Many would agree that language is huge when deciding if something is bad or good. If the language surrounding a person or illness sounds negative in nature, then we most likely assume that the person or illness is bad. This inturn causes us to have judgement. For example viewing the terms above….what are you thinking? How does each statement make you feel? In the world of addictions and mental health, whether for adolescent or adult, negative words, positive words or neutral words can be the difference between shame and stigma or not.
I have been seeing the words “troubled teen” a lot lately. Even the programs/industries that are trying to change verbage around youth in crisis have to use “troubled teen” to get hits on the internet. I’ll even need to use the term to get leads to this blog post. I feel sad about that.
To me seeing or hearing the words “troubled teen” makes me think those kids had a choice. They had a choice to be bad or good. Did they? Same goes for “drug addict”, did they have a choice to become addicted? Sure, they had a choice in using a substance. As an adolescent, that is their job….to try things. They don’t know if they will be come addicted or not. It doesn’t even cross their mind. Their frontal lobe is still yet to develop their rationalization thoughts/skills.
There is always a back story…most likely when a youth is in crisis, it is because they have had some sort of trauma. Trauma with a capital T or with a lower case t. Another term is ACEs or Adverse Childhood Experiences. The CDC defines ACEs as potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). Examples would be but not limited to: experiencing violence, abuse or neglect, witnessing violence….A child’s environment could be impacted by safety and stability due to substance use or mental health problems by the care giver. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance use problems.
A youth in crisis does not have to have had such extreme traumas to be in crisis. Today, adolescents are dealing with the pressures of their generation. Internet, social media, drugs, parents divorcing, Covid, political unrest, divisiveness…..and the list goes on…… When it all builds up and their minds and body’s can’t handle it all, they become “out of control”. They make bad choices, do horrible things, use drugs. They are just trying to survive. We as adults have to have compassion and empathy to help them, guide them….save them.
So the next time we use/read words that are negative in describing someone or their illness….. stop! Think it through….that child, adolescent, young adult and adult all have a back story.
I invite you to watch the trailer; Gabor Mate’ in the Wisdom of Trauma. https://youtu.be/70HNmSsJvVU