The Rise of "Therapy Speak"
Dr. Suraji Wagage was recently quoted in Harper’s Bazaar regarding mental health-related words that have entered our everyday lexicon. What is “therapy speak,” why does it matter, and what are some costs and benefits of its use? Read on to learn more.
Psychology Terms that have become Commonly Used
There has been a pronounced recent increase in “therapy speak,” or mental health-related terms, in mainstream discourse, including terms like PTSD, OCD, boundaries, abuse, gaslighting, narcissism, depression, ADD/ADHD, toxicity, codependency, triggers, catastrophizing, rumination, safe space, honoring needs or feelings, holding space, attachment style, and love languages, among others. In workplaces specifically (in addition to everyday life), we’ve encountered a lot of relatively new language around self-care, mindfulness, coping skills, boundaries, burnout, and imposter syndrome.
Cultural Events and Phenomena that have Given Rise to Increased “Therapy Speak”
There has been a distinct generational shift in which younger generations (Gen Z’ers most pronouncedly but also millennials) are a lot more conversant in and comfortable with discussing mental health topics openly, and admitting to struggling with mental health without shame, which can lead to the use of “therapy speak.”
There are undoubtedly numerous explanatory factors. One may be the exponential increase in the accessibility of information: anyone can learn about any number of mental health issues in seconds on the Internet that once would have required a trip to the library, and research on mental health topics has advanced tremendously.
Another might be the confessional nature of social media and blogging, which have centered our interior lives and made the everyday thoughts and emotions of ordinary people worthy of publication, at least to our audiences of friends, family, and acquaintances.
Yet another might be the increasing prevalence of psychiatric concerns in the general population, and events with widespread major mental health consequences like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Costs and benefits of the Mainstreaming of “therapy Speak”
One potential benefit of “therapy speak” in everyday conversation is that it can normalize and destigmatize mental health concerns. As a society, we’ve always struggled with the fact that mental health issues have been treated as a shameful defect rather than a feature of human experience.
Many people suffer in silence for years before even seeking therapy, let alone speaking openly about their experiences. If speaking forthrightly about mental health issues and increasing visibility can make people feel less alone or inspire someone to reach out for help, then that is a big benefit. There has also been an increase in employer attentiveness to mental health issues, perhaps because people have been speaking up more, including webinars about mindfulness, self-care, and other topics and better employee assistance programs and mental health benefits.
One downside is that the more these terms are used by non-psychologists, the more they can be used incorrectly and spread inaccurate information. The work of diagnosing and treating people with OCD, PTSD, depression, and other disorders is (and has been) harder when those clients come into therapy with only inaccurate, sometimes insulting, stereotypes about what they mean. Inaccurate information can also increase shame about having a mental health disorder, which can impede seeking treatment.
More people are self-diagnosing or dubiously self-treating using unreliable sources of information like social media. Using these terms incorrectly can also trivialize serious issues such as gaslighting or trauma and make them harder for people to recognize. One issue with the use or overuse of these terms in the workplace is that employers may use them to pay lip service to mental health or appear to be concerned about these issues while not actually doing anything to support employees or, worse yet, to provide “cover” while actually having mental-health-unfriendly or burnout-inducing policies in place in practice.
How to Use this Terminology Without Using it Harmfully
The best approach is to educate ourselves so that we know what these terms mean when we use them and use them thoughtfully and considerately. If the person you’re speaking with has OCD and you didn’t know it, would you still say you were being “so OCD” about this project? Does your use of these terms reduce stigma or increase shame and isolation? Assume that everyone has their own struggles that you may not know anything about.