Why are we undermining mental health in normal conversation?

" You're so OCD", " Are you bipolar?", " I'm feeling so depressed"

These above are just a few examples of how we, supposedly an advanced generation in terms of ideals, make a complete mockery of mental health in casual conversation.

OCD ie Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an extremely straining and mentally grave disorder, which has been reduced to simply an adjective for organised and meticulous individuals. Bipolar disorder is another mental illness, characterised by severe mood variations having a biological basis. However, to address a moody neighbour, or a partner who switches from being serious to casual, the usage of this word is *not* acceptable. And if there is someone near who experiences extreme mood changes, it's our responsibility to help them, not mock them. The common usage of the word "depressed" is extremely disheartening too. The momentary sadness after certain incidents cannot be labelled as depression, which is a much more serious issue so many have to deal with.

The good news is, that mental health is being given importance today. People are coming up to tell their struggles with such illnesses, and they are being looked with admiration by those who still lurk in the shadows. The bad news, however, is how it's emergence has almost made a serious topic into a " trendy " one, with one company also using "Obsessive Compulsive" as part of the name of a brand. When there is already so much stigma of having a mental disorder, such attributions of common traits being made synonymous to diseases is not okay, and when talking about mental health as a sensitive issue, why not understand it's sensitivity in normal conversation too?

During these 6 months where most of us have been confined to the four walls of our homes, mental health issues have soared. Anxiety, loneliness, depression - The COVID - 19 Pandemic has not only caused physical distress but taken a toll on mental health too. So if we choose to trivialize mental health issues by using them to describe personality quirks, how difficult would it become to actually identify those in need of help? If the people around a person in need laugh about a condition affecting him/her, wouldn't he/ she be compelled to sink deeper into the problem? It's important to remember how dangerous these can be, and it may be the final trigger for a suicidal person to take the extreme measure.

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Writer: Mannat Kandal

#mentalhealth