The Power of Language: Shaping Mental Health Conversations

This podcast is created on the unceded territory of Treaty 8 and Métis District 13, lands that have been occupied, travelled and cared for by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial. As an organization, we recognize the past wrongdoings and systemic inequities faced by our Indigenous populations. We are committed to uplifting Indigenous voices, respecting traditional lands, and working together towards reconciliation and healing.

Imagine a world where every word spoken to and about us affirms our humanity, respects our individuality and acknowledges our unique experiences. Hi, I'm your host, Cara Jones, and this is the Starting Conversations podcast, where we will explore topics around mental health, education, and suicide prevention.

The Starting Conversations podcast is an initiative of the Resource Centre for Suicide Prevention and is located in northern Alberta with offices in Grand Prairie and Grimshaw. It's our vision to promote mental well-being, raise awareness, eliminate stigma, and provide educational resources to reduce suicide, suicide behaviours, and their impacts.

When we use language, it can either empower or stigmatize. Person-centred language shifts the focus from labels and diagnosis to the person's lived experience, promoting a more compassionate and inclusive approach to mental health care. In today's episode, I'm speaking with Tammy Monro, Public Education and Outreach Director at the Resource Center for Suicide Prevention in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Tammy gives us a little insight into the differences between person-centered and identity-centered language. We discuss the importance of mindful language in mental health, the impact of stigmatizing words, and the evolving terminology around suicide. Join us as we delve into how changing our language can create a more supportive environment for everyone.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
This podcast is created on the unceded territory of Treaty 8 and Métis District
13, lands that have been occupied, traveled, and cared for by Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.
As an organization, we recognize the past wrongdoings and systemic inequities
faced by our Indigenous populations.

(00:20):
We are committed to uplifting Indigenous voices, respecting traditional lands,
and working together towards reconciliation and healing.
Imagine a world where every word spoken to and about us affirms our humanity,
respects our individuality, and acknowledges our unique experiences.

(00:43):
Hi, I'm your host, Cara Jones, and this is the Starting Conversations podcast,
where we will explore topics around mental health, education,
and suicide prevention.
The Starting Conversations podcast is an initiative of the Resource Centre for
Suicide prevention and is located in northern Alberta with offices in Grand Prairie and Grimshaw.

(01:04):
It's our vision to promote mental well-being, raise awareness,
eliminate stigma, and provide educational resources to reduce suicide,
suicide behaviors, and their impacts.
When we use language, it can either empower or stigmatize.
Person-centered language shifts the focus from From labels and diagnosis to

(01:25):
the person's lived experience, promoting a more compassionate and inclusive
approach to mental health care.
In today's episode, I'm speaking with Tammy Munro, Public Education and Outreach
Director here at the Resource Center for Suicide Prevention in Grand Prairie, Alberta.
Tammy gives us a little insight on the differences between person-centered and
identity-centered language.

(01:49):
Tammy, why is it important that we talk about language when it comes to mental health and wellness?
Language is very important in all aspects of what we do as humans and in society.
Language is how we describe things. It's how we identify ourselves.
It's how we, I guess, grow as a society.
One of the big things about language is it can be used as a tool for good,

(02:11):
but it also can be used as a tool for bad.
It could be used to create fear and distrust and create that stigma that we
see a lot in the mental health community and people who experience mental health
concerns or mental illnesses.
It could look like using language to minimize somebody.
It could look like a lot of different things. Some examples might look like when you say,

(02:33):
oh, that's crazy, because what we're doing is we're normalizing that somebody
who's experiencing something difficult is just a normal thing and using it as
a way or an excuse, really.
A lot of examples might look like normalizing quirky behaviors as, say, OCD.
I like things straight. I'm so OCD. When in actuality, a person who's experiencing

(02:55):
OCD has debilitating symptoms.
It's not just a quirk. Or you might see that with ADHD or autism,
anxiety. That's another big one, or depression.
There is a big difference between an actual diagnosed mental illness and the
symptoms that we experience every day as humans.
So when we normalize it, we're minimizing the experience of those people who

(03:18):
live with those conditions and almost making it seem like it's not so bad for
them when it actually is.
And it can create a dangerous situation and really create that stigma.
So it's really important that we're mindful of our language and picking the
words that we use very carefully, depending on who we're talking to.
A lot of people these days say things like, well, everyone's just so sensitive.

(03:41):
But how can we combat that in a way that makes them understand it is important,
like you're saying, that it does affect people?
I think it's important to remember that everybody experiences things differently.
And so when you're having a bad day, you experience it a certain way.
But when somebody is experiencing depression, it's something that actually robs
them of their motivation, of their energy.

(04:01):
So it's different than just being sad or having a bad day.
And if we minimize it and normalize it as if it's all the same,
we're not recognizing the experiences of people who are actually having a difficult time.
And we're making it very difficult for them to reach out for help because we're
less likely to give help if we think that it's just a little thing or an everyday
thing. The language around talking about suicide has really changed.

(04:24):
Can you talk a little bit about some of the language that has changed around
that subject in particular?
One of the biggest changes happened in the 70s here in Canada.
So suicide used to be considered a crime, so we would say committed suicide.
However, it is no longer a crime and it has not been since the 70s.
So we are trying to change that to give it less of that negative or criminal

(04:47):
connotation, because we do know that that creates a lot of stigma and creates
barriers for people reaching out for support.
So one of the biggest changes is we will say things that are neutral, like died by suicide.
Some of the other things that are changing is we want to make sure that we're
being very neutral. We're not glamorizing it.
So we don't say successful suicide because we recognize that if somebody was

(05:08):
successful in suicide, they have lost their life. And that isn't something successful.
Similarly, when we say failed suicide attempt.
We should be celebrating that. That person is still alive. So we try to avoid language like that.
And instead we replace it with died by suicide, attempted suicide,
just straight attempted.
We don't need to add failed or successful. And then the other piece is we can use suicide as a verb.

(05:33):
So we might say somebody's suicided. So those are some of the changes in the
language that we're seeing.
Can you tell me a little bit about person first and identity first?
So typically we use identity first language when we're talking about people.
So we might say an autistic person or a deaf person or a schizophrenic person.
And what we're doing there is we're creating an identity for that person where

(05:56):
they are labeled as what their condition is.
It doesn't recognize that they are a person first and foremost. most.
So instead, we suggest that people use language like a person who lives with
schizophrenia or a person who lives with autism, a person who lives with depression,
because we recognize that they are a person first, and there's so much more
to them than just their diagnosis.

(06:17):
The only caveat I say to this one is we need to be respectful.
There are people out there who do identify as their illness,
and they prefer identity-first language, so you can respect that when they ask you to.
But if you're unsure, always resort to person-first language.
Are there any other examples you can think of off the top of your head where
you've seen this play out?

(06:38):
Yeah, we do it with medical conditions as well. So we might refer to somebody
as diabetic or, well, we don't really refer to people as cancer.
It's true. That's a different example, but a good rule of thumb is using that
cancer or using heart attack. Would you say they committed a heart attack?
No, you would say they died by a heart attack or they experienced a heart attack,

(06:59):
it can be very similar with mental illness.
And just using that as kind of that check and balance of whether or not you
should say something in person first or...
Music.