Article: Why We Need to Stop Casually Throwing Around Words Like 'Bipolar' or 'OCD' | Keeping it Real for Those Who Struggle

The words "OCD", "deprssed", "anxious", and "bi-polar",  among others, are being used a lot more today than they have even been. My mom reassures me that when she was growing up, you never spoke about mental illness. It "just wasn't a thing back then". This is a good sign. Although there are still many stigmas about mental illness floating around, at least conversations about mental health are taking place. But one thing that doesn't help people with mental illness is how casually words such as "OCD", "bi-polar", "anxious" and "depressed" are being used. Even I'm guilty of this: "The weather is being so bi-polar today" or "I'm just feeling a little OCD right now". As someone who struggles with anxiety and has many friends who struggle with depression, I generally try not to casually throw around words that define mental illness. What I didn't realize was exactly how much casually using those words can impact how people view mental illness. What opened my eyes was an article I found online: Why We Need to Stop Casually Throwing Around Words Like 'Bipolar' or 'OCD'.

The basic gist of the article is that when people use a phrase like "I'm depressed" in a situation where that person is just having a rough day, people come to associate the phrase "I'm depressed" to mean that someone is having a rough day rather than it referring to actual, medically defined depression. I've encountered this a little bit in my day to day life. If I tell someone that I have an anxiety disorder sometimes they'll say something like "Oh yeah I understand that. I get anxious right before exams". I know that they mean well when they say that but the reality is that they don't get it. Having an anxiety disorder is so much more than feeling anxious every once and awhile before a important event. Just like having depression is so much more than having a rough day and OCD is so much more than liking things to be organized. Basically casually using words and phrases that refer to medically defined mental illnesses downplays the severity and importance of the actual mental illness which in turn makes it harder for people who actually have the mental illness to seek help and talk about what they are going through. This also creates disconnect between people who don't have mental illness and people who do by promoting an idea that it's not that bad.

If you get the chance, please give the article a read. I didn't cover everything in it and the studies behind it are actually really interesting.

Keep the positive conversations about mental illness going but please also make sure you are using medical terms (depressed, anxious, OCD, bi-polar, etc.) in the correct context.