basil67 Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Does LS have (or would it consider) any policy around the casual - and frequently inaccurate - use of mental health terms? I'm not talking about posts such as "Based on your description, your partner is displaying a number of symptoms of X disorder. You may want to do some further investigation". Nor am I talking about "my partner has received a diagnosis of X disorder and I want to learn more about other people's experiences". Sure, those shared experiences may not be pleasant, but at least we're using the terms in an accurate manner. What I am talking about is the person who flips around on what they want being called Bi Polar. The person who does unpleasant things being called BPD. The person who likes everything in order who's called OCD. Or 'my friends who are bi polar/BPD and use people terribly'. I'm talking about lay people making casual diagnosis of those around them based on qualities which aren't even close to the actual diagnostic criteria. Such casual use of terms do so much damage to the understanding of people who suffer from real and debilitating mental illnesses. Thoughts? 3 Link to post Share on other sites
William Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 (edited) Here's what we publish on the matter, appearing on every page of the web site: Quote Please note: The suggestions and advice offered on this web site are opinions only and are not to be used in the place of professional psychological counseling or medical advice. If you or someone close to you is currently in crisis or in an emergency situation, contact your local law enforcement agency or emergency number. The only instructions we've been given directly are to disallow any member from holding themselves out as a medical or psychological professional for the purposes of dispensing opinion or advice. Essentially, no room for 'I'm a pro so know better than you' type rhetoric. All viewpoints, even if they seem ridiculous, are equal on peer-to-peer LoveShack.org. Edited April 1, 2020 by a LoveShack.org Moderator 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Author basil67 Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 Ok thanks. I guess I'll just stick to asking the poster if it's an actual diagnosis. Link to post Share on other sites
preraph Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Or just ask them what they mean when they say she's narcissistic. That's a term that's commonly used to mean many different things, and usually nothing to do with the actual diagnosis. So you just ask what are they doing, I think. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 if you're getting your medical advice from an internet relationship forum then god help you 6 Link to post Share on other sites
GorillaTheater Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 I think most off you are nuts, if that helps. 7 Link to post Share on other sites
jay1983 Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 If comments/Accusations are correct nearly every breakup story here involves someone who is bipolar or a narcissist. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Author basil67 Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 If comments/Accusations are correct nearly every breakup story here involves someone who is bipolar or a narcissist. Exactly my point Jay. It does so much harm to those who have actual mental health problems. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
salparadise Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 I'm talking about lay people making casual diagnosis of those around them based on qualities which aren't even close to the actual diagnostic criteria. Such casual use of terms do so much damage to the understanding of people who suffer from real and debilitating mental illnesses. Thoughts? I'm all for destigmatizing mental health diagnoses, but I don't see how banning terminology would accomplish that, nor do I see how it could ever be administered since it would always be subjective, dependent upon on context and other variables... it would just be a mess. People would be flagging every instance and any productive discussion would be derailed. There have been campaigns in the past where a few posters have tried to invalidate, criticize and shame the use of MH terms. Thankfully they seem to have run out of wind. Most people have pretty good spidey sense for incorrect/inappropriate use, and when we see it we just discount the source. Another problem is that many MH labels have a common, legitimate generic use as well. Narcissus, for example, originates in Greek mythology and the MH diagnosis of NPD (narcissism) is derived from the common usage. So if you're describing a person as self-absorbed in certain ways, the word narcissist would not be incorrect even if the person had never taken the MMPI-2 or visited a therapist in his life. But if someone says a person is NPD they should at least give consideration to behaviors with respect to DSM criterial (or read the tweets). We just need to invent some terminology for people who can't spell, punctuate or structure a sentence and yet insist on using diagnostic terms like expletives. My favorite MH term is BSC. I hope the don't adopt that as an official diagnosis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
William Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 (edited) Here's the two most relevant existing policies from the guidelines: Language and decency As a global community, it is important to recognize that not all participants are native speakers of English, nor are they all acquainted with colloquialisms popular in your particular area of the world. We expect that our community participants use language that not only reflects proper terminology, but that is in no way vulgar, profane, obscene, pornographic, demeaning, or pejorative to the subject being described or those contributing to the discussion. This is especially important to remember when dealing with sexual health issues. Civility and respect We expect that all community participants interact in a manner conducive to free-flowing, collaborative participation from all visitors, fostering an environment free of harassment, character attacks, and other forms of individual and group berating. We realize that all members may not share the same definitions on issues surrounding personal morality, appropriate behavior, and other sensitive topics of discussion that often appear on the site; we encourage all to voice their own opinions while refraining from criticizing other participants for the perspective they hold. Each person that posts on the forum is to be treated with the utmost respect and civility regardless of how absurd or ridiculous the opinion expressed might seem to you from your perspective. -------------------- From a moderation/policy standpoint the main thing to watch is attaching mental or psychological illness labels to fellow members personally. That's a slippery slope to us getting involved. Definitely do report content suspected of violating our guidelines. We'll look into it. Thanks! Edited April 1, 2020 by a LoveShack.org Moderator 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 if you're getting your medical advice from an internet relationship forum then god help you This actually made me "belly laugh" out loud. Thanks "alphamale" I needed a good laugh today!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
William Posted July 30, 2018 Share Posted July 30, 2018 (edited) Granted it's twelve years old or so but here's the most recent published 'policy' from our former head moderator. It was Tony who instructed us on professional advice Seeking Medical Opinions and Information On LoveShack? Peer discussion of medical problems is common on the internet and long ago I even started a forum regarding a particular mental health condition due to peer interest and requests. Content from medical professionals was encouraged to be linked to and personal experiences and advice were welcomed. We appreciate the same here, even though LoveShack.org is a relationship site not a medical site. Edited April 1, 2020 by a LoveShack.org Moderator Link to post Share on other sites
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