Mental Disorders Are Not Adjectives
How many times have you heard mental disorders- severe, even life-threatening ones- trivialized in casual conversation by being thrown around or used incorrectly as synonymous? Maybe think twice before you toss around these words that can affect and debilitate those who suffer from them.
1) “She’s so anorexic”. Anorexia is a type of eating disorder where people (statistically usually female) literally starve themselves to death. In the United States, at least 30 million people in the U.S. have an eating disorder. Even if starvation doesn’t kill them, those who suffer from anorexia are more likely to die by suicide (there is comorbidity with other disorders like anxiety disorders and mood disorders). Anorexia is the eating disorder most likely to kill somebody. In fact, it has the highest mortality rate of any illness, but it is the most common “chronic illness” in adolescent females. It can contribute to many health problems, among them infertility. Get this? I found a Halloween costume named Ana Rexia which was basically a skeleton with a tape measure belt. Disgusting.
2) “I’m so OCD”. You are not OCD merely because you are neat, have an aversion to germs, or like things in a certain order. OCD means having an overwhelming obsession followed by a compulsion to do something to alleviate that compulsion and achieve (temporary) peace. Soon the obsession (or a new one) will resurface with the compulsion. I would know. I was diagnosed at 11 but I’ve been exhibiting symptoms since at least age eight. Obsessive thoughts can include worrying about harming oneself or others, worrying about being a sexual deviant, concerns, that something bad (like a fire) might happen or worrying that something they do might lead to something bad (like a fire. I have a thing about fires). Between 2 to 3 million adults in the United States have OCD. In other words, not EVERYONE who is neat.
3) “I’m so depressed”. Are you really? Or are you just bummed out/ feeling down? Are you in a specific mood that will soon lift itself or do you have a serious life-threatening mental disorder that could result in elf-harm or even a suicide? Major depressive disorder (which affects all aspects of your life) affects about 17.3 million American adults. Even for those who do not engage in risky or self-injurious behaviors, depression co-occurs with many other serious disorders like cancer, strokes, coronary disease, and HIV. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide. So before you associate depression with the fact that your favorite movie is taken out of the library or your favorite TV show character was killed off, realize there are different levels of sadness. Keep it in perspective. You might not be depressed, just “down”. Some people are dealing with an actual medical condition. (Note: If everything seems grey and sad no matter what you do, maybe you are actually suffering from depression. It could be worth it to get a second opinion and see a therapist).
4) “My mom is so bipolar” Is she really? Or does she just get moody? Being moody is a human condition. Being bipolar is a medical condition. Those who are bipolar fluctuate from extreme highs (manic episodes) to extreme lows (depressive episodes). Manic episodes are characterized by things like hypersexuality, excessive spending, not sleeping, irritability, or a feeling of grandiosity. People tend to make reckless decisions when they are manic. Sometimes they can even slip into a state of psychosis which is why it is important to get control of a manic episode immediately, even if that means checking oneself into the hospital. Depressive episodes are a lot like clinical depression which is why many people are misdiagnosed with clinical depression. Unfortunately, they are often prescribed antidepressants which can activate mania. This is why it is essential they be evaluated for bipolar disorder, not merely depression. I know all this because I am also bipolar. And it’s more than feeling irritated for ten seconds.
5) “That’s so retarded”. In the 20th century, “mentally retarded” was a clinical term referring to the mentally deficient. When my dad uses the word “retarded”, he is referring to someone to someone who is mentally deficient. But that term is mostly obsolete except for a select few who use the word to mean “stupid” or as an insult. This is not only ignorant, it is incredibly insensitive. In 2023, the CDC recorded that 1 in every 44 children in the United States fall on the autism spectrum (bear in mind this is a large spectrum ranging from the nonverbal to the star of my trivia team). Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder, occurs in 1 in every 700 babies. This was a group that the term “retarded” was previously applied to (including my uncle). It is a slap in the face to anyone truly mentally deficient when you use this term inappropriately.
I’m not one for censorship or being overly offended. In fact, I’m pretty open humor-wise. But I am helping you to not hurt the feelings of those around you. Here’s to educating you on the real deal of mental disorders.
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