Choose Your Words Wisely

As with most things, it begins with small steps. These can include being mindful of  things we say casually.

The constant description of others as “crazy”, “gila”, “siao” or “psychotic” tend to imbue these words with negative stereotyping and often result in social distancing. A study published in 2017 revealed that among Singaporean youth, 44.5% of the respondents associated pejorative words and phrases with mental illness (Pang et. al, 2017).

Another example is making statements such as “I was so embarrassed, I wanted to kill myself” which could be triggering for those battling with depression if overheard unintentionally.

Avoid Defining People by Their Experiences

Language plays an important part in both stigmatising and destigmatising mental illness. Next time, instead of saying “she’s depressed”, try “she felt down” or “she had a depressive episode”. 

This separates the illness from the individual, reminding them that they are bigger than their emotions or mental state.

Be More Accepting

Acceptance also plays a huge role in removing prejudices. One way to show acceptance is to emotionally validate our peers or loved ones when they come to us with problems. 

Invalidation occurs when we tell other people to “not think about it anymore” or to “not be sad”.

By normalising sadness and anxiety, people will feel more understood and accepted. For example, instead of saying “don’t think about it”, try saying “it’s normal to feel anxious about having to present!” 

This would encourage them to talk about their feelings, which would lead to improved mental well-being as they are better able to cope.