At Birch Tree Communities, Inc., we believe that words matter. Quite possibly the greatest lie ever told in our society is “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Words matter. Words hurt, but they can also heal. Words have extraordinary powers to both uplift and destroy depending on how you choose to use them. There are so many things that we say in our everyday vernacular that could be hurtful, and we want to bring some of this into the open and have discussions. That’s how we make positive change. Right?
Let’s talk about the word ‘crazy’ for a minute. I’d be willing to bet that almost every one of us use that word; probably pretty frequently. “That’s crazy!” “This world is crazy.” “That noise is driving me crazy.” “You’re going to think I’m crazy when I tell you this.” “I’m crazy about you.” “What a crazy idea.” “I’m going crazy sitting in this traffic.” “The weather is crazy.” And so on and so on. Typically, we don’t think about it when we say it. We don’t mean anything necessarily derogatory by it. It’s just part of our vocabulary.
However, sadly, the word is also used to describe our fellow man/woman at times. This is where we plead with you to be mindful and…just plain decent. Don’t refer to your local mental health center or psych hospital as a “crazy house.” Please don’t point out that “crazy person” at your local store or on the corner. Don’t talk about how that person over there is acting “crazy.” Please. Just don’t! Words like this are so hurtful and it does nothing but lead to more stigma.
Take the last example from above- “This weather is crazy.” We’ve also heard, jokingly, “the weather is schizophrenic.” Now be honest. What exactly do you mean when you say that? What you mean is the weather is erratic, unpredictable, “crazy,” etc. Why don’t we just say, “The weather is unpredictable.”?
Now let’s talk about the word ‘retarded’ for a minute. This is one that we have absolutely got to take out of our collective dictionary…for good! It is a hurtful term that, unfortunately, remains prevalent throughout social media. Research shows that when social media users are posting about people with intellectual disabilities, 7 in every 10 of those posts are negative, and 6 in 10 contain a negative and hurtful slur. The R-word is a form of hate speech that stands for “retard,” “retarded,” or other terribly offensive words ending in “-tard.”
The term “mental retardation” was originally introduced as a medical term in the early 60s for people with intellectual disabilities. However, in the decades since, the R-word has become an insult used all too commonly in everyday language. Those who use the R-word often do so with little regard for the pain it causes people with intellectual disabilities; and the exclusion and stigma it perpetuates in our society.
We realize that everyone that uses the R-word is not always making fun of a person with an intellectual disability any more than a person who says “This weather is ‘crazy’” is not necessarily making fun of a person with a mental illness, BUT…again…it perpetuates the stigma surrounding certain groups of people. No one ever asked to be cognitively impaired, so why would we ever want to use a word that identifies their struggle?!
What’s the solution? Be mindful. Be decent. Be kind and stop using the R-word. Just don’t say it. Don’t say, “Dude. That movie was retarded.” What are you actually saying when you say that and what are you comparing that movie to? Expand your vocabulary and find and use words that aren’t terribly offensive to people.
‘Schizophrenic’ is another one. Why would you identify someone by their diagnosis? Would you go to Carti and refer to someone as a ‘cancer?’ OF COURSE NOT! Please don’t call someone a ‘schizophrenic.’ Please don’t refer to the weather as ‘schizophrenic.’ When you do this, you’re singling out a diagnosis that someone struggles with and making it derogatory.
The same goes for ‘bipolar.’ Please don’t say things like, “They’re acting so bipolar.” It’s all about just being decent and sensitive. We don’t refer to “physical health” diagnoses as derogatory, but we treat mental health so much differently.
We have to do better at feeling and showing empathy to others. We’re not trying to lecture you here. Just a friendly reminder that WORDS MATTER. What we say or DON’T SAY makes us #BirchTreeStrong!
