3 ms·
It is common, but still feels out of place for a psychiatric disorder. 'Understanding', or 'treating' seem like better choices. Like you wouldn't say 'we pledge
by Eddy_Viscosity2 4y ago
It is common, but still feels out of place for a psychiatric disorder. 'Understanding', or 'treating' seem like better choices. Like you wouldn't say 'we pledge to fight down's syndrome' - it doesn't work.
- yamtaddle 4y ago> It is common, but still feels out of place for a psychiatric disorder. Probably a result of there being a couple conflicting ways of looking at them: there's the "it's part of who you are (or I am)" perspective—so, an identity thing—and the "psychiatric diseases are just diseases like any other (so shouldn't be stigmatized any more than a broken arm would be)" perspective. Adhering to the latter, this kind of phrasing is exactly what's desired—writing about psychiatric diseases the same way we'd write about any other disease. Favoring the former, it could come off as insulting.
- tdeck 4y agoI think this language started because healthcare advocacy organizations are trying to draft in the wake of military propaganda. Many governments of countries with active militaries (e.g. the US) spend a lot of money convincing the populace that fighting wars on the government's behalf is a great thing. Why not try to recapture that free advertising for a war on poverty, a war on drugs, or a war on cancer? IMO it's not a particularly healthy analogy but it's what we're steeped in.