Mental Health Phrases to Avoid in Clinical Practice

Mental Health Phrases We Should Stop Using (and What to Say Instead)
Language is powerful. It reflects how we think—and shapes how others are treated. Nowhere is this more evident than in mental health. For decades, stigma around psychiatric illness was reinforced not just by policy or silence, but by the casual phrases people used every day. Even in clinical environments, outdated terminology can slip into charts, break room jokes, and offhand remarks.

Doctors, medical students, nurses, and all healthcare professionals carry an immense responsibility—not only to diagnose and treat mental illness, but to use language that respects, empowers, and accurately represents the people we care for.

This article explores the most common problematic mental health phrases still used in both public and clinical spaces. More importantly, it offers alternatives—language that reflects modern understanding, promotes dignity, and fosters healing rather than shame.

Why Language Matters in Mental Health
Mental illness is often invisible. It doesn't show up on an X-ray or lab panel. Its symptoms are felt, lived, and spoken. That means how we talk about mental health can either validate or marginalize the people experiencing it.

Harmful language can:

• Reinforce stigma
  
  
• Discourage people from seeking help
  
  
• Misrepresent psychiatric conditions
  
  
• Dehumanize or reduce people to their diagnosis
  
  
• Create barriers between patients and providers
  

When healthcare professionals use outdated or insensitive terms—intentionally or not—it signals that mental health is still “less than” physical health. That undermines care and trust.

Problematic Mental Health Phrases and What to Say Instead
Let’s examine the phrases that should be retired, along with context, explanations, and more appropriate alternatives.

1. “Committed Suicide”
Why it’s problematic: The word “committed” is historically tied to crime or sin—committed murder, committed a crime. Using it implies moral wrongdoing, criminality, or shame. Suicide is a tragedy, not a crime.

What to say instead:

• “Died by suicide”
  
  
• “Took their own life”
  
  
• “Lost to suicide”
  

Why it matters: Shifting this phrase reduces stigma and allows for grief, compassion, and understanding.

2. “Addict / Junkie”
Why it’s problematic: These labels define a person by their condition and carry judgment. They evoke stereotypes of criminality, moral failure, and worthlessness.

What to say instead:

• “Person with a substance use disorder”
  
  
• “Person in recovery”
  
  
• “Individual struggling with addiction”
  

Why it matters: Person-first language centers the individual, not the disease.

3. “Crazy / Nuts / Psycho”
Why it’s problematic: These are dismissive, dehumanizing slurs that trivialize suffering. They turn illness into entertainment or insult.

What to say instead:

• “Experiencing a mental health crisis”
  
  
• “Struggling with psychosis”
  
  
• “Managing a mental health condition”
  

Why it matters: Precision and respect show up in the words we choose.

4. “OCD” as a synonym for neat or controlling
Why it’s problematic: Saying “I’m so OCD about my closet” minimizes the actual condition, which involves obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that are distressing—not helpful.

What to say instead:

• “I like things orderly”
  
  
• “I’m detail-oriented”
  

Why it matters: Misusing diagnostic terms contributes to misunderstanding and invalidates real experiences.

5. “Schizo” or “Bipolar” as personality descriptors
Why it’s problematic: Reducing a person to a diagnosis, or using it as shorthand for “moody” or “erratic,” misrepresents serious illnesses.

What to say instead:

• “That person has schizophrenia”
  
  
• “They have a bipolar diagnosis”
  

Avoid using these words in metaphors or jokes.

6. “They’re just doing it for attention”
Why it’s problematic: This phrase dismisses people expressing distress, especially those who self-harm or talk about suicidal thoughts. Even if attention is part of the behavior, it often signals unmet emotional needs.

What to say instead:

• “They’re trying to express something painful”
  
  
• “They may be reaching out in the only way they know how”
  

Why it matters: Empathy helps. Dismissiveness harms.

7. “Mentally ill person” instead of “person with mental illness”
Why it’s problematic: Label-first language defines the person by their illness.

What to say instead:

• “Person living with depression”
  
  
• “Person experiencing schizophrenia”
  

Why it matters: Respectful language emphasizes humanity over diagnosis.

8. “Failed suicide attempt”
Why it’s problematic: The word “failed” implies that success would mean death. It inadvertently glorifies suicide and frames survival as a failure.

What to say instead:

• “Survived a suicide attempt”
  
  
• “Lived through a suicide crisis”
  

Why it matters: Survivors need support, not shame.

9. “Borderline” used as an insult
Why it’s problematic: “Borderline” (short for borderline personality disorder) is often used in clinical gossip to describe a patient as manipulative or difficult. This stigmatizes a complex condition rooted in trauma and emotional dysregulation.

What to say instead:

• “This person has a history of unstable relationships and emotional pain”
  
  
• “Let’s consider the root causes of this behavior”
  

Why it matters: Compassion should never be conditional.

10. “That’s so depressing” / “I’m feeling bipolar today”
Why it’s problematic: Using diagnostic terms as slang trivializes disorders that can be life-threatening or disabling.

What to say instead:

• “That’s unfortunate”
  
  
• “I’m feeling up and down today—but not in a clinical way”
  

Why it matters: Clarity and sensitivity can coexist with everyday expression.

Words in Charts, Words in Halls
It’s not just what we say to patients—it’s what we say to each other. In the chart, in sign-outs, in the breakroom, careless language travels quickly.

Examples:

• “Frequent flyer” → Try “a patient with complex needs”
  
  
• “Difficult psych patient” → Try “patient in distress”
  
  
• “Non-compliant” → Try “patient struggling with adherence” or “barriers to adherence noted”
  

These subtle shifts communicate respect, context, and a more collaborative tone.

Medical Education: Where Language Is Formed
Medical school and residency are where language habits form. Without guidance, trainees may pick up problematic phrases from peers or mentors. Instead, institutions should:

• Include language reflection sessions in ethics or psychiatry rotations
  
  
• Train supervisors to give feedback on stigmatizing language
  
  
• Encourage students to use person-first documentation
  
  
• Reward precise, respectful language in assessments and OSCEs
  

The earlier we intervene in language habits, the more lasting the cultural shift becomes.

Cultural Sensitivity and Mental Health Language
Language is shaped by culture. In some communities, mental illness is framed differently—through spiritual, moral, or familial lenses. A Western psychiatric label may not resonate, or may even be harmful.

Doctors should ask:

• “How do you understand what you’re going through?”
  
  
• “Are there words you prefer to describe this experience?”
  

Collaborating with interpreters, cultural liaisons, or community leaders can enhance communication and trust.

Can Language Alone Fix Stigma?
No—but it’s a crucial step.

Changing language:

• Signals empathy
  
  
• Creates safer spaces for disclosure
  
  
• Encourages policy change
  
  
• Reminds professionals to lead with respect
  

It’s not about being politically correct. It’s about being clinically effective and humanely accurate.

Final Thought: Speak as if Someone’s Life Depends on It—Because It Might
When a person struggling with mental illness walks into a clinic, what they hear matters just as much as what they’re prescribed. Words can validate or violate. They can heal or harm.

For mental health care to be truly patient-centered, we must do more than offer services—we must offer dignity in every sentence.

Start by changing how you speak. The impact goes further than you think.