To think people shouldn’t say ‘I have PTSD from X’ as an exaggeration?

[NameChanged25]

Even if it is obvious they don’t mean they had a genuine diagnosis and it is said quite lightly about something silly?
e.g. ‘my child used to love glitter and playdough as a toddler. Trying to clean it up was an absolute nightmare - I still have PTSD from it’
There are lots of other examples I’ve heard in conversation recently.

Yes same with people who say they have OCD because they like things neat.

I feel like PTSD has become a diagnosis du jour a bit recently. It’s been classified condition for 20+ years, yet it was only diagnosed sparingly and for extreme trauma ie war zones until recently. I even heard somebody say they had PTSD from attending primary school. But then it’s hard to know if it’s being diagnosed properly or if people are just using it like a descriptor as you say.

Agree, also dislike 'nightmare' being used to describe something relatively trivial. I realise it's just an easy turn of phrase now but cleaning up glitter, yes, inconvenient but not a nightmare.

Oh this drives me completely crazy (fully intended)... but I agree. It's not ok.

I don’t disagree with you @NameChanged25

But could I ask if you ever say this to people in person when you hear it?

or is it more of a general rant / education for us on here in AIBU?

Agree, knowing someone with this and seeing how much devastation it has caused in almost every aspect of their life. Its not nice to hear the term used flippantly. I told my child off for saying they 'had a bit of ocd' the other day as well.

Saying that, there are lots of things that I say that are probably offensive to someone else due to their life experiences. So I try and re frame it that the fact they say things like that means they're lucky that they haven't actually had anything awful happen to them

You are absolutely right. Likewise people using OCD in this way, when they just mean they prefer things to be tidy/clean. Even worse is "I'm a bit OCD". PTSD and OCD are both horrible conditions to live with and completely disrupt the lives of the sufferer and anyone close to them. I have a cousin with severe, diagnosed OCD. She had her children taken away from her when they were very small. They have families of their own now and it's a huge sadness that she carries around with her.

It's only like when people exaggerate and they say something "gave them a heart attack" or "went into shock". I don't think it's offensive it's just people being silly.

No I’ve never called anyone out on it in person. But I think i will as it has started to irritate me.

The ‘I have a bit of OCD with that’ is also irritating but not always as obvious as for all I know they may have a genuine diagnosis (or be able to get one)

‘I have a bit of OCD with that’ isn't something someone with a diagnosis of OCD would say.

They would be far more likely to say 'That triggers my OCD' or similar.

But ultimately, people exaggerate and always will so there's nothing you can really do about it.

You could pull people up constantly I suppose, but unless they're your kids, they're unlikely to stop doing it.

Yes - I really dislike this, along with people throwing around the term trauma.

A few years ago, I had a depressive episode following a distressing medical event which left me needing intrusive daily appointments for several months. I was having flashbacks, panic attacks and nightmares. I eventually needed intensive psychotherapy. That was trauma. It wasn’t PTSD (I was assessed, but didn’t meet the threshold).

I want to scream when I hear people making throwaway comments about trauma or PTSD.

PTSD, OCD and anxiety have really been missed as terms for a long time but especially since Covid.

They are really dehabitiating illness for real sufferers who usually need counselling and medication.

It's very insulting when someone says oh I suffer from anxiety when doing presentations at work. They don't they suffer from nerves and it's temporarily.

Thankfully, I suffer from no mental health conditions and am extremely grateful for it. I don't understand those who want to exaggerate when they aren't truely suffering from anything.

My daughter has complex PTSD. It has ruined years of her life and mine.

Yes I get pissed off at people. They do not know what these conditions do to you and if they did they would shut up.

Anxiety is also used in situations where it’s normal to worry about something like a new job.

I have cPTSD and I hate it when people use it lightly. It’s horrendous.

sadly people use a lot of mental health conditions lightly with no consideration as to how they impact those who actually have them.

And yet people use depressed and depressing all the time 🙄

It's normal every day language,just because you don't like it doesn't make it wrong .

I find policing other peoples language like this really, really tedious. Kind of "look how much more empathy I have than you".

Presumably, even though its approaching luch and I'm starving, I shouldn't say that because it's insensitive?

For me it's those who have "anxiety" because they have a nervous poo before a GP appointment 🙄

Actually, without context it's impossible to know if the primary school comment was ridiculous or not. They could be onto something as growing up with unsupported needs through the schooling system actually can be very traumatic.

I was diagnosed with PTSD after a violent attack, mostly recovered now.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest when people say it, it's just a turn of phrase.

I have PTSD and I absolutely agree. I have pulled people up on it when they say things like 'I think we all have PTSD' from that meeting. No, we really do fucking not.

So what would you say instead of anxiety?

But people don't actually mean they think they have PTSD. It's just a phrase.

What do people say when you pull them up on it? That just seems a bit OTT.

I hope they look suitably embarrassed. It is an idiotic thing to say

You are the voice of reason . Hope you're recovering well now. 💐