To correct people on the use of the words mental health!!

[AyrshireAmbler49]

People everywhere use the words ‘mental health’ all wrong and it makes them look thick.
For example “He had mental health” referring to someone who had poor mental health or who was struggling with their mental health.
Argh has anyone else noticed this!?

I agree with pp that is helpful to let people know that many conditions are absolutely normal and rare is the person who does not suffer. Eg we all feel nervous before an exam and all feel sad if bereaved.

I got “attacked” on another thread for saying this, however, as who is anybody to say how another person feels... That’s all very well, but then you get a thorough devaluation of suffering and a top trumps of who has it worst. And those who are in a genuinely bad spot find it harder to access help.

@TallTowerFan

It annoys me too op.

I also hate it when someone is worried about something like an exam or driving test and they go on to say that they are having a panic attack. It totally undermines those that genuinely experience PAs.

I agree, there are people who exaggerate and never have a cold, it’s always flu, or it’s not a headache it’s a migraine. I get particularly annoyed by people who say they are depressed when really they mean the are minorly (is that even a word? Did I just make that up?) inconvenienced. For example person A days to person B “I saw a really nice dress in Next, but they didn’t have it in my size, I’m so depressed”. No you’re not. It’s annoying the shop didn’t have your size but it’s not depressing.

Btw I disagree that “having a temperature” is in the same category: that is a common phrase. Being literal 100% of the time would be difficult.

As a society we have started to pathologise normal human experience (ie it's normal to be anxious in a worrying situation, it's normal to be low in mood when something sad happens). It does not mean you have mental illness!

Exactly. Although I think it’s wonderful that people are now being encouraged to talk about their feelings, it has encouraged a massive number to label themselves with something, when most likely they’ve not been medically assessed or even suffering badly enough to warrant that label. It’s like they want to belong to the club, to be able to say “me too”, and I feel it belittles those who have been medically diagnosed and actually have mental health issues. Being down in the dumps from time to time is normal. Being upset after a traumatic event is normal. Being sad after a bereavement of a loved one is normal. Being anxious before an interview is normal. It doesn’t need labelling and you’re most likely not ill, just in need of some coping skills.

This annoys the hell out of me too! Please correct them. The stupid need educating x
Just because some people use a term incorrectly does not make them stupid. They may just need someone to point out, in a nice manner, the correct way the term should be used.

@Covidcovid

I don’t understand the issue with someone saying they have bipolar. They’re just shortening the term “bipolar disorder”. 🤷‍♀️

I have been diagnosed with having bipolar disorder and sometimes I say “I am bipolar”. I wonder if the PP whose name I have forgotten meant undiagnosed people who use the term wrongly to mean they are a little bit up and down. It’s like people who say they are depressed when in reality they’re just a little bit glum at the moment. Bipolar has been quite a well-mentioned thing lately on tv soaps and with celebs revealing they have been diagnosed with it. I am a tiny bit irritated with undiagnosed people declaring themselves bipolar just because they’ve seen such and such a character or celeb satin they have it. It minimises what real suffers have to deal with as others assume that everyone who has bipolar disorder has it as “mild” as the person who self-diagnoses it.

@Chunkymenrock

I agree completely. I loathe the casual 'obsessed with' too. A genuine obsession is very serious and debilitating. Whatever happened to adoring, loving, or being very fond of?

I know this wasn’t aimed at me as you don’t know me, but I do sometimes say I’m obsessed with XYX because I have (diagnosed) bipolar disorder and I really do get overwhelmingly obsessed with things. It’s quite debilitating even when I can see I’m becoming obsessed yet can’t do anything to control it. I have obsessions and complulsions but I don’t have OCD and would never say I did have OCD. Or worse still say “I’m a little bit OCD”..,, doesn’t that get on your nerves?

I saw the "Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of" on FB, too.

It's used because people don't want to use words like 'illness', 'problems', 'disorder', as they think they're negative. The Samaritans have a good piece on why using "mental health" in this way is wrong. That's because they stress the importance of good mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

As for "bipolar", that battle may be lost. The charity Bipolar UK uses "bipolar" exclusively and even Mind uses both "bipolar disorder" and "bipolar".

Btw I disagree that “having a temperature” is in the same category: that is a common phrase. Being literal 100% of the time would be difficult.
It is in the same category though. Are you differentiating it because you use the term incorrectly so it is more acceptable to make that error?
All you are essentially stating is that, over time, leaving off the word 'high' normalises the phrase so that we understand what is meant. By the same token, that could happen with the term 'mental health'.

I've just realised I am guilty of using the word 'temperature' without qualifying whether it is high or low. I will now endeavour to add 'high' or 'low' in future rather than continue my error.
(Every day is a school day ... and no, that doesn't mean schools are actually open every day ).

