Are mental health labels used too much to describe everyday behaviours?

Some people often use mental health terms to describe daily behaviour. You can hear conversations or see them on the internet where people say I am so OCD about cleaning… OCD is far more than putting books or DVDs in alphabetical order,  cleaning enthusiastically or organising clothes by colour. It can be debilitating because of intrusive thoughts and compulsive rituals which make it hard for people to leave the house or have a paid job.

One day in my bookshop a woman said to me she was having a bipolar moment as she was going to buy three books! I have had people say they wished they had bipolar as they would be so creative and get away with bad behaviour. I tell people I must be the only person with bipolar who is not creative but just messy!! I also have paid the price for poor choices.

I noticed in the last few years many people are called narcissistic if they seem self-absorbed. People often say I am so depressed my sporting team lost or I feel depressed I did not win the lottery. Depression is a major disorder rather than feeling disappointed or sad. ADHD is often described in a light-hearted way as being distracted or a bit away with the fairies. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder involving inattention and impulsivity.

Some people say it is not about the word police stopping all humour but rather realising that our words shape understanding. When we simplify OCD or depression or any other illness, we may create a society where people feel shamed and not understood. When people understand what the name OCD really means there is a chance of empathy. Understanding is the foundation of a more compassionate educated world. I am someone who has lived with the label of manic depression and then bipolar for over 50 years. I have found learning to laugh at myself helps me to cope. I also use people’s comments that show a lack of knowledge about mental health is a time to use humour or to teach people how to cope.

Do you think people need to be educated that OCD is not just putting things in order and ADHD is not just being distracted? What do you do if someone says something about a mental health issue that shows lack of information? Is there always a place for humour?

Leah 

A Moodscope member