10 mental health terms we are using incorrectly
In this day and age, more people are aware of mental health illnesses and the effects they can have on sufferers and their loved ones. There is a growing acceptance among the general public about these illnesses and the drugs required to treat them. But along with this acceptance are some persistent misunderstandings and certain terminology that is used incorrectly. Accurate use of these words and phrases is essential to maintaining the progress we have made in psychiatry and mental health care in general, even though the immediate effects of using the wrong term might not seem significant. These ten psychological phrases, along with their actual meanings, are suggested by mental health specialists that we are misusing.
1. Gaslighting:
The term gaslighting, which is arguably the most misinterpreted one of the last few years, has become widely used to characterize any insensitive conduct, a falsehood, or just a difference of opinion. It’s commonly used in an accusing manner; perhaps the person being gaslighted; isn’t accepting accountability for their deeds. However, the truth is far more sinister. Genuine gaslighting happens when someone deceives you into doubting “your sanity, your experience, your memory, even your reality.”
2. Traumatized:
Did you fall in front of a large crowd after tripping? How frightening. Therapists, however, would prefer that you use a more specific phrase, such as upsetting, surprising, embarrassing, or mortifying. Trauma is a serious, often chronic physiological disruption of the nervous system. For example, those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may feel as though they are experiencing terrible feelings from past traumatic events again. She says that many PTSD sufferers have taken their own lives to end their suffering. It trivializes what trauma and being traumatized are when we hear the word traumatized; used in this very casual sense.
Read More: Power of Self-Care in Trauma Recovery
3. Triggered:
It’s become usual to use the word triggered to describe how outraged or surprised one feels, but in its purest form, being triggered refers to being reminded of a traumatic event, which is followed by a reaction such as flashbacks, thoughts of self-harm, or a panic attack. The trauma frequently seems to be reoccurring or to be happening at any moment. For instance, a man notes that hearing gunshots could trigger a war veteran and cause upsetting flashbacks. Alternatively, witnessing a TV character abusing their preferred drug could set off a trigger for someone in recovery from a substance use disorder.
Read More: Coping Withdrawal Symptoms of Substance abuse
4. Narcissist:
One of the internet’s favourite words to use is that someone is a narcissist—which has become shorthand for anyone who appears self-centred or entitled. The term is “thrown around so carelessly, being especially misapplied when it’s used to label someone who exhibits qualities that someone might not like.”
Read More about Narcissistic Personality Disorders
5. Love Bombing:
Let’s say that two individuals are just starting to date, and one is showing the other lots of love and gifts. Bystanders may quickly label someone who makes extravagant gestures toward the person they are in love with as love-bombing, but in reality, it could just be a sign of genuine excitement.
Love-bombing is the act of showering with love and affection on someone in an attempt to compensate for abusive behaviour or to exert control or manipulation over them. For instance, a man may lavish his girlfriend with lavish attention and costly excursions in an attempt to compel her to rely on him. True love-bombing is comparatively uncommon and is typically employed in destructive relationships, frequently by narcissists. Using the term appropriately requires context—as well as a full comprehension of the rationale for the ostentatious displays.
6. Toxic:
People have a tendency to label anything or anything that upsets them as toxic (That pop star fan base is undoubtedly toxic; your boss is poisonous, as is the barista who makes you wait fifteen minutes.) However, one would rather use it to characterize abusive circumstances—that is when someone purposefully hurts someone. Toxic people are those in your life who seriously harm your emotions. Just because someone is difficult or not a good fit for you doesn’t mean they’re toxic assigning that term to them could be unjust and even dangerous.
Read More: Toxic Workplaces: Signs, Impact and Solution
7. Grooming:
This word is dangerously and incorrectly used by some politicians to disseminate anti-LGBTQ propaganda that then goes viral on social media. Online users have been claiming that anyone who is older and dating someone younger is grooming them. But figuring out whether that’s the case needs more subtlety than what a computer-chair diagnostic can provide. True grooming happens when someone cultivates a relationship with a younger person—possibly a minor—to sexually assault them.
Read More: Why Are People Homophobic?
Signs of it include eroding the victim’s connections with their family and friends, building trust through gifts and attention, and desensitizing them to contact, like hugs or tickling. It frequently happens via Internet communication. It is an assumption that the younger person in the relationship has no agency or power to conclude that grooming is at work in any age-gap relationship. If that younger person is an adult, in actuality, there may be no abuse involved and they may be making their own decisions.
8. Trauma Bond:
There is a common misconception that trauma bonding is when two people share their experiences of trauma, and that brings them closer. It would be useful to have a name to describe these situations, but this isn’t it. Experts in mental health clarify that trauma bonding truly describes the attachment or tie that exists between an abuser and their victim. A coping strategy known as Stockholm syndrome is exemplified when an individual has pleasant emotions for their captor or abuser.
9. Anti-Social:
Not in the mood to attend a party? Okay, but calling oneself antisocial; is probably a mistake. Although the phrase is sometimes used informally to denote a lack of willingness to interact with others, it truly describes a personality disorder linked to a pattern of willful disdain for and violation of others’ rights. It is characterized by criminal behaviour, impulsivity, lack of empathy, and a lack of awareness about how you impact other people. Individuals with the illness are prone to be manipulative, dishonest, and irresponsible. They have probably lived with their symptoms for most of their lives.
10. Trauma Dumping:
A constructive venting session can be relieving, uplifting, and a chance for two people to connect. However, confiding in a friend about all the difficult things you’re going through doesn’t always equate to trauma-dumping, a word made popular on TikTok. Sharing specific details about a traumatic experience with somebody who isn’t ready or doesn’t want to hear it is the true definition of this fashionable term.
Summing Up
A broad spectrum of mental health illnesses that impact your mood, thoughts, and behaviour are collectively referred to as mental illness, often known as mental health disorders. Anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, depression, and addictive behaviours are a few examples of mental illnesses. Writing about mental health requires careful word choice, which can help lessen the stigma associated with mental illness. Prioritize the individual over the ailment. Many people who have mental health problems have informed us that using the term mental health problems; feels acceptable and beneficial for them, which is why we use it at Mind. however, other charities and organizations typically accept and utilize terminology like mental health conditions, issues, and illnesses.
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