Talking about being "a little O.C.D." can enhance empathy with those with genuine illnesses.
 | By Alexandra Sifferlin Senior Staff Editor, Opinion |
The language of diagnosis has thoroughly suffused everyday life. When people say they're "addicted" to their phones or "a little O.C.D.," there's general recognition of what they mean, even if they're not following specific diagnostic criteria. |
The question Maia Szalavitz, a Times Opinion contributing writer, writes about this week is how she, someone who struggled with heroin addiction and is on the autism spectrum, feels about this creep of clinical terminology into casual conversation. |
While some say this kind of language can be diminishing and only evokes stereotypes and stigma, Szalavitz argues in her guest essay that such language is not inherently harmful. "Recognizing that neurodiversity exists among people who don't meet diagnostic criteria helps humanize those of us who do," she writes. "After all, if our experiences are completely distinct from the lives of others, doesn't that make it harder to empathize with us? If our feelings and sensations are totally alien and unlike those of neurotypical people, isn't that the definition of dehumanization?" |
She shares insight from a friend that has stuck with her: the idea that when people casually identify themselves with those who have disorders, it's "a sign of how those once viewed as outsiders have affected those at the supposed center, not only transforming what is possible for some, but also what so-called normal means for many." If people understand what the words they're using really mean, then, she argues, there's opportunity for compassion. |
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