The Evolution of the Language of Mental Health
The UCC Mental Health Network is prioritizing language that is elevating and dignifying and that seeks to rid itself of creating an ‘other’ when we speak of individuals.
As a national organization we are trying to model language that does not presuppose a person’s choice for their mental health. We hope others adopt this approach. If a person chooses the word ‘challenge’ or any descriptor that originates from them, then that is their chosen language, and we celebrate its use—for them and those interacting with them. The point is that it must come from them, not someone speaking for them. As an organization, we are electing now to eliminate “challenge” and similar wording from our public media.
We are then left with how to speak of mental health experiences. We know we are not alone in this linguistic time of change. We want meaningful dialogue and do not want to dilute the reality of suffering nor the wide range of interior encounters that come with neurodiverse mental health experiences–all because of a lack of adequate wording. The experience is the very thing we seek to come alongside, and in our solidarity and community, ease through our presence and love. At the same time the worst thing we can do is contribute to stigma by inadvertently using terms that in some way condescend or dictate an individual’s place in the mental health universe.
It seems the way to proceed is to place emphasis on the self-report of a person. How does she/he/they characterize their mental health? Let their own language be our guide. Beyond that, there are symptoms, diagnoses, and neurodiversity that are value free if we remember that none of this defines the totality of an individual.
Just as we evolved from the Mental Illness Network to the Mental Health Network with the intention to come closer to describing the beautiful whole that God experiences when beholding us, we are certain we will continue to change as we learn to do better and be better. Thank you for joining us on this mission of reflection as we pursue our mandate to create safety, sanctuary, and justice for all who come to us in their mental health journeys.
In this spirit, we offer clarity and expansion of a few terms that we continue to use:
Mental Health
The World Health Organization defines Mental health as a “state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well, and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.” Mental health is a (God given) basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development” (World Health Organization 2022).
Diagnosis
Just as we can be diagnosed with a coronary embolism or the Norovirus, we can receive a diagnosis that speaks to our mental health. Most of the time a mental health diagnosis is one that is taken from the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The diagnosis is made after a combination of observation, testing, symptom clusters, and duration from a psychiatrist or psychologist or other mental health professional. A diagnosis may prove to be time-limited or chronic. Just as with a physical diagnosis, a mental diagnosis allows for consensus in treatment and follow-through. Knowing what is going on can be stabilizing and create a path to follow. As with anything however, it can be used to create labeling and stigma. At the Mental Health Network, we affirm that an individual’s diagnosis is private, it is their right to keep it private. If shared of their own volition, it is to be respected and treated in the way the individual would want when they opted to disclose it.
There are approximately 300 possible diagnoses. Examples are Major Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse, and Borderline Disorder. These have specific criteria, and are not the same as feeling depressed, being anxious, using a substance, or having a needy personality, though these may also be part of a diagnosis.
Symptoms
These are inner or outer manifestations of a mental occurrence. Just as a fever or pain is a symptom of a physical ailment, psychological or behavioral symptoms can demonstrate a need for help and treatment. Laughing, singing, smiling can be symptoms of happiness, just as crying, frowning, whining can be symptoms of distress. Common symptoms that often signal a need for intervention are sleep or appetite changes, mood changes, difficulty functioning. All of this is part of being human and does not signify lack. It may, according to the self-report of the person displaying the symptoms, signify a need to come alongside and offer companionship, help, intervention.