Language And Mental Health

“She must be psychotic if she left this submission for the last moment!” Have you ever heard someone say this, maybe in a similar but not same context? Different phrases and words are unique to a certain group of people and generation. In our day to day interactions with our surroundings we come across numerous ways of expression and understanding. To a certain extent some phrases involving particular words have become normalised even without the need to comprehend the meaning, such as the one we mentioned initially. The language we use to describe mental health matters, as it can either add to the stigmatisation of this field or create awareness about the faulty practice of using such damaging words. 

We must treat words like gold, with utmost care. Unfortunately, we come across several such phrases which may trivialize or undermine mental health conditions, with or without our knowledge. Being careful of what we say is harder than we think because words slip out of our mouth before we can question their accuracy. For example, many if not all of us are guilty of using the word ‘psychotic’ in a conversational manner. The meaning of this word is related to psychosis that may occur as a result of a psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia, including hallucinations and delusions. A world of mental health problems lie behind the word “psychotic” and many experience it as well. Using it in a casual manner, demeans the reality of what is experienced by those undergoing these conditions. In addition to this, ‘psychotic’ in itself is a word that unnecessarily generalizes the experience to the entire identity of the person and we thus prefer the much more accurate – ‘experiences psychosis’. 

We would like to share with you a list of phrases that may diminish the importance of certain mental health conditions. Peter (instagram handle – anxiety_fitness), through his reels, provided us with the idea for many of the following phrases. 

1. “I always need my desk to be tidy and clean, I am so OCD.”
2. “I thought I would not be able to finish my exam, I basically had a Panic Attack.”
3. “I just finished this serials’ episode, I think I have PTSD.”
4. “I lost my favourite earrings in the classroom, I am so Depressed.”
5. “I think she is a Gemini, she is so Bipolar.”
6. “She always looks so thin, she is Anorexic.”
7. “I just cannot talk to attractive people, I feel Autistic.”
8. “I keep forgetting to send in this email, I definitely have Amnesia.”
9. “I just cannot sit for this 2 hour lecture, it is my ADHD.” 

The language we use is a powerful tool, if not used appropriately and mindfully it can create unrealistic assumptions about certain people experiencing those mental health problems. All of the above mentioned mental health problems, have a long list of criteria’s for diagnosis, symptoms, causes and treatment plans. Using these words in our common day to day language and stripping them off of their intensity is a grave mistake on our part. Eliminating such stigmatizing terms and phrases from our vocabulary that cause shame, minimize experiences, generalise illnesses and misrepresent reality can help remove a major obstacle to treatment. Our minds have been conditioned to associate therapy with people who are ‘crazy’, who have completely lost their minds or the ‘criminally insane’, as mentioned in our previous article titled ‘Stigma about Therapy’. While individuals in the mental health field are trying to actively help the society, our words are passively devaluing the concept of seeking help for one’s mental health. 

Our language is emotionally charged and has the power to evoke fear, doubt, and loneliness. It can be a provider of a context for many people, which further entraps them in a vicious cycle, of thinking that they’re suffering from “something” that they really shouldn’t be or worse, that this “something” is somehow defining them as lesser members of their communities (Mental Health Foundation, 2019). 

Have you ever repeated the same word several times and then followed it by saying that this word has lost all meaning? This phenomenon is why we identify Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with ‘tidiness’ and Depression with ‘sadness’. By disparaging the seriousness of these disorders we are building on the stigma, prejudice and misbeliefs related to mental health. It is impossible to comprehensively describe the magnitude with which language shapes our thoughts, behaviours and identities. But it is possible to start recognising the words and phrases belittling or stereotyping mental health problems and steering far away from them. Our readers can start with the 10 examples provided in this very article. A conscious and collective effort can evolve our language into an instrument of inclusivity, support and healing for our mental health!