrenia are truly like, and compares that with normal personality traits that we often link these names to instead.
With the new year on the horizon, let's resolve for 2015 to be more mindful of the language we use, particularly when using these mental health terms, as they have the power to be hurtful and upsetting to many when used in the wrong context.
"We misuse (psychiatric terms) all the time and it could be harmful," said Emanuel Maidenberg, clinical professor of psychiatry and director of the cognitive behavioral therapy clinic at Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Improperly dropping those sorts of words into conversations only perpetuates an existing stigma surrounding mental illnesses and vilifies certain forms of conduct that many people dislike or just find disconcerting, he added."
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/2014-year-in-review/shes-ocd-hes-schizo-how-misused-health-lingo-can-harm-n275381?cid=sm_twitter_feed_health
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