this may seem like an odd question?

Question

do others who suffer from mental disorders dislike being refered to as ,sick or mentaly ill. this bothers me
what do you prefer as an alternative to such terms

Answer 1

Often mental illness could be referred to as a disease. Bipolar, schizophrenia. It's not a choice. Nor is it catchy.

Answer 2

i agree with rlindsey0065. 'mental illness isn't a choice it's a disease'...this question isn't odd at all, i was wondering the same thing.
i suffer from major depression and many people still have their misconceptions about this 'disease'. some people (my mom for example) think you can control it on your own. just like any other 'diseases', 'mental illness' are real. they're not "made up" or a sign of a character flaw. and usually when i hear the term, "mentally ill", i sometimes think about being locked up in a psychiatric ward with a strait jacket...so i don't like to be called "mentally ill" either. we just have a 'disease'. just like the people with high blood pressure have a 'disease'. so whenever i have to tell others what's bothering me, i just say, "i have major depression."...not..."i have a mental illness"....lol...i hope i answered your question right....so as an alternative, just say, "i have a disease". not, "i'm sick" or "i'm mentally ill."

Answer 3

As a person who suffers from bipolar disorder, its often times a very personal choice. Many therapists will tell you that if you had cancer you wouldn't be a "Cancer person", so why would you allow something to call you a "mentally ill person". Therapists will often tell you that you are a person first, and suffer from a illness second. Therefore, you'd say "I have bipolar." just as you would say "I have cancer."
Mental illness isn't a choice it's a disease. The sooner people realize this and act so, the sooner we will break down the stigmas of mental illness.

Answer 4

As a person who does not suffer from any psychological disorders, I don't support any renaming of a condition to make it more palatable to an ever growing group of people with psychological disorders. Criminals aren't 'authority challenged'. Rather than sugar coat the issue by renaming it, let's tackle it head on and find out why more and more people are getting sicker and sicker in an age when we are making more and more advances in the field of physical and mental health.

Answer 5

I suffer from long-term depression and anxiety. These are mental disorders. High blood pressure or the hives is a physical disorder. Same idea. There is a stigma to having a mental disorder. But it is what it is... a disorder mental or physical.

Answer 6

Denial is the key word, my friend. Some people don't want to believe they may die, so the want to be treated like a normal person, like nothing's wrong with them. That way, they think they could just live a happy, normal life and not be counted out due to mental disorders like amnesia. They think that if they don't think about death, it won't happen to them or those they love. I repect that, but sooner or later the truth will fall apon them someday, and they will never lead a regular life with that truth weighing them down for as long as they live.

Answer 7

My son has adhd and he is going through the same thing right now I just keep telling him that he is not sick he is a great person and not to listen to people who do not know what they are talking about.

Answer 8

the reason ppl say those things is because that is exaclty what it is... your are sick in your head. your mind is offbalance and not functioning correctly thus the alternate terms...

Answer 9

how about in recovery? but i agree with the others your a person first