We often hear people saying that words are powerful and thus should be used carefully. Ever wondered how this becomes applicable in the field of mental health or when referring to mental health conditions?
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Did you know that the way in which we talk about and describe mental health conditions and people with mental health concerns have a great impact?
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The words that we use when talking about mental health and mental health conditions can lead to the development of stigma, thus possibly reducing the chances of people seeking help when they need it. It can also lead to romanticization of many disorders, a prime example of which is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It can also cause disorders and people with mental health conditions to be falsely portrayed as being dangerous, stereotyped, and discriminated against.
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Let’s start with how using mental health conditions as adjectives and cute quirks can be harmful. People often use the term OCD to describe their cleanliness, perfectionism, their preference for things to be a certain way. However, this is not OCD. OCD is not a quirk that people can find endearing. It is an extremely debilitating disorder which causes massive amounts of distress which can stop a person from functioning. People with OCD have thoughts that are extremely distressing and intrusive, which leads to them performing repetitive acts to stop the thoughts, and can even lead to self-harming behavior and taking one’s own life. It is not ordering your books based on their height just because you prefer it that way. Using such mental health conditions to refer to your preferences and quirks takes away from the severity and seriousness of the disorder. It causes misconceptions about what the disorder entails and can cause people to not believe others when they say that they have been diagnosed with the disorder, as they are used to people saying “I’m so OCD” and “I feel depressed because I have to write a test tomorrow”.
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Now, let’s move on to what’s wrong with saying “committed suicide”. Have you ever noticed that people often say “committed something” they refer to crimes. Now, one may argue that dying by suicide is murder and thus is a crime. But have you considered the distress that they go through? People who decide to not live anymore do so as a last resort and often feel extremely alone in the world. They often genuinely feel like a burden to others and strongly believe that their passing would help those around them. We never say “committed cancer”. Depression and other mental health disorders are illnesses that people have. Just because they are not as visible as a physical disorder or they are mental health conditions doesn’t mean that they are any less distressing and dangerous to the person. So, the next time you talk about suicide or a person who has had suicidal thoughts, try not to use terms like “committed”, “attempter”, “successful attempt” etc. and just say “died of suicide” “person living with suicidal thoughts''.
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Another main problem in mental health is caused by regional languages and slang words. We often use words like “psycho”, “nutter” etc. to refer to individuals who live with mental health conditions. We never use such derogatory terms for individuals who have physical health disorders. Imagine someone using such a term for someone who has cancer. Similarly, individuals with mental health conditions are also experiencing high levels of distress. Moreover, when we use such derogatory terms, we are adding to the stigma that exists about mental health issues which causes people to think of individuals with mental health conditions as dangerous, abnormal, damaged, insane etc. This leads to people not seeking help due to the fear of being labelled as being insane and being treated as such.
If you're struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges, it's important to seek out the best therapy and therapist for your needs.
Lastly, labelling is a major problem in the mental health field. People often use one’s mental health condition to refer to them, “autistic kid” “schizophrenic person”. When we refer to individuals using the mental health condition they live with, we are defining that person with their disorder, and reducing them to that condition. We forget that that individual is a person who has that condition. Such labelling does not occur in the case of physical health conditions. Thus, it is important that all individuals be treated as a person first and thus take up a person first approach when referring to them, “person experiencing schizophrenia”.
CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy are all effective treatment options, as is therapy for complex trauma.
Among all the problems mentioned above, the commonality is how one’s words can hurt others. The language that we use describes our attitudes and prejudices and also helps maintain the negativity in the world, regardless of whether the use of such language was intentional or unintentional or due to lack of awareness. If you were using such language till now, let this be your sign to change and take a step toward removing the stigma. Remember, every word holds immense power. Kaizen Wellbeing an online therapy organization in Dubai aims to change the perspective around mental health on therapy session at a time.
Whatever your needs may be, there's a therapist out there who can help you find the cure for anxiety, panic attacks, and other mental health concerns.
Kaizen Wellbeing is an online therapy platform in Dubai, UAE that caters to South Asian community. There is a dearth of good therapy establishments that accommodate the mental health needs of the brown community. We aim to bridge that gap by providing you quality and affordable care by qualified and warm therapists. Reach out at hello@kaizenwb.com or +971 50 961 8796 and book your first session towards understanding yourself and other’s better.
Don't hesitate to reach out for the best therapy and counselling available.
If you have any queries please put them down in the comments section and we will try our best to answer them and help you out.
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