I thought I was alone in hating this!

Yes, I've seen this a lot and have also cringed. I also twitch a bit when people talk about being ASD or ADHD rather having them.

It also annoys me when people immediately try to justify shitty behaviour or stomp their feet because they have 'anxiety'- 9/10 times it's self diagnosed and bullshit.

This. All too often it feels like, for some people, claiming to have anxiety is a Get-out-of-jail-free card: they can't do anything sensible to help themselves, let alone other people, because of their "anxiety". And why is it that anxiety never rises slightly for them, it always goes "through the roof" no matter how little reason there is for it?

As for "bipolar", that battle may be lost. The charity Bipolar UK uses "bipolar" exclusively and even Mind uses both "bipolar disorder" and "bipolar".

Fair enough.
And people understand what it means.

To me, it sounds like someone talking about a certain type of ulcer as "a duodenal" or a particular type of anaemia by saying "he's got pernicious".

But sometimes it's easier to abbreviate things.

So why does everyone on MN who throws up have "projectile vomiting"? It takes longer to say or write and I can almost guarantee it isn't true.
It's a distinct medical term that people have heard and think is just a way of describing copious vomiting.
Generally, terms like that and "mental health" seem to get thrown around to show people's familiarity with them when, in fact, it shows the opposite.

@OhTheTastyNuts

I hate 'is ASD' and 'is SEN'. My son has autism. But he IS so much more than autism!

You're welcome to hate it, but most Autistics prefer person first language.

As they're the ones with the disability, their preference is more important than yours.

@Changemaname1

I have actually noticed this a few times yes and I don’t know why but it greats on me to !
I would prefer someone to point out mistakes I make as long as it is not done nastily and is done with the intention of being helpful.

Just in case your comment wasn't a joke (no laughing emoji):
grates?
too?

I work in mental health and see and hear this all the time and it is annoying.

I like the way that Norman Lamb says it - mental ill health. That always came across to me as a sensitive and non stigmatising phraseology.

OP, this drives me BATSHIT crazy. Oh my god. It grates on me so bad. I always see 'I have mental health' 'it's not my fault I have mental health' arghhhh

What it does show is that if mental health has become a euphemism for mental illness, there's still a stigma around mental illness.

Misguided, self-appointed champions to this particular cause do it no favours IMO. They're preaching from a place of ignorance.

In the meantime people struggling with very real mental illnesses are shoved further down the priority list and funding for their treatment is as woeful as it always is.

Great idea to use nature etc., to promote wellbeing: the wildlife trusts and season 'Watch' programmes are great for that. Conflating this with mental illness is less great. I believe it could actually be very damaging.

I’m 100% with you on this. It does my head in! I’ve heard newsreaders etc saying it.

We all have mental health! If you mean poor mh that what you should say!

You're welcome to hate it, but most Autistics prefer person first language. Isn't that identity first language? 'Is autistic' makes sense. 'Is autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)' doesn't though.

Oh THANK GOD its not just me.
There's a woman at work who always makes this big show of going 'Because EVERYONE experiences mental health in their lives' like she's dropping some groundbreaking unheard of fact.
You mean everyone HAS their own state of mental health and might experience times where its not 100% good.
And yes there might be an argument for saying that everyone experiences periods where they experience poor mental health, in the same way that you might go through a bout of picking up every cold/flu bug going for a few months with your physical health.
But not everyone experiences a diagnosable mental illness in their lives, its A. Not a guarantee and B. Not a life sentence as some people seem to think.
Yes, in the same was some people have diabetes, some people can have lifelong mental health disorders.
But anxiety/depression and others are not automatically for life and i think some people do a disservice by implying that they are!
Anyway, off my soapbox.

OhTheTastyNuts
I hate 'is ASD' and 'is SEN'. My son has autism. But he IS so much more than autism!

You're welcome to hate it, but most Autistics prefer person first language

Not in my experience, and I work with autistic people a lot. Are you confusing this with your use of the term "autistics", @MrsHusky? That seems to me absolutely fine, but saying that they are autistic spectrum disorder is just wrong, it isn't person first language, and is really quite offensive.

I see what you mean. Generally it doesn’t bother me. At least people are able to talk about certain things more. If prevalent use of the words “mental health” mean someone who is struggling gets the courage to talk to someone instead of harming themselves, it’s a good thing.

On the other hand.. It DOES bother me when people casually diagnose and label others because that’s when terms get misused and almost wielded as insults.

I've found the Samaritans piece - I think it's from training the provide:

"There is often some confusion when we talk about mental health. Some people think that mental health is the same as mental health problems; talking about mental health may make them think of specific conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder. In fact, we all have mental health, in the same way that we all have physical health. Just as we can have poor physical health, we can also have poor mental health."