When Talking About Mental Illness, Words Matter

5/14/2015

I had an article published in The World of Psychology on PsychCentral about the importance of the words we use when talking about mental illness. Please follow the link below to read the article.

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/05/14/when-talking-about-mental-illness-words-matter/

2 Comments

Anthony Millspaugh

5/13/2015 11:52:25 pm

As one who has an advanced degree, as well as history with mental illness, I found your article illuminating. I was a highly functional depressive (my original diagnosis several years ago) until a series of catastrophic life events forced a 7 week hospitalization and the eventual diagnosis of bipolar I.
I struggle most with the acceptance of the label "disabled," but I can't fathom a working life presently and to one whose career and job were indelibly linked, my idleness is awkward to explain.

For two years, I was a zombie as different medications were attempted in combination to calm my Unquiet Mind. Pleasures that I took for granted, especially reading and writing I simply couldn't do. I suspected perhaps a deep depression was to blame, but as I struggled to make my way through what I thought was a re-read of Kay Redfield Jameison's An Unquiet Mind, a brief passage hit me like a ton of bricks. She relates how for ten years she could read neither fiction or non-fiction. (Coincidentally, as the leading expert in the field she refers to our mutual affliction as Manic Depression, NOT bipolar which she believes to be steeped with negative connotations as well as misuse) This seemed like an epiphany coming from an academic at Johns Hopkins and a leading authority on the mood disorder. The culprit of the reading difficulty? Lithium.

I discussed this with the psychiatrist I am currently working with, the 3rd since 2012 and she was amenable to altering my level. This couple with a birthday gift of a Kindle, a device I never thought I would embrace seemed to do the trick and recovery, once seemingly an elusive goal seems not too far fetched.

Writing seemed to follow, or at least I hope you'll agree that my ability to write coherently and with focus as demonstrated here followed.

Thank you so much for your article. It had an enormous impact and I wish you and your family the best in navigating the complexities of mental illness.

Theresa Larsen link

5/14/2015 12:18:46 am

Thank you Anthony. I am glad you and your psychiatrist were able to find a solution. I wish you the best on your road to recovery. It can be long and complicated, but I do believe it is possible. My son is proof of that.

When Talking About Mental Illness, Words Matter

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