Part 2: Language Matters…Promote Validation or Perpetuate Stigma
The words we choose carry tremendous weight - they can either perpetuate harmful stereotypes about mental health conditions or promote understanding and acceptance. How we speak shapes how we perceive ourselves and others. When discussing mental health, the labels and language we use can inadvertently reinforce stigmas, marginalize individuals, and create barriers to support. However, by being intentional with our words, we can break down these barriers and cultivate an environment of empathy and inclusion. In this part of our series, we'll explore how the terminology we use impacts mental health conditions, and the importance of using person-focused, non-judgmental language.
Moving beyond simply avoiding stigmatizing language, consciously adopting an empowering vocabulary surrounding mental health can significantly influence mindsets and shift societal narratives. Using terms that emphasize resilience, recovery, and empowerment enriches our dialogue. Words like "resilient," "onward," and "growth" can positively impact both individuals navigating mental health challenges and the broader community. By highlighting the strength required to face these struggles and the possibility of progress, we encourage a narrative of hope and capability. Additionally, terms like "overcoming," "adapting," and "healing" underscore that mental health is an ongoing journey, rather than portraying conditions as static or defining characteristics.
Using forward-looking, hopeful language like "next steps" frames the mental health experience as a path forward. It reminds individuals that each step towards understanding, accepting, and managing their mental health brings them closer to a more fulfilling life. Encouraging a mindset of growth and learning transforms how mental health is perceived. Phrases focused on "personal development" and "growing through challenges" shift the focus from suffering to the opportunities for insight and growth that can arise from these experiences.
To illustrate this concept, consider the following conversation:
Jess: Hey, haven't seen you around lately. How's it going?
Sarah: Ah you know, some ups and downs. I've been struggling with anxiety and depression again.
Jess: Oh man, I'm sorry to hear that. Those mental health journeys are never easy, are they?
Sarah: No, definitely not. I try to stay positive but some days it just weighs me down, you know?
Jess: Totally. But you've gotten through tough times before. You handle this stuff with such strength.
Sarah: I guess...I just wish it wasn't so hard all the time. Like a constant uphill battle.
Jess: Well, I don't think it has to be a battle. It's more like...an ongoing process of adapting and healing at your own pace, right?
Sarah: Huh, adapting and healing...I actually like those words better than "fighting" it.
Jess: Yeah, it puts things in a different perspective. It's not you versus your mental health. It's just working through the challenges with resilience as you're ready.
Sarah: Resilience...I can focus on that. Not feeling so stuck or defined by depression and anxiety.
Jess: Exactly. You've got that inner strength, even if it doesn't feel like it some days. I know you'll keep moving forward, one step at a time.
Sarah: Thanks Jess, I really needed to hear that outlook. Let's hang out soon, okay?
Jess: For sure, I'm always around if you need to chat.
This conversation between Jess and Sarah showcased how using an empowering, resilience-focused vernacular can foster hope and reframe perspectives on mental health journeys. However, it's important to recognize that even close friends can sometimes inadvertently use language that undermines progress, despite good intentions. Here's an alternative conversation that illustrates how certain phrases, while more subtle than outright dismissiveness, can still reinforce stigma:
Tyler: Hey man, long time no see! How've you been holding up?
Chris: To be honest, not great. My depression has been really kicking my ass lately.
Tyler: No way, dude. I thought you had finally beaten that demon after your last round of therapy.
Chris: I wish. But I still have really tough periods.
Tyler: Damn, that's rough. But you know I'm here for you, bro. Just don't let it drag you back into that endless cycle, you hear me?
Chris: I'm trying, man. But some days it feels impossible to escape the darkness.
Tyler: Hey, don't talk like that. You can't let yourself get consumed by negativity again.
Chris: It's not negativity, it's just...reality for me right now. I'm stuck in a low point.
Tyler: I get it, but you've got to fight harder to snap out of this funk. Didn't your therapist give you tools to fight those thoughts?
Chris: Yeah, it's just not that simple.
Tyler: Chris, it's a battle - and you're a fighter man, not a victim. Don't let this illness win and drag you back down, okay?
While more subtle, phrases like "beating that demon", "endless cycle", and "snapping out of this funk" can inadvertently reinforce the misconception that depression follows a linear path that can be definitively overcome through sheer willpower. Labeling it as "succumbing to negativity" or being "consumed" portrays depression as a personal weakness. Even well-intentioned terms like "battle", "fight", and "victory" frame mental health conditions as opposing forces to be aggressively combated, rather than ongoing journeys requiring resilience and self-compassion. Implying someone is a "victim" if they struggle promotes an unhelpful stigma.
Reshaping Perspectives Through Thoughtful Language
Words truly have an incredible power. As we've seen, they don't just allow us to communicate, but they shape how we experience the world around us and how others experience us. The words we choose can uplift people or bring them down, motivate or discourage.
In our relationships, words play a particularly important role. They create the connections between us through the stories we share and the understanding we build together. By using words carefully and intentionally, we can change our world for the better. Every word is an opportunity to be kind, to enlighten, to console, to empower, and to build bonds that can withstand life's challenges. Words reflect our shared humanity – they shape our relationships and define how we'll be remembered.
In the next section, we'll explore how to be a "kindful ally" by not only using inclusive, validating language but also through several other meaningful actions. You'll learn how to create environments where everyone feels respected, and how to help shift society's perception of mental health, one supportive relationship at a time.