I’ve seen the term “brain disorder” cropping up all over the place– a replacement for the term “mental illness.”
I like it.
It’s a better description, sounds more clinical (to me), and is free of the baggage that comes with the phrase “mental illness.” I think it suits the sufferer better too– it frames the person as a victim of a sickness instead of as a culprit. It’s more of an noun than an adjective. (Yes, yes, I know “mental illness” is a noun too, but so often we hear it used as a descriptor: she is mentally ill. I don’t think people would say, She’s brain disorder-y.) It gets to be what it is: an affliction.
I’d love to hear your thoughts: do you like one term more than the other? Or would you suggest something entirely different?
Image credit: Dierk Schaefer
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 