#shawleveryday2019 Day 37

Words mean things. And they can change over time. A lot of mental health diagnoses we use now used to be called something else. As we learn more about them and as language usage in general changes, things have adjusted. It's critical that we use modern terms for these illnesses, because often the old phrasing causes more stigma.

In fact, as a result of researching for this post, I discovered that depression has been reclassified as a symptom of a variety of other disorders. What we would have called depression is now known as major depressive disorder.

• manic-depression --> bipolar disorder type 1

• multiple personality disorder --> dissociative identity disorder

• soldier's heart or shell shock --> PTSD

• melancholy --> depression --> major depressive disorder

• dysthymia --> persistent depressive disorder

• hypochondria --> somatic system disorder

• hearing voices --> schizophrenia

There are some pushes to rename schizophrenia and PTSD, as those diagnoses still carry some stigma, but there has not been any official proposals that I am aware of.

Details about this shawl
Bermuda scarf pattern