General Making Changes To Public Misunderstanding

[horizons]

One of the things I am passionate about is removing the words "mental illness" and replacing those words with something else - most especially with regards to PTSD.

I'd love this thread to be one of healthy debate, please express any opinions at all.

Here is the problem from my point of view. The words "mental illness" tends to elicit a whole bunch of negative, fearful, naive, sympathetic reactions from the average person in the street.

"Mental" used to be (and probably still is) used to describe behaviour that was inexplicable, disturbed, unbalanced, untreatable, scary, mysterious, confused and so on.

"Illness" is a little more positive because we've all been programmed by society that a lot of illness is treatable. It also focusses on the PHYSICAL so it "feels" like it has basis in FACT.

If I was to state that I have a "mental illness", this elicits a response that's totally different to "I have a physical illness". Yet mental illness is a chemical imbalance in the brain - it IS physical. "chemical imbalance" still sounds "mysterious", something people do not understand.

This "stigma" leads to avoidance. Avoidance by the public in terms of wanting to learn more about it, and avoidance by sufferers in talking about their problems. It also leads to generalizations and stereotypes. Assumptions that people are not capable, not reliable.

I like to look at the "flip" side of things. So I started to look at what expressions are seen in a positive light by the general public TODAY.

To help yourself is seen as a plus. To recognise stress is seen as a plus. To stay healthy is seen as a plus. To be aware of stress levels is seen as a plus. To ask for medical help is seen as a plus. (here in Australia to see a counsellor still has some negative stigma - however to see a "life coach" is positive)

So when it comes to ptsd, and I wish to explain my partner's "illness" to friends and family as well as media, I'd like a term that is not "frightening" or "negative" or "confusing". I'd like a few words that explain in very positive terms that an overload of stress has caused an injury to the brain and the solution lies in seeking medical help, changing to a stress free lifestyle, gaining the help of a "life coach", and working towards maximum health.

If my partner had a broken leg, these actions would be expected and a normal part of healing.
Wouldn't it be nice if our society was programmed to encourage and support this healing path with ptsd - instead of the usual confusion, avoidance and misguided advice by well meaning people.

Anthony's explanation of ptsd via the stress cup is a great start. So what are some words we could start using to replace "mental illness".

Lately I've relied on the words "stress overload ". Although in a way it diminishes the issues faced by the sufferer, it does provide an "understood" starting point for those who know nothing about it.

If people ask more about it, I explain that the brain is only capable of handling a certain number of traumatic events, just like a leg can only stand so much stress before it fractures. As with the fractured leg, if you keep running on it without having it seen to, it will break. Once the sufferer realizes there's a "fracture" (or "break") a period of rest and healing is required. And as with the leg, the amount of "pressure" the sufferer can put onto himself in the future is dependent on his body's healing capacity, and on the changes he is able to make to his internal and external environments.

So how do others explain ptsd without mentioning "mental illness" ? How would you describe it to the public as a headline in a newspaper?

 

[wife of]

Psychological wounding works for us.

 

[Eleanor]

Thinking.....

 

[Ladyhope Somerset]

One of the things I am passionate about is removing the words "mental illness" and replacing those words with something else - most especially with regards to PTSD.

This "stigma" leads to avoidance. Avoidance by the public in terms of wanting to learn more about it, and avoidance by sufferers in talking about their problems. It also leads to generalizations and stereotypes. Assumptions that people are not capable, not reliable.

............ I'd like a term that is not "frightening" or "negative" or "confusing". I'd like a few words that explain in very positive terms that an overload of stress has caused an injury to the brain and the solution lies in seeking medical help, changing to a stress free lifestyle, gaining the help of a "life coach", and working towards maximum health.

So how do others explain ptsd without mentioning "mental illness" ? How would you describe it to the public as a headline in a newspaper?

Hi horizons
As wife of said "psychological wounding" could be a good introduction for someone who knows nothing about ptsd. Along those llines, psychological disability, debilitation, weakness, hinderance could be a starting point. It depends who you are talking to and what language they use. Psychologically shattered, difficulty concentrating are words I've used.

IMHO though there is no getting away from the fact that it is a mental health problem.

I hope more people will join the discussion, it'll be helpful to hear others' views.

 

[Lucycat]

IMHO though there is no getting away from the fact that it is a mental health problem.

I could not agree more.

My T has told me that PTSD is NOT a mental illness. Yes it is a mental health problem, but it is an emotional illness.

Personally I don't think playing with and changing the names reduces stigma anyway. Education and understanding are the key.

 

[Ladyhope Somerset]

Personally I don't think playing with and changing the names reduces stigma anyway. Education and understanding are the key.

I totally agree with the above.

