Month: May 2015

How Do You Diagnose a Mental Illness?

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I’m often asked a lot of questions about how mental illnesses are diagnosed. What’s the diagnostic process? How is a specific diagnosis determined? Are diagnoses helpful or harmful? Let’s try to address some of these frequently asked questions now. How are mental illnesses diagnosed? The word diagnosis is defined in two different ways. It not only means “the act of identifying a disease, illness, or problem by examining someone” but it also refers to “a statement or conclusion that describes …

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Ten Guidelines for How to Talk About Mental Health

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I was giving a lecture to a group of college students and I described how to show respect toward people with mental health concerns by using appropriate language. As one example, I noted it’s better to say “John has schizophrenia” instead of “John is schizophrenic.” I explained how “John has schizophrenia” puts the emphasis on the person, not his illness, while “John is schizophrenic” equates the person with their illness and perpetuates negative labels and stereotypes about having a mental …

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A Dozen Ways You Can Support Someone in Recovery

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If you’re a friend or a family member of someone in recovery from mental illness or substance misuse, a common question you may ask is, “What should I do to support my friend or loved one with their recovery?” You want to be helpful and supportive, but you may feel at a loss as to what specific things you can do to be of assistance. There are many ways to be supportive if you care about someone in recovery. Here …

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Stop Discrimination Toward People with Mental Illness

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In a recent post, I discussed “5 Simple Steps to Reduce Stigma About Mental Illness.” In case you missed it, the 5 steps were: 1) Don’t label people who have a mental illness. Use ‘person-first’ language. For example, say “she has schizophrenia” instead of “she’s a schizophrenic.” 2) Don’t be afraid of people with mental illness. Despite inaccurate media stereotypes, people with mental illness aren’t scary or prone to violence. 3) Don’t use disrespectful terms for people with mental illness. …

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