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!?

YES! I wanted to comment on this a while ago but resisted. "mental health is nothing to be ashamed of" type statements are stupid! I get what they mean by saying it but we ALL have mental health for ffff sake!

Mental health issues or problems is another thing entirely and that is what they are talking about. It has grated on me many times.

@llamakoala

My Stepmother always used to aggressively and disdainfully say “He/she/they ARE MENTAL HEALTH,” while pointing to her head. So I really dislike the term. Additionally with the use of the word “are” as if someone is defined by their condition. Before she came into the picture, my parents had a very good friend who had Schizophrenia and my Stepmother forbade my Dad to allow her into the house, so we didn’t speak to or see her for many years.. :-/

This kind of talk furthers ignorance and stigma!

God that’s awful.

@Maverickess

I noticed this when I read on Facebook "Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of! Share if you agree!"

I wanted to put "Nor is mental illness" but realised I'd just be proving a point for no real reason, it irritates me though. Not that I'd verbalise that to people I know,
For me it's on par with iburofen instead of ibuprofen, Pacific instead of specific and their, there and they're misuses. I can normally tell by the context what is meant, and the aim of the writer is to be understood, so it does it's job. It's just one of those things that momentarily irritates, but I don't dwell on.

The one I really can’t stand is

“I brought a house”

It’s inexplicably EVERYWHERE

Yes it annoys me. Everyone has mental health.
I work within MH and it really grates.

Aaargh yes it infuriates me too OP.

I think these days mental illness is far less of a taboo than it used to be...but a consequence of that is that the world and his wife think they have 'mental health issues'.

When it come to 'anxiety' or things we all have from time to time people are much more accepting.

When it comes to mental illness like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder the stigma is alive and well, frankly.

I see it all the time "I have mental health" et al. Obviously I'd never say anything but it does bug me.

I hate this too! Yes we all have mental health, some good, some bad, some somewhere in between...
I've noticed it seems quite popular to post about it now as well, see a lot of "I'm here to talk whenever you need, can 5 of mu friends repost this? numerous heart emojis
I often wonder how they'd react if I took them up on the offer and contacted them in the middle of a shutdown or anxiety attack. 😅

Grrrr yes all the time on Facebook....'if you are feeling like you can't go on on..talk to me, I'm always here'.

Which is a great sentiment and admirable and should be encouraged but dealing with suicidal thoughts isn't easy.

Glad to see there are many others who grit their teeth when seeing the misuse of the expression mental health. It's enough to give you
BLOOD PRESSURE !

I agree. Certain conditions are at risk of being trivialised because the terms are overused to the point they aren't going to be taken seriously. Feeling a bit stressed or panicky isn't necessarily a panic attack, especially if it's a direct response to a stressful situation. Feeling nervous or worried about something isn't necessarily an anxiety disorder. It's uncomfortable and unpleasant, but also natural.

@Wendyhause

Glad to see there are many others who grit their teeth when seeing the misuse of the expression mental health. It's enough to give you BLOOD PRESSURE !

LOL 😂

I can’t get worked up about this. I work MH if related to work then yes that would be annoying

How am I to know when someone is telling me they are depressed or suffering from anxiety in passing they haven’t been diagnosed or if assessed they wouldn’t be diagnosed. People do not always present in what is considered the obvious way

I have known in my professional role too many people that appear just fine and have learnt to mask what is really going on for them

When someone tells you something just listen, accept that is how they are feeling why do you need to decide well they have or would not be diagnosed with xyz

And then there are the people in denial

Or don’t engage

Yes there is a tendency to pathologize many reasons social media being one but that is far better than not at all discussing how you feel

@Outdoorsywithgin

"He's on the spectrum" boils my piss when they are referring to someone with autistic traits. Everybody is on the spectrum, that's the whole fucking point of a spectrum!

@Outdoorsywithgin To what spectrum are you referring, the autistic spectrum? You can only be on a spectrum if you have traits pertaining to it. So no, everybody isn't on it.

You know bloody well what people mean when they use "mental health" to indicate "mental ill health" or "mental illness" or "mental health issues", so what is the big problem?

The problem is that conflating the two creates a disparity in definition. If suddenly everyone has 'mental health' then those suffering mental illness - an area of medicine that's already chronically under-resourced - are at even further danger of slipping through the net.