 

[maddog]

I also agree with this. The stigmas and misperceptions that plague society run far deeper than the language we use to discuss them, and too much pedantic fiddling with names and labels often serves only to plunge us off down the path to insane political correctness in which nobody is game to refer to anything as anything in case someone gets upset or offended or feels discriminated against by the overly zealous attempt to not appear to be discriminating against them... etc.

Call me a cynic, but stigma about mental illness is as alive and well as ever. Just as with any form of discrimination, anyone who believes it is a thing of the past has obviously never had a mental illness, or been part of a minority group.

I was born in the 1980s, supposedly into a generation of greater acceptance, inclusion and anti discrimination. I have both a physical disability and, now, an emotional/psychological disability, or whatever the hell you want to call it. And trust me, I could write a novel and plan a sequel and a threequel on the discrimination I have experienced throughout my life, and I don't even consider myself to have experienced more than the norm, and certainly not as much as some others I know.

I say all that to say that there is no point in living in denial.

Difference frightens people. It makes them uncomfortable and threatened. They prefer to ignore it, pretend that it doesn't exist, and to categorise, label and simplify it wherever possible. Be darned if that square peg isn't going to be fitted into that round hole!!

Like it or not, we are contributing to the public perception of PTSD every time we set foot outside in the world. Again, when you are a member of any minority group, your individual contribution countes more than it probably should, because people observe one person's behaviour or general aspects of self, and generalise it to the whole minority group, or, just as commonly, attribute every characteristic or behaviour to the minority group rather than to individual difference or just a feature of humanness.

For our own sake, I believe it is in our best interests to try to educate and advocate for ourselves as much as we are able, but truly, I also believe that some people can be come obsessed with this, feeling as though they need to singlehandedly change society's views on mental illness, or whatever other characteristic may be in question.

Let's face it, that will never happen. We will all chip away at the bigger picture, influencing a person here and a person there, and maybe if we all do a bit, it will slowly make a larger scale change.

In the end we are responsible only for taking care of ourselves though, and for forging our own individual path through life to the best of our ability. Self care first, advocacy 2nd, that's what I say.

And sorry I've ended saying so much, I guess it's just a bit of a touchy topic for me.

Maddog

 

[leweyoz]

I believe it's all about education too. I try to explain it as an emotional problem too. Thjat the bopdy is only wired to take so much. But you're right people just don't get it. They either think the person has 2 heads or there's nothing wrong with them, what's your problem.

So for that reason I think it should be labled as what it is, make it sound real and significant, cos it cetainly is to all concerned. I wonder if as more people come across our PTSD loved ones with our explanations then they'll be able to undertsnad more. We can hope.

 

[Eleanor]

My aunt used to have "spells". They were migraines - but PTSD is a lot like that for others. My aunt would retire to a dark room and sometimes come out to throw up - and then go back and sleep for a LONG time. But between times she was fine. I guess I think of my H"s episodes as "spells." "Emotional storms" or something like that. (When I'm not busy thinking of them as spirit possession to keep me from engaging that is:confused:)

I suspect that the world is ready for a quantum leap in sophistication about emotional health and the connection of reason and emotion, and that understanding of all kinds of mental dis-eases with fall right into place once it happens.

Hopefully waiting for the psychological equivalent of the germ theory of disease....:whistling:

 

[Ladyhope Somerset]

Eleanor, we maybe related because you've described exactly how my migranes were.
(They lessened a couple of years after I disclosed my childhood traumas.)

I'd like to think the world is ready for that quantum leap in sophistication but it maybe just too hopeful. As maddog said we are a minority group.

 

[Cam]

I always tell others that PTSD is a normal reaction to an abnormal experience. I work in the u.s. in the mental health field as a psychologist. I never use the word mental illness when referring to any psychological disorder. I wish that we could get away from the stigma attached to psychological issues but it seems that we at far from it. I too am a supporter of someone dealing with PTSD.

 

[Kintsugi]

Hmm. I didn't tell my last boss about my PTSD until I had to in order to make her listen to me when negotiating the end of my internship. I didn't want to tell her earlier because I was entirely unsure whether or not I would fail because of my disorder, but before I made that decision, I'd decided to call PTSD what service animal institutions call it and like disorders: a chronic non-visible disability. It's a mouthful, but it basically implies everything from seizures to PTSD to deafness. For me, it normalized my disorder and gave it a legal edge (disability).

When I finally broke down, though, I did say PTSD, which people seem more sensitive to now than just a few years ago due to media about returning soldiers. She was very sensitive and, lo and behold, downright friggin' impressed that I'd put up with all her stupid crap. Her humbleness was like a glass of ice water. :) Sometimes I think spelling it out can be helpful, even if it does provoke a million (generally unasked or really shy) questions, but those are the questions that will ultimately lead to increased education.