Opinion: Don’t undermine those with actual diagnoses Anna Wilkinson Too often, people use words that correlate to mental illnesses, which end up normalizing these illnesses instead of bringing awareness to them. This kind of language is embedded in our generation and used daily. To explain, it is easy for us to describe the situation by saying something such as “I am so depressed” or, in more extreme terms, “I am going to kill myself ” when something doesn’t go in our favor. The same goes for people who tend to be organized and self-diagnose themselves as having obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). While some may think that this is acceptable and doesn’t mean anything, this language is not only triggering but hurts those who have mental illnesses. Recently, people have realized that some words embedded into our vocabulary are offensive, but we haven’t gone far enough to purge all of these words from daily use. An article from Hogg Foundation for Mental Health talks about similar topics but specifically highlights preference. Since the way we speak is constantly evolving, we must keep checking up on each other to see what we prefer to be called. It should be the norm to ask those affected how they want either themselves or what they are suffering from to be referred to as. I am sure you have heard someone say that they are “so OCD” because they love to be organized. Or that they like to clean, so then there must be OCD somewhere in their genetics. This image of OCD has been going on for many years, and it is an inaccurate painting of the disorder. OCD isn’t just about being an organized person, which people often assume it is. Instead, OCD is an all-consuming and often detrimental disorder that can occur in any kind of person, organized or not. Although I do believe most people realize that being organized is different from OCD, our language around these topics still remains. In the end, this use of this kind of language can come down to education, or the lack of it, around these disorders and illnesses. It is essential to educate students about the signs of things like OCD and depression so they can be aware of how inaccurate their language is. According to the American Psychiatric Society, someone with OCD would have mannerisms such as recurring unwanted thoughts, ideas, or sensations (obsessions) that make them feel driven to do something repetitively (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors, such as hand-washing, checking on things, or cleaning, can significantly interfere with a person’s daily activities and social interactions.
30 HIGHLANDER OPINION
