The Journey Inward

I read a post by Lauren Urie, R.S.W. from @advocacychange project that said:

Stop saying bipolar when you mean moody.
Stop saying psychotic when you mean irrational.
Stop saying anorexic when you mean thin.
Stop saying depressed when you mean sad.
Stop saying schizophrenic when you mean unpredictable.
Stop saying anti-social when you mean shy or introverted.
Stop saying manic when you mean wild.
Stop saying OCD when you mean organized.

I'm a gal who loves words.  Very much.  I try to be as precise as I can when I express myself.  I work at finding just the right word to convey what I want to say, with the right shade and the right connotation.  This post stopped me in my tracks because it made me realize that I don't think I go through a single day without hearing one of the above hyperbolic statements, or one like them.  They are used by children and adults alike.  

There is a real danger to exaggerating.  There is a real danger to using true mental health struggles in such a careless way.  These words and phrases, when used incorrectly, when used "flippantly" as my friend says, demean, demoralize and diminish those who truly experience these conditions.  

Our children are listening to us, and they are mimicking us.  A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.  They are picking up the "lingo" and using it at school in their interactions with peers.  I fear that if these children begin to struggle with their mental health in the future, they will feel confused, downplay it, or worse yet feel shame about it.  

Be thoughtful, be considerate, be precise...because words matter.