I recently heard someone say: "Oh, my brother is such a psycho!" and I thought: Does this person know what it really means when we label someone as 'psycho'? Do you sometimes refer to your tendencies to be very neat and organised as "My OCD..."? Or have you heard someone say: "That guy is such a narcissist!"
Mental health issues are real. They are challenges that many people on this planet have to face on a daily basis. In some parts of the world, speaking about mental health issues has been greatly destigmatised, meaning that people are starting to feel more comfortable to talk about mental health, and that is great! The problem, however, is when we use mental health diagnoses loosely and describe people as "psycho", "so OCD" or "such a narcissist."
Listening to songs such as the one quoted in the title of this post also normalises us just referring to a person as a "psycho" when there are people out there who are suffering from real psychotic disorders.
What am I trying to say? I want to kindly encourage you to think about labels you place upon others when describing them. How can we be kind when we talk about others' mental health struggles? (Or perhaps it begs the question: When is it okay to talk about others' mental health struggles and when is it not?)
Let's change the narrative! Let's continue to keep the dialogue open and create safe spaces for people to share about their mental health challenges, but without us labeling them and making them feel judged. The world definitely needs you and your kindness to make a difference.
Yours in love and kindness,
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