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harmful phrases that get thrown around and why to stop using them!
- "i'm so bipolar." being bipolar is a serious mental condition, not a few mood swings. bipolar people are already stereotyped, please don't make it worse!
- "i'm so bipolar." being bipolar is a serious mental condition, not a few mood swings. bipolar people are already stereotyped, please don't make it worse!
- "i'm having a panic attack" obviously if you're legitimately having a panic attack, saying this is fine! however, a lot of people throw around the term panic attack and make them seem like something that occurs when you get slightly nervous.
- "that gave me ptsd / omg stop that's giving me ptsd flashbacks" again, this one is fine if you actually have the disorder. however, when using this to desrcibe small events, you undermine the struggles that people with the disorder actually have to go through.
- "i'm so ocd!!" having OCD is a lot more than just wanting things to be neat and tidy. what you're feeling is probably totally normal and you are undermining the struggles of those with OCD by saying this!
- "just be happy!" this is literally the most unhelpful thing you could say to a struggling person. it's not so easy to just be happy when you're dealing with mental illness. instead, just be there for the person and give them a safe space with you!
- "it's fine! just calm down!" telling someone with anxiety to calm down is not going to get them to calm down. instead, ask them what they need, and if they are nonverbal at the moment, just sit with them until they're ready to speak! don't yell at them to 'just calm down'
- "oh yeah i totally get that! my fish died and it gave me such bad depression." yes, depression can be caused by a sad event, but that type of depression goes away! most people with depression struggle with it for years or even their whole life.
- "oh if you think you have it bad, then hear this!" comparing someone's struggles to something else is not going to be helpful to them at all. you're just going to make them feel guilty for struggling when they 'could have it worse'
- "i would love to have adhd! i need that energy!" adhd is more than just being hyper! it's not just some fun, bounce of the walls disorder. no one wants to hear from someone that doesn't have their disorder that they would love to have it. don't undermine their struggles!
- "you have a good life, how can you be mentally ill?" mental illness can stem from having a bad life, but it can also stem from many other things. also, be sure to remember you don't see what happens behind closed doors and that someone's life might not be as good as you think
- "you're attention seeking." so many mentally ill people already feel guilty for speaking up about their problems because of this exact reason. there's enough stigma around mental illness, don't make it worse
- "oh you're bipolar? does that mean you're gonna like, hurt me?" a lot of mental illness that isn't so common (schizophrenia, bipolar) gets stereotyped very strongly. mentally ill people aren't violent! they didn't hurt you before their diagnosis, don't treat them different now
- "you're just saying that to excuse your laziness" fatigue comes with a bunch of mental disorders! for depression specifically, finding the motivation to do things and get out of bed can be very difficult. try to understand the struggles of other's instead of assuming
- "wait so (trigger) is a trigger for you?" don't bring up somebody's triggers man. even if ur not deliberately trying to trigger someone, it's best to just not talk about their triggers, as it can be triggering!
- "manic/hypomanic episodes sound so fun!" manic/hypomanic episodes can be fun while you're in them, however, impulse control is low and you can make some regrettable decisions. often these manic/hypomanic episodes decline into a depressive episode, which aren't fun at all.
- "oh, so you're like crazy?" people who are mentally ill aren't crazy, that's such a stupid stereotype. stop treating mentally ill like they're going to get violent with you.
- "shouldn't you be in a mental hospital?" nope. if they needed that type of care than they would be in one. don't ask this question, it's really weird and definitely stems from stereotypes
- "have you tried drugs / alcohol?" no. do not influence a mentally ill person to turn to drugs.
- "you just need to get out more." again, underminding the struggles of mentally ill people. i'm sure they've already heard and tried that suggestion enough times to know it doesn't work
- "wait so do you have like a... crazy personality?" people with personality our always stereotyped to have a 'normal' host and one evil personality, but that's just another stereotype! everyone's experiences are different
- "you don't have autism / you don't act autistic!" autism is a spectrum, and trying to tell someone that their diagnosis is incorrect when you're not a doctor is super harmful!
- "can't you just control your body?" people with tics and stims often can't stop or control them. i'm sure most people with tics and stims have tried! this isn't helpful at all, and their tics/stims don't affect you literally at all. please don't pester them about it
- "i totally have social anxiety!! i mean, i haven't got diagnosed, but i have it!" suspecting that you have a disorder is fine! but self-diagnosis is harmful. please see a psychiatrist instead!
- "yeah, i'm super scared about coronavirus, i'm a total hypochondriac!" hypochondria is much deeper than just being worried about a largely known of disease. it's searching up every symtpom you have and overworrying about your health. it causes a lot of anxiety and isn't fun!
- "you're so hard to put up with." most mentally ill people already feel super guilty for being mentally ill, you don't have to further rub the idea that they're a burden into their faces
- "you're on meds? well i don't believe in medication for mental illness!" the person you're saying this to literally isn't gonna care. they're getting the help they need. you're not the one taking the meds. mind your business
- "you have a dissociation disorder? yeah i totally relate, i space out so bad sometimes!" no. dissociation isn't just spacing out for a minute in class. it can be a range of different feelings and it's terrifying!!
- "insomnia? just close your eyes." if it was that easy then they would've just been doing that the whole time
- "i forgot how to spell "automobile" the other day! i'm so dyslexic." dyslexia isn't just a rare occurrence of forgetting how to spell a word! it is so much worse than that!
- stuttering on purpose when you don't have a stutter. this one is pretty self-explanatory! don't mock people with stutters, that's really weird
i hope i covered everything!! i tried to cover as many disorders n illnesses that i could think of! if you want me to add anything just let me know.
to anyone who was using these terms without knowing they're harmful: everyone makes mistakes, but just stop doing it!
to anyone who was using these terms without knowing they're harmful: everyone makes mistakes, but just stop doing it!
you're valid. your mental illness doesn't make you weak. your neurological disorder doesn't make you weak. your neurodivergence doesn't make you weak. you are more than the stereotypes you've been given!
