To think the term "mental health" has become meaningless

[Floatyboat]

This crisis has lead to an epidemic of concern about "mental health". This new "mental health" is not what people used to refer to by the term. Rather than illnesses such as depression, psychosis or anorexia people are now referring to something closer to "emotional wellbeing" or "feeling good".

The object of concern has also changed. It used to be worried about other people's mental health, particularly people we care about. Now people typically use the term whilst referring to their own "mental wellbeing".

Mental health problems have rightly come some way in being destigmatized. A byproduct of that is that the term has been co-opted by people describing their own desires and emotions as if it gets them a free pass on the responsibilities others face.

People don't tend to say I do x because it's good for my "physical health" , they're more specific, eg to lose weight, reduce chance of cancer, avoid covid19 etc. But people just seem happy to use this ill defined "mental health"in such a way.

It has also become unfashionable to specify the degree of "mental health" problem. As if some mild worry or inner tension is the same as something which destroys your life. We don't often classify viral sore throat and throat cancer together. Why do we lump mental health problems all together in the same boat?

Am I being unreasonable to ask you to think twice about using the term "mental health" and try to avoid the erasure of people with severe and debilitating problems. Being more specific can only be a good thing.

"I strongly believe no one is born dangerous or mad, they are moulded this way."
I'm not convinced, some mental disorders run in families.

We’re all encouraged to talk about our mental health but when you do get “oh it’s a fashion statement/jumping on the bandwagon/attention seeking”

Mental health problems are a fashion statement now?!

"We’re all encouraged to talk about our mental health but when you do get “oh it’s a fashion statement/jumping on the bandwagon/attention seeking”"

People dont really want you to start giving the lowdown of your issues though. Its like when people ask "how are you", they dont really want you to start going through your ailments. The polite response is "I'm fine", with a cheery smile. If someone starts telling you how their bipolar is they probably wont ask again.

People dont really want you to start giving the lowdown of your issues though. Its like when people ask "how are you", they dont really want you to start going through your ailments. The polite response is "I'm fine", with a cheery smile. If someone starts telling you how their bipolar is they probably wont ask again.

Agree- they’re paying lip service. They don’t actually want the details. You can’t win. If you’re not specific about exactly what mental Illness you have you’re not allowed to say you’re in the club. If you do be specific people stop asking because they actually don’t want to know.

@smallsteps

Good point. That's the paradox I suppose.

Absolutely agree. Too many people jumping on the 'mental health' bandwagon and using it as an excuse to cop out. It's insulting to people with genuine problems and means that they could be missing out on vital help.

YABU

It's a spectrum

If you read the DSM you will find lists of symptoms which anyone would have at any point in life. Yet we don't all have a diagnosis.

@livingthatlockdown

Hasn't the spectrum become so all encompassing it's become meaningless?

Ill hazard a guess you haven't read DSM. Isn't the dsm view that things aren't a spectrum but diagnoses are discrete?

Too many people jumping on the 'mental health' bandwagon

BINGO!

The term ‘mental health ‘ has been overused. As is ‘anxious/anxiety.’

I think people conflate ‘mental illness’ with ‘mental health’. I’ve heard plenty of people say they ‘have mental health’. That’s like saying ‘I have leg’ it means nothing.

I don't get this 'insulting to people with genuine problems' as how do you even begin to determine that they don't have genuine problems? Unless you know someone very well indeed, I can't imagine being able to judge that about someone. The person I know who committed suicide did not show any signs of suicidal thoughts, they seemingly had a glorious life- wealthy, lovely family, amazing job but obviously some part of it or something was not good at all. Perhaps if he had felt encouraged to reveal any of that even slightly he would still be here. It is not always this glaringly obvious situation where someone has 'problems'. Within my friendship groups and my husband's conversation is fairly light now we are in our late 30's, early 40's. Serious conversations about relationships, children, physical health but not serious mental health problems.

I agree op. everyone has 'anxiety' these days along with 'mental health' issues without actually having it.

And I find it hard to believe that people saying they have poor mental health or problems are by stating this denying others help. I mean, what help?

I also don’t really understand it

If you could explain how it is actually having a detrimental impact on people who have significant, severe or lifelong mental health problems. Therefore some solid reasons to stop using it so generically this would be a better argument than the fact it is irritating, or seems to indicate that people are uneducated or getting on a bang wagon.

Bandwagon!

I’ve been hospitalised for depression and I say yes. Everyone who is remotely tense about something now claims “anxiety”. Everyone who keeps a tidy house claims I am OCD!” bullshit because I’ve seen OCD destroy lives. People unable to to hold down a job and attempt suicide because their rituals have been broken. The terms have been diluted to the point people in actual crisis are patted on the shoulder because everyone knows someone with X Y Z and they’re ok. Of course they’re ok, they aren’t ill, just in a stressful situation. It has backfired.

I'm sorry but I just don't think that's true, not being hospitalised for a mental health issue doesn't mean you don't have one. It is very much a stigma in some circles there's a feeling that you lack resilience etc. People in these scenarios suffer in silence so you simply wouldn't know, like the person I knew who committed suicide.

I do think we need to have more tolerance of the normal range of human emotion- it's OK not to feel happy all the time and something making you unhappy does not necessarily make that thing bad for your mental health.

@FourPlasticRings that’s what I meant 😊. Unhappy isn’t automatic mental illness, just like people disagreeing with you isn’t abuse. We need to accept that unhappiness, tension and stress exist as normal human emotions and not an illness. We’re raising a generation of children who think every day should consist of everyone agreeing with you and you feeling joy or you’re being abused. The world doesn’t work that way. All emotions and feelings exist to tell you things. We don’t say everyone feeling a pain is obviously dying or they would be pain free. These reactions exist to alert us to things, they aren’t always an illness.

Everyone who is remotely tense about something now claims “anxiety”. Everyone who keeps a tidy house claims I am OCD!”

Please stop exaggerating. It isn’t everyone at all.

Interesting points. I agree with some of what youve said. I think we need better language to describe whats going on in order to prevent conflation. And we definitely need to help our children develop a robustness, the ability to articulate their boundaries and feelings and to value themselves.

I also think that many people are stressed to almost breaking point trying to work and parent and keep fit and study and keep up with the Joneses on fb ... that its like a house of cards - one little gust of wind and the whole lot comes tumbling down.

I don't get this 'insulting to people with genuine problems' as how do you even begin to determine that they don't have genuine problems?

This. I think it's complicated. I don't tell people in real life what I've been diagnosed with because I think it raises more questions than answers. On here, I've been told I can't possibly have anxiety because I sit on committees including chairing one and yet my medical notes say GAD amongst other things. I have a psychiatrist but I'm not on medication. Ive had multiple types of therapy on the NHS. My life is severely impacted by certain elements relating to my mental health and my GP wanted me sectioned a few weeks ago (luckily my psychiatrist disagreed) but most people in my life have zero idea.

It's more of a fashion statement these days to have a problem with your mental health.
People seem quick to gain a title; depression, OCD etc like it's some sort of "look at poor me" attitude.

So who are you to say whether someone is genuinely suffering from depression or OCD or just attention seeking?