It has become quite commonplace to complain about the lack of awareness and understanding when it comes to mental health; so much so, I reckon that a good few people will scroll past this post because they're already fed up of it. Is it really that bad?
I could write about my experiences with psychiatric nurses and doctors, who should know what they're talking about but unfortunately sometimes don't. Indeed, I have had some pretty shit experiences, which is statistically not unusual for somebody with BPD/EUPD. However, I thought I'd demonstrate the lack of awareness in the wider arena, shown in the public usage of language.
When I was younger I was fascinated by mysterious things, driven on by youth's imagination. I adored (and still adore) studying black holes. Scientific topics were more interesting to me, compared to the more cultural/mythological topics like Bigfoot, since effort put into study seemed more likely to produce results. Then, at one point, I began to think: when does somebody become crazy? Madness seemed to cross that topical boundary. Of course, psychology is a well-developed science, but it's more common to just hear something like "Oh, here comes Crazy Jerry" than a statement based upon a psychological understanding of insanity. But seriously: does somebody just get closer and closer to madness until they 'snap'? Who is crazy? I discussed it with a couple of friends and in the end decided that many of us exhibit signs of madness at some point; and that's actually not far from the truth. Due to its over-usage, it could mean a variety of things, including bouts of fury, as purported by Seneca and Saint Basil.
Ironically, despite being such an alien topic when I was younger, I have ended up suffering from a condition that includes psychosis in its symptomatology. I have heard things that weren't real. It was scary. If I recounted that to a stranger, they would be much more likely to show a prejudiced concern or fear of me than if I said "I am often very depressed": big deal, everybody gets depressed. Are only the really messed-up people "crazy"? Is it reserved like a dinner at The Ritz-for-Schizos...hmmm? People who suffer from psychosis deserve judgement no more than those who suffer from depression. Why judge anyway? Aren't we all human? If you judge somebody suffering from dementia then you're an arsehole, yet they may be just as likely to hurt somebody out of fear and confusion as somebody with BDP. We're not trained assassins. We're in pain.
How do you use such language? Do you ever talk about somebody "going schizo"? Or "spazzing out"? I've used these phrases. I've also 'done' these myself. If you see a lonely old man talking to himself, do you label him as "crazy", avoid any eye-contact and thus aid his loneliness? That old man might be you one day. I'm already him. I had one of my laughing fits over nothing, on the way down to the library just now. Evidently, I know what's real most of the time; but even if someone is completely delusional, labelling and dismissing them will do little good. In the same way that there is more awareness to not use "gay" to describe someone's dress sense, I'm advocating that we think before using "insane", "nuts", or even "depressing" as adjectives if they're belittling.
"Using that kind of language sends the message that it's OK to trivialize mental illness and lazily substitute real people's lived experiences for 'wild,' 'silly,' 'dangerous' or 'out of control'."
- Lydia X. Z. Brown, an activist, writer and speaker focused on disability justice.
Language is changing and nobody has authority over it. Furthermore, if you don't know that certain words are hurtful, why would you change how you use them? I've been known to get annoyed at political correctness gone mad and I recognise that this isn't in a vacuum. Understanding is a two-way thing: we sufferers must be patient with those who don't know what it's like. But if you've read this, you have no excuse but to be more aware of how you use such language. Please?
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