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Can we talk?
January has been here and now it’s over and done. It rolled by so quickly, I missed having a word or two about mental health. I don’t believe mental health has a specific time, but what do I know? The thing is, like a lot of all y’all, I’m a bit concerned about the language we use when we speak about, you know, mental illness. So, here it goes. My word or two. First of all, it’s okay to use real, grown-up, diagnostic terms when speaking about the diagnosis of a mental illness. And, yes, it’s okay to say “mental illness” as long as you put the person first. Some of our best friends, and family members, have mental illnesses. Schizophrenia is a mental illness. Schizophrenia is not a bad word. Bipolar Disorder is also a mental illness. Bipolar disorder are not bad words. Stress is not a bad word. We shouldn’t be afraid to use words like “depression, post traumatic stress disorder, bulimia, panic or anxiety, phobias”, etc. These words, like COPD or heart failure or Crohn’s are illnesses.
Why do we find it’s just fine to talk about our digestive disorders, from the intake to the output (and happily sing along to the advertiser’s dancing colon) but can only speak of mental illness in whispered terms, or worse. Not speak of it at all. What about toenail fungus? Why does fungus in your toenails, for goodness sake, have a better rap than mental illness? What about shingles and genital warts or psoriasis or cancer? What the H E Double Shush is wrong with us? When my messed up brain caused me to have panic attacks, I didn’t think it was something I needed to keep to myself. Panic attacks are terrifying. I needed to know I wasn’t alone and spoke, first to my doctors, and then openly about how they affected my life. However, when I spoke of dealing with panic attacks to a close friend, he quietly told me to cut back on the coffee and try yoga, and not to say too much because people might think I was “nuts”. Afreaking- hem! NUTS! Let me tell you, it took a lot of Valerian and CBD oil to keep me from giving him a slim piece of my “crazy”. He is part of the problem. He lives with depression and has chosen to deal with it by not seeking professional help, or speaking to friends about it, lest he be labelled “nuts” or “crazy”. I told him he was a “loony” to ignore it.
“Crazy, insane, psycho, nuts, deranged and demented” are just a few of the terms we have to strike from our list of descriptors when it comes to mental illness. The problem is, once you’ve said those words to or about someone you can’t unring that bell. Personally, I’m not asking for pity, as regards the brain tumours, or the panic attacks. I am not a victim. I am not afflicted. I do not suffer from anything—I deal with it. I trust the radiation will take care of the tumours and hope we/I have found a way to lessen the impact anxiety and panic attacks have on my life. Don’t let me hear you say otherwise. Mental illness is not an idiosyncrasy or a quirky behaviour. We can change how we speak of mental illness and issues. We can find out more about mental illness. We can stop stigmatizing and discriminating and learn to make a difference.
Education will help to reduce and/or eliminate the negative attitude we have about mental health issues and illnesses.
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