The word ‘crazy’ has been thrown around in casual everyday speech, with not many people thinking twice about its meaning and potential implications. However, if one is to consider the world from the perspective of mental health, some issues come into play. Calling someone or something ‘crazy’ is likely to perpetuate the stigma associated with the psychological well-being of individuals who struggle with it (Rössler, 2016). Specifically, one of the most widespread stereotypes around mental health and substance use disorder is the idea that the individuals failed morally (Coon & Mitterer, 2013). Thus, it is expected that people with mental health challenges can just ‘get over them and live a healthy and balanced life. The idea of mental illness is continuously being perpetuated by the word ‘crazy’ because individuals diagnosed with the illnesses are seen as divorced from reality, irrational, or unable to decide for themselves.
I know a person with a psychological disorder, and I have seen the toll it takes on them, they want nothing else than to recover and live normally, but it is easier said than done. Getting better requires significant mental work and sometimes medication, and I would never expect an individual with mental issues to ignore their health issues and move on with their life (Ewing, 2018). The ‘worst’ disorder, in my opinion, is bipolar disorder because of the complexity of its management. There are extreme highs and lows in the mood and behavior of individuals, and the implications of the drastic difference between them are tremendous (Maassen et al., 2018). Therefore, mental health is complex and multi-dimensional, and the general public must acknowledge the challenges that come with it instead of stigmatizing it.
References
Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. (2013). Psychology: A journey (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Ewing, R. (2018). “That’s crazy”: Why you might want to rethink that word in your vocabulary.
Maassen, E.F., Regeer, B.J., Regeer, E.J., Bunders, J. F., & Kupka, R. W. (2018). The challenges of living with bipolar disorder: a qualitative study of the implications for health care and research. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 6, 23.
Rössler W. (2016). The stigma of mental disorders: A millennia-long history of social exclusion and prejudices. EMBO Reports, 17(9), 1250-1253.