Hence terms like 'self care' or looking after your wellbeing are not seen as similarly problematic (even though they're a bit weaselly).

I'm not with the OP as far as 'it makes you look stupid' is concerned. TBF other people's stupidity isn't something I care to get 'worked up' about. But this isn't just about people's irritation with the frequent use of a mildly annoying phrase. It could have real repercussions for potentially vulnerable people.

YWNBU OP!
Do it. It's so annoying.
I'm also not surprised that the overuse and wrong use of 'mental health problems' drives MH workers mad too.
The amount of people I see on SM self diagnosing depression, severe anxiety disorders etc... when they just have normal reactions and behaviours to situations/problems. It doesn't need a label nor medication.

I struggle with the concept that anxiety and depression are almost always equated to ‘poor’ mental health. If there is a reason behind it then surely it’s better to consider it ‘good’ mental health and a sign that our brains are actually working as intended?
Sorry if I’ve not phrased that correctly (not trying to invalidate either condition - I know how debilitating both can be) I’d just rather think of it as a natural reaction to shitty circumstances, rather than something ‘wrong’ in my head

@Butiwantto

I struggle with the concept that anxiety and depression are almost always equated to ‘poor’ mental health. If there is a reason behind it then surely it’s better to consider it ‘good’ mental health and a sign that our brains are actually working as intended? Sorry if I’ve not phrased that correctly (not trying to invalidate either condition - I know how debilitating both can be) I’d just rather think of it as a natural reaction to shitty circumstances, rather than something ‘wrong’ in my head

I think being depressed about a shitty situation can be a natural reaction, having clinically diagnosed depression is a different thing. Same with being anxious vs having been diagnosed with anxiety.

Being depressed is a comparatively short term reaction to a specific event/situation/series of events which is perfectly natural, but having depression can mean feeling that way whatever is going on in your life, and the smallest thing can tip you into that pit of blackness and despair.

With anxiety, it's not feeling anxious about a particular event or situation e.g. exam, interview, stressful meeting etc, but being anxious about anything that could possibly happen however unlikely that may be.

Of course there are nuances to each, but anxiety/depression can last a lifetime even when life seems otherwise good e.g. someone with anxiety will spend the good times fretting about the bad time that's surely around the corner.

Oh I work in mental health too and it drives me crazy!

I also cannot stand the use of “I’m so ocd” or “I’m bipolar” when people clearly aren’t and have no idea of the devastation those illnesses cause.

I’m glad people talk about emotional health a bit more but I can’t help feeling that those suffering severe mental disorder are even more forgotten

This is such an important discussion, it pisses me off too. When normal emotional responses to life are pathologised it trivialises the lived experience of those with poor mental health. I'm a bit OCD in particular bothers me. You may be a bit fussy or particular about certain things but that is not the same as OCD. My younger more ignorant self was guilty of this and then I met someone with OCD and I've not abused the term since.

This drives me up the wall!!!

I’ve seen a video of a man being arrested shouting “I’ve got mental health, I’ve got mental health!”

No, that would mean your mind is perfectly fine.

It’s like the noise of chalkboard scraping - it just makes me cringe but it seems pedantic to point it on a post telling people to be nice to others etc. It’s always the people that use “his” for “he’s” isn’t it?? I just saw “photoes” on fb too🤦🏼‍♀️

I agree op. Winds me up too. Always sat on my hands atm

Yes it really winds me up as well! You don’t say ‘he had health’ meaning he was in poor health

Another thing...I think it’s unhelpful to label normal reactions to natural life events as “mental health problems”.

I’ve heard many a time people saying stuff like “Oh yes, her mental health has gone right down since her father died.” No, she is grieving as is to be expected! Yes mental health problems can be triggered by such events, but somebody being in a state because a loved one has died or they’ve been dumped doesn’t mean they have mental health problems FFS

It’s a funny one though. After I had first DC, I thought I was experiencing a normal reaction to the circumstances I was in.... he circumstances being Id had a baby, didn’t feel that “maternal rush” was knackered, would ruin my marriage, family, friendships and be a pariah if I told anyone god I felt (as in “I don’t want this baby, can we get it adopted and go back to life as it was before?”).

I know now this is “normal” (as in, not unique to me) post natal depression. At the time I genuinely felt my low mood was the result of the situation I was in.