Re: Crazy. I understand why people use this word for a variety of situations, people, etc. However, podcasters, journalists, everyone who believes supporting mental health: Please reconsider your casual use of words like crazy, insane, nuts, and bananas. When we use words like that, we are muddying the waters and frustrating our own goals.

I want to be supportive of people who are dealing with neurodivergence and mental health challenges. I believe most of us want to include people with all kinds of mental health related behaviors in a safer world where we respect each other’s differences. To build this better world, I recommend we use mental illness diagnoses for certain discussions, for example: between doctors and patients, between parents and teachers, etc.

When someone describes a situation as “crazy,” I usually assume that they mean it is chaotic or inexplicable or unpredictable. When someone describes someone else as “insane,” I think they usually mean illogical or unethical or dangerous. These descriptions have crept into our understanding of mental illness by letting us casually diagnose things or people as crazy or insane. Casual usage of these negative labels colors the way everyone thinks about people with mental illnesses.

I know they are “just words,” but — if they really are “just words,” then it won’t be too tough for us to make a few changes to make the world a tiny bit better. People use words like “crazy” or “insane” to describe something unpredictable, illogical, shocking, disturbing, out-of-the-ordinary, and more. Using words like “crazy” to mean all of these negative things does not contribute to a more inclusive, diverse, respectful society