Stigma and Mental Health

Language is extemely powerful. The language that is used to describe mental health is important. I think that sometimes people forget that. I recently participated in an online discussion about whether stigma attached to mental health issues is more damaging than mental health diagnosis. One particpant, another mental health professional suggested that labels themselves do not do the damage, it is the meanings that we attach to these labels that causes damage. My question is, do words function independently of meaning? For example, is the term addict or personality disorder simply a neutral word? While I understand the author's notion that positive meaning could be attached to these terms just as much as negative ones this ignores the fact that there are meanings already attached to these words. Further, this ignores that fact that in medicine a client is often identified by their label, their mental health diagnosis.

Since the beginning of my nursing career I have worked with many health care professionals that really take labels like borderline personality disorder and use it to create their perception of a client. Numerous times I have heard the term "she's a PD" or "he's an addict". The client is seen as a their issue. I have seen this negatively impact care. When I was new to mental health nursing these words of my colleagues influenced how I saw clients and how I was taught to deliver care.

I think that as a registered nurse it is my responsibility to choose my words carefully and also challenge those of my coworkers. Yes, this is often difficult, especially when my coworkers has 20 years of mental health nusring experience compared to my 5. However, perhaps I can view this as an opportunity for facilitating education and growth in the workplace rather than some sort of burden to appraoch with fear and anxiety.

Peace and Love,

Michelle D.