Quote:
Originally Posted by Rayne_
I think this is important yet it is usually neglected, minimized, or underrated.
Referring to people as "the mentally ill" or "personality disordered" is offensive and promotes stigma. When there is a school shooting, public chatter about policies for the "mentally ill" ensue.
Calling someone with an anxiety disorder, for example, as one of "the mentally ill" implies that person is incompetent or has a flawed mental capacity. This promotes stigma, as evidenced by how people are viewed and treated by various entities and organization--work places, medical facilities, etc.
It's not even technically accurate to use this terminology. It's more accurate to label someone with dementia as "mentally ill" than it is for those with more other mental conditions. Instead, someone with dimentia is often referred to as having a neurological condition.
Someone with back pain isn't considered 'orthopaedically ill', as if their whole orthopedic system is defective. The same should hold for those with mental conditions. People who have mental health conditions do not have a defective brain. We create things, solve problems, offer compassion...we have careers and life accomplishments. Using this terminology divides the "mentally ill" from the "non-mentally ill". Yet, they are not even close to being mutually exclusive.
It's also time for mental health workers to stop labeling people as "personality disordered". This is extremely offensive and damaging to some. It's about time to change it to C-PTSD. Labeling people who grew up with hardships and trauma as "personality disordered" as if their very being is defective, is immoral or just plain wrong*. Just as it was offensive and damaging to label people who are gay as having a "mental illness". I really question the ethics within the mental health industry and its claims to promote well-being if it is promoting stigma and damaging labels, ideas, and concepts. And just because it is in the DSM, doesn't mean it's acceptable to use in a damaging manner. Not only that, but large groups with social power can work to change this.
If this site is truly purposed to help people with mental conditions, and is an influential source of education, reaching millions across the world, steps to end stigma should start here. What could be more helpful and supportive of the population for which it is designed to serve?
Thanks.
*I am very aware that a small percentage of those labeled with personality disorders do not report trauma (although I continually see people say they were loved and have a good childhood, yet describe parental abuse or neglect in the same thread). This thread is not to debate these concepts.
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I appreciate your point of view but something to consider here....this site is made up of members from around the whole world. each person posts using their own locations terms for things. example here in NY where I am located it is politically correct to say someone has a mental illness and that a person is mentally ill. its not a stigma here. its a cover all tern for someone with .....any ....... form of mental illness. Just like it is politically correct to say someone is physically challenged or handicapped when discussing physical health diseases/ disorders.
I am not offended when someone says to me physically handicapped because I have MS and I am not offended when someone says I have a mental illness or that I have a history of mental illness or that Im mentally ill. the truth of the matter is I am in that category and being listed in the category of handicapped, mentally illness opens the door for many different options that would not b e available to me....example if I wasnt considered mentally ill and physically handicapped I would not have my service dog that can go into stores, on local transport, to work.... If I wasnt labeled handicapped/ mental illness I would not be eligible for accommodations when attending college classes, .... to me its a situation of so what I am legally labeled dissociative disordered, trauma and stress related disordered, physically handicapped, mentally ill, mentally challenged, physically challenged and other perfectly acceptable and politically correct terms used for this here in my location. what matters to me is that these labels are there to ensure I get the help and services that I need.
and your statement of...
"If this site is truly purposed to help people with mental conditions, and is an influential source of education, reaching millions across the world, steps to end stigma should start here. What could be more helpful and supportive of the population for which it is designed to serve?"
my opinion is this site is doing a fantastic job of helping people with mental illness of any kind. there is a wide range of educational sources here. all you need to do is click on the links. example if you are looking for being educated on a mental disorder just click on the ..... conditions..... tab at the top of the page.
there isnt a lot of professional info on the forum boards because the forums are support group oriented where people with mental problems can post to each other about their day, problems and so on just like talking to a friend. but thats not saying there isnt other areas of the site where there is this kind of stuff....
theres ask a therapist
theres info on mental disorders in the conditions tab
theres ongoing research info in the research tab
theres blogs some of which are wrote by professionals who write on educational and other info about mental disorders/ mental illness
theres a resources tab where you can find information on many mental physical and medications, parenting and more....
my point the forums are only a small part of what psych central is all about. maybe you can check out all the other pages too and maybe you will find what ever educational info you are looking for and if not there is always private messaging Doc John and the mods who can locate the info you may need.
psych central is a huge place, as far as I see no one here is doing any stigmatizing, discriminating. everyone is just using the vocabulary used in their own locations around the world. and there are many options for just about anything a person could need here, which is why people are here and most stay for years. people come and go but i figure if the person is here year after year then despite what may be wrong they are benefiting somehow from being here, otherwise they would not be here day after day, week after week month after month or year after year.