ब्लॉग

You do not need perfect terminology to talk about mental health. Here is how respectful language and open questions make a first conversation easier.

Changing the conversation

Comedians, writers and storytellers have done a great deal to make mental health easier to talk about. Humour and honest stories can turn an awkward subject into something people feel able to discuss over dinner. Clear, respectful education helps too. What does not help is reducing a diagnosis to a frightening caricature or a throwaway joke that dismisses someone's experience.

Dr Christine Shen, Acupuncturist, brings her psychotherapy qualifications to conversations in Lane Cove, where everyday language is perfectly fine.

No perfect words required

Many people delay seeking support because they are not sure how to describe what they feel. You do not need clinical terms. Saying things like these is a perfectly good start:

• I have not felt like myself for a while.
• Small things set me off more than they used to.
• I keep thinking about something that happened.

If Christine uses a term you do not recognise, ask what it means. If a label feels confusing, uncomfortable or simply wrong, say so. Those reactions are useful information.

Language that opens doors

Respectful wording should make care easier to reach and talk about. It should also leave space for proper assessment, for psychological treatment where appropriate and for your own account of your life. You are the expert on your experience, even if a professional can offer a framework for understanding it.

Agreeing where to go next

Talk through what you would like to understand better and what feels hardest to change. Ask how the work will be reviewed and what other support, such as your GP, might be involved if your needs change.

Starting where you are

Whether you have lived with a diagnosis for years or are only beginning to wonder whether something is wrong, a conversation in Lane Cove can start wherever you feel comfortable. Christine will follow your lead on pace and vocabulary.