How many times have you heard a friend say that they are "so OCD" or that they "have PTSD" from a difficult class. We all know people who overuse mental illnesses as adjectives. In fact, we have all probably done it ourselves. However, by using these conditions descriptively, we are perpetuating the stereotypes and stigmas associated with mental illness. Whether people are trying to be funny or truly just not thinking about the consequences, we need to stop using mental illness as adjectives to describe common behaviors.
My first example is the "psychotic" ex. This is a phrase I have heard everywhere from television to normal conversation. My understanding is that people are using the term psychotic as a substitute for crazy (which is another word I hate using to describe behavior, but that's beside the point). However, psychotic should only be used as the adjective form of the word psychosis. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) defines psychosis as, "disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t [real]." These disruptions can take on many forms, but are most commonly observed through audio or visual hallucinations or persistent thoughts and beliefs (delusions).
Next, let's talk about Bipolar Disorder. I cannot count the number of times I have heard someone say "wow, you're SO bipolar" or "OMG, my mom is so bipolar." Often times, the word bipolar is being incorrectly used to describe someone who is being particularly moody. Well news flash, it's okay to be moody sometimes. Having a bad day or getting mad at someone does not make you bipolar. Bipolar Disorder is characterized by dramatic shifts in a person's mood and behavior between periods of extreme depression and periods of mania. This is a chronic mental illness, not your day to day mood swings, so stop using it as an adjective.
Lastly, my biggest pet peeve is when people overuse the terms anxiety and depression. Now, I am not grouping these words together because they are the same or always related, but I feel comfortable talking about them together because I can get the same point across with less words. Being sad sometimes does not make you depressed. Similarly, being nervous is not the same as being anxious. Depression is characterized by more than just sadness; anxiety is characterized by more than just nervousness. Both of these disorders are extremely complex and require a strong treatment plan. An estimated 40 million adults in the U.S., or 18 percent, have an anxiety disorder, and an estimated 16 million American adults—almost seven percent of the population—had at least one major depressive episode last year. These are very real conditions, not just adjectives.
I could continue this list for a while. Being skinny is not being anorexic. Being hyper is not ADHD. Getting distracted by a squirrel is not ADD. Horror movies do not give you PTSD. Being cold towards a certain situation does not make one a sociopath. I really could go on forever. Do you get it yet? The misuse of mental illness needs to stop.
While you are talking to your friends, think about how using a mental illness as an adjective could potentially offend them. NAMI reports that approximately one in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness in a given year. We all likely know at least one person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness and using these conditions as figures of speech dilutes the seriousness of the illness. In addition, it contributes the stigma against mental illness by further reinforcing the belief that mental illness is only in someones head and can be changed through behavior. So, next time you are in conversation, don’t squash someone’s reality just because a few people are misusing the diagnosis. Think before you speak.
