Hello everyone my name is Sharon. I am trying to bounce an idea off of our community as a solution to the stigmas we all face. Why can’t we just change the term “Mental Illness?” Maybe something starting with Cerebral or Brain ____. 

 I say this because the brain is an organ and it is physical. No matter what our diagnosis it’s our brain that has something. For example, Shortness of Breath for someone who has cardiac issue or lung disorders is viewed different than the same shortness of breath due to some form of an anxiety attack or similar. Why? It’s a physical reaction due to a physical organ. Imagine if a lung condition was labeled they don’t know how to breath right or they don’t know how to control their heart such a shame (making open closed fist gestures like people do when they turn their finger around there head) or they don’t let there kidney’s function properly…I honestly feel it’s the wording that gives us the stigma and it’s time to make that change. It has already been done with STD now being called STI. I don’t see why we can’t have the same change. If you agree with me on this being a sickness due to a physical organ our brain and don’t want to be called mentally ill anymore, please all hands in lets make the change starting with writing an email to our advocates on this website. Get rid of the stigma once and for all. It’s not our fault we are sick just like it’s not anyone else’s fault. I think it’s time the phrase or choice of reference is tossed!