[imatter2]

Does it bother anyone else that the term "commit" is used both to refer to SU and to going to the psych hospital for HELP? If it's such a bad thing, to "commit" an act, whether it be SU or the act of murder or the act of abuse or the act of so many other bad things, doesn't that make it harder than it already is to think of "committing" oneself or "being committed" to the hospital where hopefully you're going to receive help?? "I'm so F**'d up I have to be committed" seems *so* positive. Am I over sensitive?

[Rhiannonsmoon]

Don't stress dear phrick...to commit is to show trust that things will be ok. We're here for you and we'll support you as much and as best we can,

Rhiannon

[lonegael]

I think it is just one of the fun things about the English language you noticed; the same latin based word was either taken in at a differnt time twice, such as in the middle ages or later in the seventeen hundreds when French was all the rage; or it came in from two different sources and different contexts; latin in the monasteries to discuss spiritual and - yes- trust issues, Norman French in the legal and forensic sense. In the end, the smae word got two very different meanings in different matters.
In technical terms, any injury to the body is also called an "insult", perhaps more understandable but still a bit differently meant than when you call someone a so-and-so. Here, the same principle is at work. HUGGSS!

[Perna]

Lots of different meanings of that word, different "usages", no fair lumping them together :-)

[imatter2]

Perna, of course you are right... obviously I was in a bit of a funk when I originally posted. And yet it is something to think about... it's unacceptable in a lot of circles to throw around words such as Gay or Retard, sometimes it just rubs me wrong that the MH community isn't afforded the same courtesy regarding terms used about us. Primarily I think I posted that as a gut reaction to something that was said on my "home" forum, to the effect of "I can't comprehend what this person is doing, she must be mentally ill." As though anyone who does something we don't comprehend simply MUST be a lunatic, you know! I was seething when the person made that comment, and coupled with the Self Commit thread here I lost touch with the rational part of my mind for a few minutes. Fortunately I found it again

[Perna]

Then there's always connotation (an idea implied or suggested) and denotation (the most direct or specific meaning of a word or phrase) to confuse us further so you don't like someone referred to as mentally ill because they're not understood, implying an inability to think/reason clearly, but then discuss lunatics, as if the mentally ill were all [raving] lunatics/psychotic? LOL

Language is difficult! And even more so when it's written and not spoken with the rest of the person there to help with the implications that person is making so we don't get our own in there in their place (and, so if the person is being a sort-of-a-hole, we can "correct" them in person